Puri Ratha Yatra


Ratha Yatra Celebration


Puri Ratha Yatra


Puri Ratha Yatra, also known as the Chariot Festival or Car Festival, is an annual Hindu festival that takes place in the city of Puri, Odisha, India. It is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Krishna, and celebrates his journey to his aunt's house, Gundicha Temple.

The festival typically occurs in the month of June or July, during the Ashadha Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of the Hindu calendar. The main highlight of the festival is the procession of the deities in massive, elaborately decorated chariots.

The three main chariots used in the Ratha Yatra are:

Nandighosa: This is the chariot of Lord Jagannath, which is approximately 45 feet high and has 16 wheels. It is painted yellow and red and is crowned with a wheel-shaped flag called Nandimukha.

Taladhwaja: This chariot belongs to Lord Balabhadra, the elder brother of Lord Jagannath. It is around 44 feet high and has 14 wheels. It is painted in blue and red and has a flag with a palm tree on top.

Darpadalana: This is the chariot of Devi Subhadra, the sister of Lord Jagannath. It is around 43 feet high and has 12 wheels. The chariot is painted in black and red and has a flag with a lotus symbol.

During the Ratha Yatra, the deities are taken out of the Jagannath Temple and placed on the chariots. The chariots are then pulled by thousands of devotees through the streets of Puri, covering a distance of about three kilometers. The procession moves towards the Gundicha Temple, where the deities stay for a week before returning to the main temple in a similar manner.

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