|
Rath Yatra- the festival of chariot is an eminent Hindu festival celebrated annually at Puri. Puri is a coastal town and it houses the famous Jagannath Temple. During this festival the presiding deities of the Jagannath temple; Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are pulled out on three massive chariots and taken to Gundicha temple, which is situated at a distance of two miles. ‘Rath’ means chariot and ‘Yatra’ means a pilgrimage or procession. The event marks the journey of Lord Jagannath to Gundicha Temple along with his brother and sister. Many people are of the opinion that Lord Jagannath is an incarnation of Vishnu. The festival draws a large number of tourists from India and abroad. People from all walks of life participate and enjoy the festival of Rath Yatra.
Many legendary tales are associated with the origin of this festival. Some says that it is celebrated to fulfill Lord Jagannath’s wish of visiting his birthplace every year. Others claim that Lord Jagannath once took his sister to introduce her to the beauty of Dwarka, and the event is celebrated as Rath Yatra. According to another legend it symbolizes the visit of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra to Mathura on a chariot, following the invitation of their Uncle Kamsa. Hence, the Yatra is held in honor of this visit.
The glimpse of Lord Jagannath on his chariot is believed to be very favorable. It is a common belief that those who see the deities in the chariot will attain salvation.
Rath Yatra is celebrated with great enthusiasm and vigor. The celebration starts with an elaborate ritualistic procession of the three idols; Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. The chariots in which the three idols are placed are one of the main attractions of the festival. They are not only massive in structure but, are also decorated lavishly. The number of wheels, shape and size of the three chariots vary. They are also known by three different names; Nandighosh Rath, Taladvaja Rath and Dwarpadalana Rath. They are the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra respectively.
After the idols are placed in the chariot, it is swept with a golden broom. The chariot is then pulled by thousand devotees towards the Gundicha Mandir, located at a distance of 3 km from the Jagannath Temple. The procession is accompanied by huge crowd of people singing, celebrating and rejoicing. The idols are bought back to the Jagannath Temple after a span of 8 days in the same elaborate procession.
Last Updated On: 2011/06/28
© Indfy.com. All Rights Reserved.
Webiste Designed, Developed, and Maintained by
Compare Infobase Limited.
Comment