One of the major festivals of Hindus that brings millions of devotees together to witness Lord Jagannath, Rath Yatra or the Chariot Festival, is celebrated annually in Puri, Odisha, the greatest festival of the state. Here are 10 interesting facts about the festival:
It is an annually organized rath yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra (brother), and Devi Subhadra (sister), which is believed to be a thousand-year-old yatra starting from Gundicha Temple, which has mentions in ancient Hindu scriptures like the Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana.
It is not just the festival celebrated in Puri and only cities of India, but in 100+ cities worldwide, from London to New York, with the glory of Lord Jagannatha and fondness of devotees worldwide, symbolizing global unity among all Vishnu bhakts.
Three new handcrafted raths are built each year using neem wood without a single nail, just faith and skills. This unique architectural tradition has been passed down through generations, although the designs remain the same.
Millions of bhakts pull the ropes of Lord Jagannath’s chariot, erasing all social barriers like caste or creed, and devotees pull the holy chariots together with full devotion and spirituality, as this festival symbolizes unity and devotion.
All the deities travel to Gundicha Mata Temple, the home of Lord Jagannath and his siblings’ ‘mausi’ or maternal aunt, where they stay for 9 days, depicting a long-awaited family reunion and a spiritual rest to the deities. All three of them enjoy their leisure and food, as per scriptural beliefs.
After a nine-day stay at the Gundicha Temple, all three deities return to Puri Jagannath Temple with a grand procession full of traditional music, dance, and heartfelt farewells. This journey is known as the Bahuda Yatra.
Khichdi and Poda Pitha are the “Mahaprasad,” which are the special offerings during Rath Yatra. They are cooked in earthen pots and blessed with divine energy. The food is distributed among devotees with love, and it tastes heavenly.
In the “Chhera Pahanra” ceremony, the King of Puri ‘Gajapati’ sweeps the Lord's chariot floor and becomes a servant, delivering a message of humility over arrogance, which shows that no one is superior or above the Lord.
More than a million devotees from around the globe throng to Puri for the Rath Yatra celebration, an ocean of faith, signing and celebrating as one, which makes it one of the largest religious gatherings in the world.
In the 15th century, the great saint Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was known to dance in a trance-like devotion during the Rath Yatra, which makes the festival more attractive and adds divine grace to the event.
Get ready to join the swarm on June 27th, 2025, the date when Lord Jagannath returns to the world. Don’t miss your chance of Jagannath Rath Yatra Darshan.