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Rath Yatra 2023
In addition to being popular throughout India, the Jagannath Rath Yatra is a significant religious occasion in Odisha. One of the most significant festivals for followers of Lord Krishna is this one.
Every year, after giving the idols a bath and making prayers, devotees take the three deities, Lord Krishna and his two siblings, from Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple during this festival. Hindu worshippers place a great deal of emphasis on this occasion, which is why they participate in the Jagannath Rath Yatra. In the months of June or July, it occurs in Puri. Railways run 857 special trains for 20 lakh pilgrims arriving in Puri.
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2023 History
The 12th century is when the Jagannath Rath Yatra first began. Sacred Hindu writings including the Padma Purana, Brahma Purana, and Skanda Purana include detailed accounts of it. According to folklore, Lord Jagannath travelled to Gundicha Temple on this day via the Mausi Maa Temple, the residence of his maternal aunt.
However, Lord Jagannath went there with his sister Subhadra and older brother Balabhadra rather than going there by himself. The day is observed annually with a Jagannath Rath Yatra, during which the Lord’s idol is pulled by his two siblings. The massive significance of the procession is felt throughout India. As a result, the history of the rath yatra is long.
Rath Yatra 2023 Date and Time
It is one of the biggest religious gatherings in the world and lasts for 11 days. People devote these days to their favourite deity. This year, the auspicious Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra will begin at 10:04 p.m. on June 20 and terminate at 7:09 p.m. on June 21. As per usual, everything has been planned out in great detail to make this spectacle even greater than the previous one. Every year, this yatra provides something noteworthy and improved over its prior iterations.
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2023 Celebration
The installation of elaborate chariots for each of the three deities heralds the start of the Yatra. Lord Jagannath’s chariot is known as Nandighosha, Lord Balabhadra’s chariot is Taladhwaja, and Goddess Subhadra’s chariot is known as Darpadalan. Huge crowds of worshippers pull all three chariots as a sign of their devotion to the gods.
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra Significance
According to beliefs, Lord Jagannath, Lord Krishna, or the Lord of the Universe decided to visit Gundicha Temple on the day, when the Yatra begins. But he didn’t visit it alone; he took his sister Subhadra and elder brother Balabhadra with him. Thus, the day is now celebrated each year to mark the day when Lord Krishna took that journey.
Rath Yatra 2023 Major Attractions
Jagannath Temple Rath Yatra One of India’s most eagerly anticipated religious holidays is Puri. The Holy Trinity—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balbhadra, and Goddess Subhadra—draws a sizable contingent of believers from all over the world to this location. Gods actually emerging from their sanctuaries to bless their followers and mix with them all is a highly uncommon display of divinity. The following are some of Jagannath Rath Yatra’s top attractions –
Chandan Yatra
It is Akshay Tritiya on this day. It lasts for 42 days and is also called the Sandalwood Yatra. Farmers often sow seeds on this day in preparation for the impending harvest. On this day, the yearly Rath Yatra gets underway.
Snana Yatra
On Deba-Snana Purnima or the full moon day of Jayestha month, a bathing festival is observed. On the day of Lord Jagannatha’s birthday, the three deities are brought out of the temple and carried in a procession to the Snana Bedi. They receive proper grooming and bathing.
Pahandi
The Holy Trinity’s pictorial journey—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balarama, and Goddess Subhadra—begins with an intricate royal ceremonial known as Pahandi. It entails going forward gradually to the rhythms of the kahali, ghanta, and telingi Baja. When the deities walk forward in a swaying motion, it appears as though a giant elephant is slowly emerging.
Chhera Pahanra
This ritual is intricate and incredibly colourful. In this ritual, a messenger informs the King of Puri of the appearance of the gods on their chariots. The youthful, dashing king emerges on a silver palanquin, dressed in pristine white. He exits the palanquins and ascends each chariot in turn. He prays to the deity, then uses a golden broom to sweep the chariot platforms and sprinkles scented water and flowers on them.
Hera Panchami
In this well-known Goddess Laxmi ritual, Panchami refers to the fifth day and here to see. Goddess Mahalaxmi’s representative idol departs for Gundicha temple in a gorgeously painted palanquin on the fifth day of the chariot festival to meet Lord Jagannath. Because the Goddess is upset with her husband, Lord Jagannath, it is a tremendously thrilling event.
The reason for doing this ceremony is based on mythology. Goddess Lakshmi once became quite worried since her husband Lord Jagannath, who had promised to return in a few days, had been gone from home for five days. He is thought to have travelled to the Gundicha Temple to be with his siblings. She went there in a gorgeously adorned palanquin to look for him. And reportedly for this reason, worshippers also transport the idols to the temple in a palanquin.
Suna Besha
In total, there are 32 beshas or shapes. On Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi Tithi, or the eleventh day of Asadha’s brilliant fortnight, this form is completed. The Gods are adorned with stunning and elaborate gold jewellery on this day.
Niladri Bije
Niladri is another name for Lord Jagannath, and bije means to enter. Overall, this rite represents the gods returning to their homes. Before the Trinity enters the temple, Rasagola Bhog is offered. The worshippers are only permitted to view the shrine after completing this rite.
Brahma Paribartan
Reincarnation is the major theme of the Jagannath Rath Yatra. The temple’s ancient idols are destroyed and replaced as a symbol for this. The entire process is carried out in complete secrecy. Even the priest who leads the chants and conducts the ceremony wears a blindfold the entire time.
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2023 UPSC
The Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra travels from the Jagannath Temple in Puri to the Gundichi Devi Temple in Mathura. On the second day of the new moon in the Hindu calendar’s Ashada month (June–July), the three deities are brought on chariots a short distance away to Gundicha Temple each year. It is perhaps the only occasion when an idol is removed from an Indian temple. The Puri Rath Yatra 2023 will begin on June 20.
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