Puri Ratha Yatra Festival-2020((रथ यात्रा))

Ratha Yatra (रथ यात्रा):

The Puri Ratha Yatra festival (locally called Ratha Jatra) is based around the worship of Lord Jagannath along with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. It commemorates his annual visit to his aunt's home Gundicha Temple.

RathaYatra is a colorful festival which draws millions of devotees from various parts of the country as well as from abroad to Puri, is held in June-July every year. Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe, comes out of His sanctum to give Darshan to all Devotees belonging to all sects and communities.lt is said that those who take part in the Car Festival earn their passage to the Heaven. 

"Locally Jagannath is called Kaliya, for its black colour, with great affection, although modern colour prejudice makes many insist that Krishna is actually blue. He is God, of course, spelt with a capital G, but more than that he is your friend, as the dominant mood in the temple is of sakha-bhaav, devotion through the emotion of friendship."

'It begins with SnanaPumima', On this day the three deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra take prolonged bath on an open platform known as 'Snnana Bedi', Then they retire for 15 days popularly called the period of 'Anabasara' and remain in isolation. During this period, no public worship is performed. After 15 days of isolation, the Gods come out of the temple in a colourful procession to board their respective Chariots and thereafter begins the journey known as RathaJatra. 

Reference to Car Festival in Jagannatha Puri is available in various scriptures like those of Buddhists. Jains and Hindus. However, the present concept of Lord Jagannath is most popular. According to the prevailing concept, Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped by Savaras—a Scheduled Tribe of Odisha.Car Festival symbolizes the Lord's desire to come out of the temple for a brief period to give Darshan to the 'Patitas', (i. e., the lowest of the low) and redeem them. The chariots of Lord Jagannath and His brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are dragged by thousands of devotees in three gorgeously decorated chariots from the main gate of the temple to GundichaMandir near about 3 Kms. away. At GundichaMandirthe Lord along with His entourage remains for 7 days.

When the chariots move on the main thoroughfare of Puri known as BadaDanda {Grand Road) through a vast concourse of humanity that usually throng to have His Darshan, the atmosphere is charged with sanctity. It is delightful to witness the foreigners in saffron robes dancing and reciting musical compositions in honour of Lord Jagannath and Krishna, to the accompaniment of cymbals and mridangas.

The Gods perform their Return Journey on the 9th day and this is known as Bahudayatra. The deities, after a seven-day stay at 'GundichaMandir' commence their Return Journey, or the BahudaJatra. on the tenth day of the bright fortnight of Asadlia. The Return Journey of the chariots takes place in the same order as in the RathaJatra. Balabhadra's chariot moves first, followed by those of Subhadra and Jagannath. On His way back, Jagannath slops for a while at Ardhasani temple popularly called MausiMaa Temple or the Temple of Aunt. He accepts his favourite rice-cake, PodaPitha from the Aunt.

The three chariots, pulled by thousands of devotees, reach back the Singhadwara in the late afternoon of the Bahuda day. On the next day the BadaEkadasi, the three deities are attired in costumes of glittering gold ornaments and are worshipped by lakhs of devotees;This form of the deities Is known as the 'SunaVesha'. On the Dwadasi day, the three deities go back to their original place of the temple, the 'RatnaSinghasana', in the Pahandi style. Their arrival into the sanctum sanctorum marks the end of the RathaJatra, the grand festival of chariots.

Once every nine to 19 years, when the month of Ashadha is followed by another month of Ashadha (known as "double-Ashadha"), a rare and special Nabakalebar ritual takes place. Meaning "new body", Nabakalebara is when the wooden temple idols are replaced with new ones. In the last century, the ritual was performed in 1912, 1931, 1950, 1969, 1977, 1996, and 2015.

Nabakalebara: The Making of New Idols 

Since the idols of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are made from wood, they decay over time and need to be replaced. The new idols are crafted from neem wood. However, not all neem trees are suitable for this purpose. According to the scriptures, the trees need to have certain qualities (such as specific number of branches, color, and location) for each of the idols.

On the year when the idols are due to be replaced, a contingent of priests, servants, and carpenters sets out from the Jagannath Temple to find the appropriate neem trees (locally known as Daru Brahma) in a procession called the Banajag Yatra. The priests walk bare-footed to the temple of Goddess Mangala at Kakatpur, around 50 kilometers from Puri. There, the Goddess appears in a dream, and guides the priests as to where the trees can be found.

Once the trees are located, they're secretly brought back to the temple in wooden carts, and the new idols are carved by a special team of carpenters. The carving takes place in a special enclosure, known as Koili Baikuntha, accessed via the temple's north gate. Lord Krishna is believed to have been cremated there, after being accidentally killed by hunter Jara Savara.

The creation of new idols and destruction of the old idols symbolizes reincarnation.

Devotional songs and prayers from the Vedas are chanted continuously outside the area where the new idols are being carved from the neem wood. Once they're completed, the new idols are carried inside the inner sanctum of the temple and placed facing the old idols. The supreme power (Brahma) is then transferred from the old to the new idols, in a ritual known as Brahma Paribartan (Changing the Soul). This ritual is carried out in privacy. The priest performing the ritual is blindfolded, and his hands and feet are wrapped in thick layers of cloth, so that he can't see or feel the transfer.

Once the ritual is complete, the new idols are seated on their throne. The old idols are taken to Koili Baikuntha and buried there in a sacred ceremony before dawn. It's said that if anybody sees this ceremony, apart from the priests who perform it, they will die. As a result, the state government orders a full blackout of lights in Puri on the night the ceremony is performed. Afterwards, the temple rituals recommence as normal. Flowers and new garments are given to the deities, food is offered, and pujas (worship) are performed.

 

Rituals Performed During the Festival:

Every year, three huge new chariots are made for the idols to be transported on during the festival. It's a very detailed process that takes place in public, at the front of the royal palace near the Jagannath Temple.Construction always commences on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. In 2020, it occurs on April 26.
About 18 days before the Ratha Yatra festival starts, the three idols are given a ceremonial bath with 108 pitchers of water. This is known as Snana Yatra and it takes place on the full moon in the Hindu lunar month of Jyeshtha (known as Jyeshtha Purnima). It's believed that the deities become sick after the bath. Hence, they're kept out of public view until they appear, dressed and renewed, on the new moon in Ashadha (known as Ashadha Amavasya). The occasion is called Navajouban Darshan.
The Ratha Yatra is a community festival. People don't worship in their houses or fast.

When the gods return from their journey, they're decorated and adorned with ornaments of pure gold and given a nourishing drink, before being placed back inside the Jagannath Temple.
An entertaining comic scene is enacted for onlookers, as part of the grand finale. Goddess Lakshmi is angry that her husband, Lord Jagannath, has stayed away for so long without inviting or informing her. She closes the doors of the temple on him, locking him out. Finally, he manages to placate her with sweets, and she relents and lets him enter.

The festival is the only occasion when non-Hindu devotees, who aren't allowed inside the temple, can get their glimpse of the deities. A mere glimpse of Lord Jagannath on the chariot, or even to touch the chariot, is considered to be very auspicious.

The massive number of devotees that flock to the festival does pose a safety risk. Lives are often lost in the immense crowd, so extra care should be taken.

Ratha Yatra, also celebrated internationally in countries like Dublin, Moscow and New York, is to commemorate Jagannath's visit to Gundicha Temple through Mausi Maa Temple in Puri. Read on to know the story behind Lord Jagannath, his visit, the festival, and the temple.

Rath Yatra’s Ratha’s : 

The wooden logs are supplied free of cost by the Odisha state government. They're delivered to the area outside the Jagannath temple office on Vasant Panchami (also referred to as Saraswati Puja), the birthday of Saraswati the goddess of knowledge. This takes place in January or February. Over 4,000 pieces of wood are required to make the chariots, and the government started a plantation program in 1999 to replenish forests. The cutting of the logs to the required sizes gets underway at sawmills on Ram Navami, the birthday of Lord Ram, in March or April.

Construction Ratha’s:

Chariot construction takes place at the front of the royal palace near the Jagannath Temple in Puri. It commences on Akshay Tritiya, a particularly auspicious occasion in April or May. It's believed that any activity started on this day will be fruitful. It also marks the beginning of Chandan Yatra, a 42-day sandalwood festival at the Jagannath Temple.

Prior to the commencement of construction, the temple priests gather to perform a holy fire ritual. The priests, dressed in bright attire, sing and carry garlands that are delivered to the chief carpenters. The work on all three chariots begins and ends simultaneously. It starts with the wheels, resembling the large, round eyes of Lord Jagannath. A total of 42 wheels are required for the three chariots. The wheels are affixed to the principal axles on the last day of Chandan Yatra. Devotees come in droves to pay homage.

Decoration of Ratha’s:

Great care and attention is given to the decoration of the chariots, highlighting the superb craftsmanship of the artisans of Odisha. The frames and wheels of the chariots are also colorfully painted with traditional designs. The canopies of the chariots are covered in approximately 1,250 meters of intricately embroidered green, black, yellow, and red cloth. This dressing of the chariots is carried out by a team of tailors who make cushions for the gods to rest on as well.

On the day before the festival starts, in the afternoon, the chariots are dragged to the Lions Gate entrance of the Jagannath Temple. The next morning, on the first day of the festival (known as Sri Gundicha), the deities are taken out of the temple and installed in the chariots.

Ratha’s names and details: 

Each of the three chariots in the Puri Rath Yatra festival carries one of the deities from the Jagannath Temple. Each chariot is attached to four horses, and has a charioteer. Their details are as follows:

Lord Jagannath

• Chariot Name: Nandighosa
• Chariot Height: 45 feet, six inches.
• Number and Height of Wheels: 16 wheels measuring six feet in diameter.
• Chariot Colors: Yellow and red. (Lord Jagannath is associated with Lord Krishna, also known as Pitambara, "the one draped in golden yellow robes").
• Horse Color: White.
• Charioteer: Daruka.

Lord Balabhadra

• Chariot Name: Taladhwaja -- meaning "one with the palm tree on its flag".
• Chariot Height: 45 feet.
• Number and Height of Wheels: 14 wheels measuring six feet six inches in diameter.
• Chariot Colors: Green and red.
• Horse Color: Black.
• Charioteer: Matali.

Devi Subhadra

• Chariot Name: Debadalana -- meaning literally, "trampler of pride".
• Chariot Height: 44 feet, six inches.
• Number and Height of Wheels: 12 wheels, measuring six feet eight inches in diameter.
• Chariot Colors: Black and red. (Black is traditionally associated with female energy shakti and the Mother Goddess).
• Horse Color: Red.
• Charioteer: Arjuna.

 Chariots After the Rath Yatra Is Finished: 

The chariots are dismantled and the wood is used in the kitchen of the Jagannath Temple. It's considered to be one of the largest kitchens in the world. A remarkable 56 types of mahaprasad (devotional food) are prepared there, in earthen pots over fire, for offering to Lord Jagannath. The temple kitchen has the capacity to cook for 100,000 devotees per day.

 

         

                  JAI JAGANNATH..............