Ratha Jatra

 

The famous annual chariot festival that takes place at Puri helps is the travel of Prabhu Balabhadra, Mahaprabhu Jagannatha, Maa Subhadra from their homes to their aunt’s Maa Gundicha’s place, which is called Ratha Jatra. It takes place in the month of Asadha on Shukla Pakhya of the Odia calendar. It is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals in the world.

The concept behind the Jatra is that the deities get fever for a continued period. After they are well, they wish to go out, for a change. That is why the Jatra takes place. And it is obvious, that since they travel in Ratha, it is a part of the name. It is the largest chariot procession in the world and the only procession where the deities are taken out of the world.

The chariots
The making of the three chariots has a long process. If you ask me, it is an architectural marvel because of how old the process is and it remains the same. 200 carpenters, tailors, blacksmiths, and painters, who own the right that is passed from generation to generation, work tirelessly for 58 days to make the three chariots that aren’t completely similar to each other. The 1100 log of 12 species of wood is bought from a plantation owned by the temple trust and 2200 number of the same trees are planted in its place. After the Rath is dismantled, the woods are used in the temple kitchen, which is considered to be the largest kitchen in the world. 1250 meters of cloth is used to cover the chariots.
The chariot of Mahaprabhu Jagannatha is called Nandighosa. It has 16 wheels and 45 feet in height and is covered with red and yellow cloth.
The chariot of Prabhu Balabhadra is called Taladhwaja. It has 14 wheels and 44 feet in height and is covered with red and green cloth.
The chariot of Maa Subhadra is called Darpadalana. It has 12 wheels and is 43 feet in height and is covered with red and black cloth.

The Jatra Day
Once the process is completed and the Ratha Jatra day comes, the deities are bought to the Ratha in a manner of dancing and enjoying as they are happy for their travel. Thereafter, the king, His Excellency Gajapati Maharaj Shri Dibyasingha Deb comes down to the Ratha for cleaning the Ratha using a broom made up of gold and cleans the surrounding. The rathas thereafter proceed for the destination starting with elder brother Prabhu Balabhadra going first, then youngest sister Maa Subhadra in the between, and Mahaprabhu Jagannatha at last.

The return
The return also has a dramatic story, where Goddess Lakshmi, wife of Jagannatha wasn’t happy about him not taking her and doesn’t let him come into the house. He gets rasogolla to please her and then she allows him to enter.

More than 15 lakh come down to Puri to witness and take part in the holy festival. Being a part of the Chari Dham of Hindu culture, it is believed that even touching the rope is a very auspicious thing.
Another reason why Ratha Jatra is important as it is also believed that since non-Hindu’s can’t enter the temple, this is a place when they can see. Infact there is a grave of Salabeg, the popular poet and Muslim devotee of Mahaprabhu Jagannatha on the way the Ratha Jatra goes and the Ratha stays outside his grave for a few minutes. When alive, he used to visit Mahaprabhu and has written about him in his poems. And even today, it is celebrated by almost all the Odia’s, irrespective of their religion.

I hope this love continues. Just to end, there is something that happens in Ratha Jatra every year that has no explanation- it rains.