Jagannath Ratha Yatra of the Living God

 India is noted for its diversity, culture, customs, festivals, and numerous religious activities, and has cultural practices that can be witnessed throughout states due to the fact that each state has its unique set of cultural norms.

The architecture found in India is unparalleled. The temples are a prime example. The temples-built years ago adhered to various traditional practices, and we can see various architectural aspects on them. Even the construction style is distinct from one another.

The well-known Char Dham pilgrimage is regarded as one of the most important pilgrimages to be visited in order to achieve Moksha. Badrinath is in the north, Rameswaram is in the south, Dwaraka is in the west, and Puri Jagannath is in the east.

Puri Jagannath temple is unique in every way, and it is considered the first place to visit if one is planning a Char Dham Yatra. “Sarvesamapi Kshetranam Raja Sri Purusottamah, Sarvesamapi Devanam Raja Sri Purusottamah,” says the Kapila Samhita (5th chapter), “of all lands it is the country of Purusottamah, of all Gods it is Purusottamah” (Jagannath).

The Ratha Yatra is India’s greatest chariot event, held in Puri, Odisha. Ratha Yatra day is established on Dwitiya Tithi during Shukla Paksha of Ashada month, according to the Hindu lunar calendar.

When is Ratha Yatra in 2022?

On Friday, July 1, 2022, there will be a Ratha Yatra.

On June 30, 2022, Dwitiya Tithi begins at 10:49 AM.

On July 1, 2022, Dwitiya Tithi comes to an end at 01:09 PM.

Yatra of Puri Jagannath

Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra is one of the most important celebrations in the world, lasting 12 days. Puri’s Ratha Yatra is a religious parade of three chariots or Rathas carrying the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra. Lord Jagannath’s Ratha Yatra is celebrated in 192 nations across six continents.

Most Hindu deities are built of stone or metal, but Lord Jagannath, together with Balarama and Subhadra, are fashioned entirely of wood.

The chariots that carry Lord Jagannath are known as Nandighosha or Garudadhwaja, the chariots that carry Balarama are known as Taladhwaja or Langaladhwaja, and the chariots that carry Subhadra are known as Darpadalana or Padhmadhwaja.

The ceremonial procession travels from Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple, which is located 3 kms away. It is reported that the Gundicha temple is being built on the site where Queen Gundicha formerly lived.

The Chhehra panhara, or mopping of the chariot with a golden broom, is an essential ritual related with the Ratha Yatra, performed by a descendant of the royal Gajapthi dynasty where the king dons a sweeper suit and sweeps across the statues and chariots.

Balrama is the first chariot to arrive at Gundicha temple during the Ratha Yatra, followed by Subhadra and ultimately Lord Jagannath.

Puri Jagannath is the sole temple where the Jagannath idol is taken out for Ratha Yatra, although other temples carry out the forms of original deities. Lord Jagannath, together with Balarama and Subhadra, spends seven days in Gundicha temple.

Prernamurti Bharti Shriji has always made us feel a part of every occasion, even if we weren’t physically present. “Imagine yourself experiencing JagannathJi’s Ratha Yatra and feel as though you are there.” On a chariot, the Lord is seated. The chariot is being pulled by thousands of men and women who are grasping the rope. Kirtan is in progress, and their cheers can be heard throughout the sky. You’re also pushing the chariot while dancing and chanting with enthusiasm on that journey.”

This reminded me about the Jagannathashtakam composed beautifully by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, excerpts from it are as below

रथारूढो गच्छन् पथि मिलित_भूदेव पटलैः

स्तुति_प्रादुर्भावं प्रति_पदमुपाकर्ण्य सदयः ।

दया_सिन्धुर्बन्धुः सकल_जगतां सिन्धु_सुतया

जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन_पथ_गामी भवतु मे ॥५॥

I meditate on Sri Jagannatha,when riding His Ratha through the streets during the Ratha Yatra festival, a group of Brahmins begins singing His Stuti among the ocean of Devotees surrounding the Ratha; in every step of this great Yatra, His Ears are open and His Compassionate Heart throbs with the Devotees; Who is an Ocean of Compassion and Friend of the Whole World; May JagannathSwami be the focal point of my inner and outer vision, no matter where my gaze travels.

What would people like to see at Ratha Yatra?

Puri’s Ratha Yatra is Internationally-famous, Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra is open to all religions and castes; anyone can take part in this holy celebration. During the yatra, anyone is allowed to touch the deities, but wait before you think of doing it, the number of pilgrims flocking to the city to see the holy spectacle is around 10–12 lacs!!

Another highlight is the Chariots, which are colorfully decked on the day of Ratha Yatra and are a sight to behold.

Thousands of people use ropes to pull the chariots. The spectacle of this parade is breathtaking.

What Makes Ratha Yatra Unique?

Ratha Yatra is extremely important for anyone seeking spiritual merit. It is thought that anyone who pulls the ropes connecting the deities’ chariots or assists someone else in doing so will be able to cleanse all his penances.

On the third day of the Ratha Yatra, devotees put on a theatrical play in which the deities finally meet Goddess Laxmi after a long time apart. As a result of the Lord’s carelessness, Goddess Laxmi smashes Lord Jagannath’s chariot wheel in this play.

What happens to Lord Jagannath during the course of the Ratha Yatra?

The doors of Jagannath temple are closed 15 days before the Ratha Yatra. Lord Jagannath performs Snana Yatra during this time. Lord Jagannath is said to have caught a cold after performing the Yatra and needed to rest for a while. He prepares for Ratha Yatra once the rest of the tasks are finished.

Lord Jagannath comes to a halt after ending his stay at Gundicha shrine. Lord Jagannath is said to be unable to return to his main temple without his favorite sweet delicacy, Poda Pitha.

The Dusky history of Puri Jagannath

Only Hindus are allowed to enter the Jagannath temple, which is written in five languages on a rock plate at the entrance. The temple administration says more about why this is the case. Reason is that foreign invaders plundered Jagannathtemple 17 times. Mughal sultans and emperors, in particular, stormed Odisha on numerous occasions in order to destroy the idols of the Jagannath temple. However, these invaders were unable to destroy Lord Jagannath, Subhadra, and Balarama, three idols of Lord Jagannath Temple, since the temple priests had constantly hidden the statues. The idols were once hidden in Hyderabad, even though it was beyond the state of Odisha.

Jagannath Temple Chronicles:

King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Ganga Dynasty built the Jagannath temple during the 12th century. Skanda purana and Brahma purana say that King Indrayumna built the current temple.

According to sources, Lord Jagannath’s presence in Puri had a narrative. Jagannath was a tribe’s god named Neela Madhava. The tribe adored Neela Madhava but didn’t know his form. King Indrayumna was a Vishnu devotee. Lord Vishnu is his final wish. He performed yagnas to grant his wish. All failed.

A traveler tells Indrayumna about Neela Madhava after hearing his wish. When the King heard this, he sent Vidyapathi to find Neela Madhava.

Vidyapathi visited the tribal village and begged Viswavasu to reveal Neela Madhava’s location. No strangers are allowed to visit Neela Madhava, according to Viswavasu’s forefathers’ ceremony and custom. Vidyapathi stayed in the village to find the site and fell for Viswavasu’s daughter Lalitha. They married and were happy. Vidyapathi begged Viswavasu to discover Neela Madhava.

Viswavasu offers to show Vidyapathi the spot, but only if he’s blindfolded. Vidyapathi agrees, but he dropped a bag of black mustard seeds en route. Vidyapathi was thrilled to behold Lord Vishnu. He told King Indrayumna immediately. When the King reached Neela Madhava, Lord Vishnu had disappeared.

The disappointed king returned home and began Aswamedha yagnam. One day, the yagnam was successful, and he thought he could meet Lord Vishnu if he shaped the floating logs into an idol. He noticed Neem tree logs in the river where logs floated. He brought it to the kingdom. He told the kingdom’s architects to make idols from logs, but they failed. An elderly architect told the king he could finish the work in 21 days if he worked alone in a chamber.

Queen Gundicha asked the king to open the architect’s room. The king opened the door to see three unfinished idols with only faces. In the king’s dream, Lord Brahma revealed that the elderly architect is Vishwakarma, the Gods’ architect. He said they are Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra. Brahma blessed the idols.

Mysterious Facts about Puri Jagannath Temple

The Puri Jagannath temple is the only temple in India where Lord Jagannathcan be seen with his siblings Balarama and Subhadra.

The splendor of this temple, as well as the miracles associated with it, are well-known across the country and around the world. Now, let me tell you some mind-blowing truths that will make you ponder as well as compelled to think, “Does this really happen?” after pursuing them.

The food is only prepared in mud pots
No metal is used in the cooking process. It is said that Goddess Laxmi herselfwill inspect the food prepared by the temple’s priests. According to some priests, whenever food preparation goes wrong, a dog shadow appears, indicating that something is wrong with the food preparation.

Prasadam cooked in a magical way
The priests here have been cooking Prasadam in the customary style for a long time. The offerings are cooked in firewood using seven pots mounted on top of each other as utensils. Surprisingly, the contents of the top pot are cooked first, followed by the prasad from the bottom pot.

Why aren’t birds flying above the temple?
If we talk about mythology, it is said that Garuda looks after the birds that visit Lord Jagannath’s shrine. The Garuda bird is regarded as the king of the birds. Other birds are afraid to fly above the temple now that the bird king himself is looking after it and Lord Jagannath. This could explain why no bird has ever been observed flying over the temple. In addition, if seen from a scientific standpoint, Jagannath Temple Puri might be considered a coastline place, with strong winds. And, because Jagannath temple is roughly 1000 feet tall, little birds may find it difficult to fly in high winds there.

The flag that opposes wind course?
Whether a ship is traveling on sea or a piece of ordinary cloth is drying in the breeze, the direction of flight is the same. However, the flag that flutters above this temple contradicts this hypothesis because it flutters in the opposite direction of the wind without any scientific explanation. The “Chuna Garuda Sevaks,” also known as the Chunara Seva, rise to a height of 215 feet on the Garba Mandira and hoist the Patita — Pavana — Bana, Jagannatha’s flag. Every day without interruption, a priest replaces it by ascending to the top without the need of ropes. If this ritual is ever missed, it is believed that the temple will be closed for the next 18 years.

Puzzle and Mystery of Sudarshan Chakra
On the pinnacle of the temple, in the form of Sudarshan Chakra, there are two secrets. The first revolves around the theory that the wheel above, which stands about 20 feet tall and weighs a ton, could not have gotten there without the use of human-powered machinery in that century. The second is the chakra’s architectural technique, which means that no matter how you look at it, you’ll view it the same way. It appears to have been constructed to look the same from every angle. The vimanas avoid flying over the temple because this chakra is thought to cause communication problems for flying planes thus planes aren’t seen flying over the temple for obvious reasons.

Here, food is never in short supply
Food waste is considered a bad sign in Hindu mythology, and the temple follows the same trend. The daily attendance of the temple varies between 2,000 and 200,000 devotees. Surprisingly, none of the prasadam produced daily goes to waste, not even a single piece.

Noise of ocean waves in temple — Mute Water
There are four entrances to the temple: Singha Dwara: Two lions guard the entrance. When you enter through this door, you can plainly hear the sound of the waves, but when you take your first step inside the temple through the Lion Gate entry, you won’t be able to hear anything. When you exit the temple, the sound of the waves will greet you once more. This is thought to be the wish of Subhadra Mai, the lords’ sister, who prayed for peace within the temple gates, which the God dutifully granted.

Replacing the Actual Deities, know WHY?

Navakalevara ceremony takes place once every 12 years, but not always. It can also happen in 8, 16, or 19 years, depending on the fortunate day. Lord Jagannath, together with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra, the triad of Puri temple, is the sole deity that discards his body and enters a new ‘body’. Daru Brahma is the figure of Lord Jagannath who protects a mystery Brahma Padartha (The Supreme Matter). This Daru Brahma (Prime-Soul ensconced in wood) is also transferred from the previous figure to the new one during Navakalevara.

Prospective of Hindu religion on Navakalevara: It is based on the belief that death is the sole genuine reality. The servitors who took part in last night’s event would be tonsured after 10 days and lament the death of old idols, similar to post-death rites in Hindu households. “It’s unparalleled anywhere on the planet”.

How is Jagannath Rath or Chariot made?

The biggest attraction of Ratha Yatra is three massive chariots carrying three deities from Jagannath temple. The architecture in the Chariots is breathtaking.

Unlike other temples where chariots are created only once in a lifetime, for Ratha Yatra, it’s remarkable that new chariots are built every year for Jagannath Ratha Yatra.

For the creation of Chariots, the artisan does not adhere to any written format. It is reported that just one family of carpenters works on the preparation of these chariots. The knowledge is passed down from generation to generation.

Previously, a special group of individuals was in charge of the wood needed to build the chariots. However, as time passes, the wood is currently only supplied by the Orissa Government. The government-supplied wood will be delivered to the Jagannath temple on Vasant Panchami, the most auspicious day when we celebrate Goddess Saraswathi’s birthday. On Lord Sri Rama’s birthday, the required size cutting of timber logs would be completed (Rama Navami).

In Puri, chariot construction is underway in front of the royal palace, near the Jagannath shrine. It begins on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya. It is thought that any activity begun on this day will bear fruit.

Chariot construction begins with Lord Jagannath Wheels, which are as enormous as Lord Jagannath Eyes. Craftsmen take much care and attention when decorating the chariots. The chariots’ canopies are made of green, black, yellow, and red cloth.

आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव च। बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥॥१.३.३ ॥

ātmānam̐ rathitaṃ viddhi śarīram̐ rathameva tu |

buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca || 1.3.3 ||

According to the Holy book of Katha Upanishad, chariots symbolize the body and the deities inside the chariots as souls. Wisdom guides the mind and its thoughts as the charioteer.

Puri’s tourist attractions include:

Apart from visiting Puri Jagannath Temple, Puri is a magnificent tourist destination. Puri’s beaches, including Puri Beach and Golden Beach, are popular.

If you want to try trekking, Daring Badi is the spot to go because it gives you a nice experience of being in nature with greenish trees and a small waterfall around it.

Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary is another popular tourist destination where you may see a large variety of birds. The spectacular sunrise and sunset vistas at Chilika Lake Sanctuary are well-known. Purshottam Das, a devotee of Lord Jagannath, penned a poem around 400 years ago about Lord Krishna dancing with a milkmaid named Maniki who had come to sell curds on the Chilika’s banks.

You must sample the food at the Puri Jagannath temple. Because all of the food prepared is vegetarian and excellent. The food provided to the Deities in most Indian temples is referred to as ‘Prasad,’ but only the meal offered to Lord Jagannath is referred to as ‘MahaPrasad.’ Because ‘Maha’ means ‘Great’ in Odia, the name ‘MahaPrasad’ denotes the sagacity of greatness. Sharing the Mahaprasad is seen as a blessing that allows devotees to be forgiven of their misdeeds. As a result, a visit to the Lord Jagannath temple would be incomplete without the Mahaprasad. The name ‘Mahaprasad’ is widely used around the world, however the inhabitants of Puri refer to the Sankhudi Mahaprasad as ‘Abhada’ which is available at Anand Bazaar.

And the ideal months to visit Puri are October through February. If you are a devotee, you must attend the Ratha Yatra, which is held in June or July.

Festival celebration is also an art form. Satprerna does an excellent job of participating in numerous festivals, both physical and virtual, and you will appreciate each concept. Keep us looped by letting us know if you’ve ever been to this amazing location, and our ears are always open for further riddles or facts regarding the Living God!

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