Lord Jagannath’s grand Rath Yatra starts from June 27 this year, which will end on 5 July. This Rath Yatra is a symbol of the faith of not only Odisha but also crores of devotees from all over India and all over the world. During the Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra traveling on their huge chariots and traveling from the main temple of Puri to the Gundicha temple. Millions of devotees from all over the country and abroad reach Puri to participate in this journey and draw a chariot.
Moksha gets salvation by pulling the chariot
The biggest religious significance of this journey is that the devotee who draws the chariot of Lord Jagannath, gets salvation from the cycle of birth and death. This is why people wait for hours to join this journey and consider their fate blessed.
Who can pull God’s chariot?
No caste, creed, religion or country is discriminated against to draw the chariot of Lord Jagannath. Any devotee, whether it is from India or abroad, man or female – can become entitled to pull the chariot with the will of God. All devotees are similar in the eyes of God, so it is allowed to draw a chariot. However, keeping in mind the security and system, every person is allowed to draw a chariot for some distance.
How are chariots?
The Rath Yatra consists of three grand and different shaped chariots:
The chariot of Lord Jagannath – ‘Nandighosh’, which has a height of about 45 feet and has 16 huge wheels.
Balaram ji’s chariot – ‘Taldhwaj’, which has a height of 43 feet and it has 14 wheels.
Goddess Subhadra’s chariot – ‘Darpadalan’, which has a height of 42 feet and has 12 wheels.
The chariots are formed every year from new wood and they are decorated by special traditional method. They are traditional clothes, flags and paintings.
Rath and tradition of chariot journey
The Rath Yatra starts from the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri and goes to the Gundicha temple located about 3 km away. During the journey, cold drinks, medicinal decoctions and traditional indulgence are offered to the God. After a week of rest in the Gundicha temple, God returns to Srimandir, which is called the ‘Bahu Yatra’.
Final talk
Puri’s Rath Yatra is not just a religious tradition, but is a symbol of reverence, dedication and spiritual unity. Drawing a chariot is considered to be the greatest good fortune of serving God. If you are joining this journey this time, then following the rules, draw the chariot of God with reverence and devotion and make life blessed.
