Festivals
Durga Puja
Associations
Learn Bangla
Beng. Marriage
Art & Craft
Great Indians
Beauty Care
Recipe
Astrology
Beng. Section
Bengal
Calcutta
Beng. Calendar
Wallpapers
Movie
Music
E-Card
Shopping
E-Puja Room 
News
E-mail
Month's Events
Weather 
Chat
Travel
Join Us
Advertise
Website links
Link to us
Guest Corner
Services
WebSite Design

Abound with festivities and socio-religious activities India's potent religious fervor can be seen in the frenzied activities carried out by devout pilgrims who throng the premises of the famous Jagannath Temple in Puri in the month of July. An incarnated form of Lord Krishna according to mythology, Lord Jagannath along with his brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Subhadra set out for an annual visit to his aunt's home at

Gundicha Mandir which is situated at a distance of 2 kms from the Puri temple. Rath Yatra or a journey on chariots is a popular event highlighting richly decorated chariots pulled along the streets of Puri where devotees gather to catch a glimpse of the Lord and his associates. In yester years the Kings of Orissa swept the road on which the chariots plied with brooms made of gold. In a country where pilgrimages are of immense religious value, they represent an inward journey through hardships and hurdles to attain salvation or God. It is this journey of life where the Gita emphasizes is a journey of experience leading to truth, knowledge and light.

Rath Yatra though is celebrated all through out the country, many devotees go to Puri with a desire to touch the ropes of the chariot since it is considered auspicious and a pious deed. Many brave the huge crowd and risk their lives to touch the ropes. Long processions accompanying the chariot play drums and tambourines and sing devotional songs. The chariot is approximately 45 feet high and are

pulled by thousands who attend the event. Rath Yatra is telecasted by many Indian television channels.

Rath Yatra or procession on chariots finds mention in Hindu vedic scriptures and epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana where wars were fought on chariots drawn by horses.

MYTH OF RATH YATRA_________________________________
The myth that surrounds the worship of Lord Jagannath spurts from one spectacular dream that King Indradumna Deva of Kalinga (Orissa) dreamt one night. He was asked by the Gods in his dream to worship Lord Jagannath who was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The idol was to be built of neem wood which was to be found on the sea shore. The pious king, followed the heavenly orders and as predicted by the dream the block of neem wood was found on the seashore. Lord Vishwakarma was requested to carry out the modeling. He agreed on a condition – that no one should disturb him or take a peek at his work until he finished. Terms agreed on the Lord started his work but the curious king broke his promise and made the mistake of looking at the unfinished idols. Furious Lord Vishwakarma, left, leaving the idols limbless. It is in this form all the tree deities are worshipped in.

Every 12 years, as the custom goes, Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama and Devi Shubhadra has a “Naba Kalebar” or a new body made of neem wood, which is found by the sea shore.

The actual festival begins with the "Snanyatra" .The deities are bathed with water from an old well which is in the temple complex. The deities are then put on huge ornamented chariots and are pulled to their destination by millions of devotees.

In the procession, the first chariot in line is Taladhyaj, which belong to Lord Balabhadra. 13.5 mts high, this bold blue structure stands on a platform of fourteen wheels. The chariot Darpadalan, belonging to Devi Shuvadra follows

next. Crimson red in colour, this chariot is around 13 mts high and moves on 12 wheels. Lord Jagannatha Dev's chariot Nandighosh is the last on the line. Bright yellow in colour, this chariot is roughly 14 mts high and stands on 16 wheels. There are 4 wooden horses in front of each chariot. The same is done on the day of “UltoRath” when the deities return home, at the Puri temple after the visit. The Rathyatra is one of the holiest as well as one of the popular Hindu festivals. Not only the natives but foreign tourists too find this festival an intriguing affair.

It is often said that after the Snan Yatra of Puri, 'Nilkantha' bird is seen sitting on the Jagannath temple of Mahesh, in Sreerampur only 23 km from Howrah. Lord Jagannath on his way to Snan Yatra had rested on the banks of river Ganga in Mahesh. Since then it acquired the status of a holy place. Even today thousands of pilgrims who undertake Snan Yatra (pilgrimage) flock to Mahesh for their holy dip. Mahesh acquired its importance when Drubananda Brahmachari started the Snan Yatra. Around 500yrs. ago he had gone to the Jagannath temple of Puri to offer the Lord offerings but the sevaks did not allow him to make any offerings. Anguished he went without food and almost killed himself but it is told that in his dream the Lord directed him to Mahesh. Drubananda Brahmachari went to Mahesh. One rainy night he found 3 wooden trunks of neem tree floating near the banks of river Ganga. With these wooden planks he sculptured them into idols of Lord Jagannatha, his brother Lord Balarama and their sister Devi Shubhadra. These wooden sculptures are still worshipped today unlike the Puri's idols that are changed every 12 years.

After the Snan Yatra it takes 2 weeks to re-varnish and polish the idols which is known as "Angorag or Rupankan". A yagna is then performed and the deities are then kept on the alter and the temple door is re-opened for the devotees. This is known as "Nabajouban Utsav". On the second day or

"dwitia"is the Rath Yatra. Unlike the three raths (chariots) of Puri, Mahesh's Rath Yatra is graced with only one chariot but it is a four storied chariot. Earlier this rath was made of wood but because of its deteriorating condition, in the year 1292, the Dewan of Shyambazar, Krishnaram Basu made the present rath. It is made of iron and wrapped up with wood. It was built by Martinbarn company, 50 feet high with nine temple tops and weighing 125 tonnes. England's Joy Engineering company built the 12 wheels of the chariot. In front of the chariot are 2 copper horses and wooden

swans.It was worth Rs.20,000 then. The idol of Lord Jagannath is placed on the top of the chariot. From Mahesh the Rath goes to Kunjobati, Lord Jagannath's aunt's place. For nine days with Balabhadra and Shubhadra, Lord Jagannath reside and return to his temple on Skukla Dashami which is known as Ulta Rath.

In Nadiya, Mayapur, is the establishment of ISKCON, International society of Krishna Consciousness. ISKCON establishments are also in Hyderabad, Vrindavan and Mumbai. Every year devotees of Krishna and Chaitanya from all over the world visit these places to participate in the festivities of Rath Yatra. Since the Hare Krishna movement in 1968 Rath Yatra is celebrated as an annual event in places such as London, Paris and New York pioneered by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The "Hare Ram Utsav" is also very famous. Calcutta's ISKCON's Rath Yatra started in the year 1972. There are 35 other countries who celebrate Rath Yatra in their own homeland.