Rath Yatra 2023 kicks off in India
Historical significance of Rath Yatra
Rath Yatra is considered to be the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival. Rath Yatra is a festival that is celebrated to worship the deity Jagannath.
Rath Yatra
This festival is celebrated annually on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh. The festival is held in the city of Puri, Odisha.
Significance of the festival
Rath Yatra is celebrated to commemorate the divine siblings' journey from their paternal home to their aunt's home. People celebrate this festival to seek blessings for a happy and healthy life ahead.
The celebration
During the festival, three deities, namely Jagannath (a form of Lord Vishnu), his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are pulled in three massive, wooden chariots to Gundicha Temple in Odisha. They then reside there for a week and finally return to the Jagannath temple, Odisha.
The journey
The huge, colourfully decorated chariots are drawn by multitude of devotees. On the way to the Gundicha temple, the chariot of Jagannatha waits near the crematorium of Bhakta Salabega, a Muslim devotee, to pay him tribute.
On their way back from the Gundicha Temple, the three deities stop for a while near the Mausi Maa Temple and have an offering of the Poda Pitha, which is considered to be the deity's favourite.
The chariots
The three chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc.
Rath Yatra celebration begins
Just like in other years, hordes of devotees arrived at Puri to celebrate Rath Yatra which began on Tuesday, June 20.
Just like the previous years, the government has made proper arrangements for all the devotees visiting Puri for Rath Yatra.
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