Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath Puri kya hai Janiye Pura story

Ratha Yatra Or Car Festival kya hai?

For the uninitiated, a total of 148 festivals are celebrated in the temple annually. They include 12 yatras, 28 upayatras and 108 festivals.Of them, Rath Yatra is the most famous. The annual nine-day sojourn of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, which begins on the ‘Dwitiya’ tithi during Ashadha Shukla Paksha, is eagerly awaited because this is the only occasion when the Lord steps out of His sanctum sanctorum to give darshan to the old and the sick and all devotees irrespective of caste, colour and religion.

The festival is a unique manifestation of the philosophy of classless and casteless society.

The preparations for the nine-day annual sojourn start early, with the construction of chariots beginning on the auspicious day of Akshay Tritiya.

The three chariots are in the shape of Rekha deul type.

There are 12 main festivals of Lord Jagannath observed at Srimandir in Puri. Rath Yatra is one of them. This annual festival of nine-day sojourn of the deities to Gundicha temple, begins from Aashadha Shukla Dwitiya i,e the second day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Aashadha.

 Lord Jagannath’s chariot is called Nandighosa. While its height is 44.2 feet, it has 16 wheels. Its clothing cover is a combination of red and yellow colours.

While ‘Daruka’ is the charioteer of this ratha, ‘Sankhachuda’ is its rope. The four white wooden horses fitted to it are Sankha, Balahaka, Sweta and Haridaswa.

Lord Balabhadra’s ratha is called Taladhvaja. Its height is 43.3 feet and it has 14 wheels. Its cloth covering is a combination of red and green colours.

While ‘Matali’ is the charioteer of this rath, ‘Vasuki’ is its rope. The names of its four black wooden horses are Tibra, Ghora, Dirghasrama and Swarnanabha.

Darpadalana is the name of Devi Subhadra’s ratha. While it stands at 42.3 feet, it has 12 wheels. This rath is covered with red and black clothes. While ‘Arjun’ is its charioteer, its rope is called Swarnachuda. The colour of the four horses attached to it is red and their names are Rochika, Mochika, Jita and Aparajita.

Ratha Yatra of 2023 kab hai?

This year, the festival will begin on Tuesday, 20 June 2023. The Jagannath Rath Yatra is a nine-day festival celebrated in Odisha.

What is Devanand Purnima ?

2023 Deva snana purnima or Snana Yatra:Date, rituals and significance

Deva snana purnima or Snana Yatra will celebrated on Sunday 4 June 2023. 

Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of Srimandir in Puri along with His siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, enjoys a score of services. Snana Yatra or Deva Snana Purnima or Mancha Snana is one of them. 

In fact, this is the first of the 12 major festivals associated with the Trinity. Scriptures say this is the day when Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra were born. Therefore, this is the birth festival of the Lord.   

When the sun beats down with all its fury in the month of Jyestha, and every living being searches frantically for water to cool down, the Holy Trinity with Lord Sudarshan venture out of the Ratna Singhasana on to the Snana Bedi or Snana Mandap (bathing platform), an elevated platform in the ‘bahara bedha’ of the temple facing east overlooking the Grand Road. The siblings receive the grandest and holiest bath in the universe ever.

There is a big difference between the bath of we mortals and the ‘Snana Yatra’ of Sri Jagannath. While bathing we try to be in seclusion, away from the sight of others. But the revered deities show a different trait. Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan enjoy their bath amidst crowds of devotees, out in the open, on the ‘Snana Bedi’.

Held in the full-moon day of the month of Jyestha, this is the first ‘Yatra’ out of the 12 major yatras held in the Srimandir. There is a general belief that anybody who gets a vision of the Lord on this day, he or she will be washed away of all his/her sins. Therefore, it attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over the world. According to Skanda Purana, when King Indradyumna installed the wooden deities he arranged this bathing ceremony.

 On the morning of ‘Snana Yatra’, Daitapati servitors take out the four deities from the inner sanctum sanctorum of the temple to ‘Snana Bedi’ in ceremonial ‘pahandi’. On this day the Suaras and Mahasuaras take out a ceremonial procession to fetch 108 pots of water from the golden well (Suna Kua) situated in the temple premises.

All the servitors cover their mouths with pieces of cloth during the entire process so as not to contaminate the water even with their breath.

Out of the 108 pots, 35 pots of water are poured over Lord Jagannath. Lord Balabhadra bathes with 33 pots of water, while 22 pots of water are emptied on Goddess Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan is bathed with 18 pots of water.

The Snana Bedi gets decorated with traditional paintings of trees and gardens, flags and tableaus. The deities are profusely decorated with flowers. All kinds of perfumes such as Dhupa (incense), Aguru (oil), among others are then offered. As the ‘Pahandi’ of the deities takes place to the accompaniment of music and beating of various indigenous drums, thousands of devotees jostle and crave for a look at the deities in procession.

The priests purify the water with haladi (turmeric), java (whole rice), sandalwood paste (Chandan), flowers and perfumes. The rituals are accompanied by chanting of Vedic mantras by the priests, kirtana and blowing of conch shells.

 With so much of water poured on their earthly forms, the deities get discoloured. Pertinent to mention here that the colours used to paint the idols are all natural colours with minerals and not modern oil paints. The god of the devotees (Bhakta ra Bhagwan), as Lord Jagannath is fondly called, cannot appear discoloured for his devotees, so he dons the Hati Besha (elephantine attire) before going into ‘Anasara Ghara’ (quarantine room).

After the Snana Yatra, the deities develop fever and are kept away from public view (Isolation) for 15 days and during all these days the daily rites of the temple remain suspended before the three deities appear again on the Netrotsav, a day before Rath Yatra.

The festivals and rituals which are held in a bigger and elaborate scale in Srimandir are also held simultaneously in all other Jagannath shrines though in modest scales. Likewise, the Snana Jatra is held in many other temples of Odisha, and now all over the world.

 How ratha yatra starts ? Rath yatra kaise praramv hote hein?

 

On the Rath Yatra day (Dwitiya tithi, Shukla Paksha of Ashadha month), it seems all roads lead to Puri as lakhs of devotees from different parts of the globe throng the holy town to have a glimpse of their beloved Lord Jagannath seated on His chariot.

After completion of daily rituals like Mangal Alati, Abakasha, Rosa Homa, Ballabha, Mailam Lagi, among others the preparations start for the deities' outing.

Out on the Grand Road, the decorated three majestic chariots are sanctified by Deul Purohit. The ritual is called ‘Rath Pratistha'.

The deities are taken out of the sanctum sanctorum in a royal procession called ‘Pahandi Bije’. In Dhadi Pahandi, they are taken one after another in close succession. They all assemble at the seventh stair to wear giant floral crowns, known as ‘Tahia’.

Thereafter, the deities are taken in rhythmic movements amidst beating of cymbals, gongs and drums, sound of conch blowing and chanting of their names by devotees. While Lord Sudarshan and Devi Subhadra are carried on shoulders, Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra are carried with forward and backward movements with pauses.

They go to their respective chariots through Pata Agana, Ananda Bazar, Inner Lions’ Gate, Baisi Pahacha, Lions’ Gate, Gumuti and Arunastambha.

Proxy divinities like Madanmohan and Ramakrishna are placed on Nandighosha and Taladhwaja chariots respectively.

In Chita Lagi rituals, special head ornaments and pata bastra are provided to the deities.

Most significantly, Lord Jagannath is provided with a coconut sent by the villagers of Baligaon, the village of Dasia Bauri.

Then begins the most important ritual of Chhera Panhara.

In this ritual, Puri Gajapati Maharaja is seen performing the job of a sweeper. He sweeps the three chariots using a gold handled broom while sprinkling sandalwood powder and water. This ritual is also performed on the last day of yatra, called Bahuda Yatra.

After completion of this ritual, the long wait of devotees to pull chariots comes to an end. They pull the chariots along the three-kilometre long Grand Road to the Gundicha Temple (a monument built in memory of Queen of Indradyumna).

Worth mentioning, after 200 metres of journey, the chariot of Lord Jagannath comes to a screeching halt before a mazar (tomb) on the right side. It is the tomb of Salabeg, one of the greatest devotees of Lord Jagannath.

The deities stay at the Gundicha temple for eight days.

What is Bahuda Yatra?

On the fourth day of their stay, one of the most mysterious festivals, Hera Panchami is celebrated.

After spending four days without the Lord, Goddess Laxmi becomes disconsolate. On this day, she with permission from Maa Bimla steps out and goes to the Gundicha temple to have a glimpse of the Lord. As she reaches the temple, its gate is suddenly closed. In a fit of anger, she breaks a part of the Nandighosha Rath parked in front of the Gundicha temple, registering her anger on Lord Jagannath not taking her with Him on the journey.

After eight days’ stay at the Gundicha temple, on the ninth day the deities return to their abode. This is known as ‘Bahuda Yatra'.

On their way to home, the three chariots stop at the Mausi Maa Temple where Poda Pitha Bhog, a special baked pastry prepared from rice flour, coconut, jaggery is offered to the deities.

On the Bahuda Yatra day, the deities remain atop their respective chariots parked in front of the temple. On the same day, ‘Suna Besha’ ritual is performed. The deities are dressed in glittering gold ornaments. Devotees witness the ‘Suna Besha’ from evening to 11 pm.

On the 11th day (Ekadasi), another unique ritual is performed. It is called ‘Adhara Pana’. The deities are offered a sweet and scented drink on huge cylindrical earthen pots reaching up to their lips. Each deity is offered three pots of ‘pana’ on their respective chariot.

In local language, ‘adhara’ means lip and ‘pana’, a sweet drink.

Once the ritual is over, the earthen pots are purposefully broken by the servitors and the ‘pana’ spreads all over the chariots. It is so done because the drink is not for servitors or devotees but for evil spirits, ghostly bodies, dissatisfied souls and the minor deities (Parshva Devatas) present on three chariots during the yatra.

On the 12th day, after the evening rituals, the deities are taken to the sanctum sanctorum of the Srimandir in ‘Goti Pahandi’ procession.

Here too, a unique ritual is performed. Since, Goddess Laxmi is angry for leaving her alone in the temple, She allows Lord Sudarshan, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra into the temple. But she stops Lord Jagannath at the gate. It follows a traditional act where the servitors of Lord Jagannath and those of Mahalaxmi engage in a conversation at the main gate (Jaya Vijaya Door) of the temple.

It is then that Lord Jagannath offers rasagolla to Goddess Laxmi to appease her so that He can gain access to the abode.

Jay Jagannath