Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath has a special place in the religious and cultural traditions of India. This grand yatra that starts in Puri, Odisha is not just a religious event but is considered a wonderful confluence of faith, tradition and culture. It is believed that the tradition of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra is thousands of years old and it is related to Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Every year lakhs of devotees reach Puri to witness this divine journey.
How did Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra start?
According to religious beliefs, Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are worshiped in Puri. During the Rath Yatra, all three Gods and Goddesses ride on grand chariots and go out for a tour of the city and reach the Gundicha Temple. It is considered a symbol of God’s coming among his devotees.
It is said that Lord Jagannath himself comes out of the temple to give darshan to his devotees. This is the reason why watching this journey and pulling the chariot is considered to have special religious significance.
Story of King Indradyum
According to mythology, King Indradyum of Malwa was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. One day he got information about Lord Neela Madhava, who was worshiped by a forest-dwelling king Vishwavasu. King Indradyum expressed his desire to see the Lord and sent his messenger Vidyapati to search for Neela Madhava.
After many efforts, Vidyapati got the vision of Lord Neel Madhav. After this King Indradyum resolved to install the idol of the Lord. It is believed that Lord Vishnu instructed him to make the idol from a log of divine wood found on the beach.
The story of Vishwakarma and the incomplete statues
According to religious legends, the task of making the idols of the Lord was accepted by Dev Shilpi Vishwakarma himself. He placed a condition before King Indradyum that no one would open the door of the room until the idols were completed.
No sound came from inside for many days. The king started getting worried and got impatient and got the door opened. When the door was opened, it was seen that the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were incomplete. His hands and legs were not fully formed.
It is believed that due to God’s wish this form remained incomplete and even today the idol of Lord Jagannath is present in this special form in the Puri temple.
Three chariots have special significance
Three huge chariots are made in Puri Rath Yatra. The name of the chariot of Lord Jagannath is Nandighosh, the name of the chariot of Lord Balabhadra is Taladhwaj and the name of the chariot of Goddess Subhadra is Darpadalan. These chariots are made from special woods and new chariots are made every year.
Religious importance of Rath Yatra
In Hindu religion, it is believed that by seeing the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and pulling the rope of the chariot, one attains virtue. This journey is considered a symbol of direct connection between the devotee and God. It includes all people irrespective of caste, religion and social discrimination.
Puri’s Jagannath Rath Yatra is still one of the largest religious pilgrimages in India, keeping alive the faith and tradition that has been going on for thousands of years.