सनातन पुस्तकालय Sanatan Cultural Library

Rath Yatra, also known as Rath Jatra, is one of the most celebrated and ancient chariot festivals in Hinduism, associated primarily with Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Krishna and Vishnu. The most famous Rath Yatra takes place at Puri in Odisha, where three enormous wooden chariots carry the deities Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra, and his sister Subhadra from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. The festival draws millions of devotees who gather to pull the chariots and receive the darshan of the Lord as he travels among the people.

During Rath Yatra, three distinct chariots are constructed anew each year from specific types of wood. Lord Jagannath rides the largest chariot, called Nandighosha; Balabhadra rides the chariot named Taladhwaja; and Subhadra rides the chariot called Darpadalana or Devadalana. Each chariot has a distinct colour, height, number of wheels, and presiding guardian deity. The making of these chariots is itself a sacred tradition, carried out by hereditary carpenters and artisans following age-old rituals.

The deities are ceremonially brought out of the sanctum in a ritual procession known as Pahandi, and placed upon their chariots. Devotees then pull the chariots with thick ropes along the Grand Road (Bada Danda) toward the Gundicha Temple, about three kilometres away, which is regarded as the birthplace or the home of the deities' aunt. The deities remain at the Gundicha Temple for several days before returning to the main temple in the return journey known as Bahuda Yatra.

Rath Yatra is deeply symbolic of the soul's journey toward the divine and of God descending to be among his devotees. Pulling the chariot ropes is considered highly auspicious, believed to cleanse sins and grant liberation. The festival embodies the ideal of universal accessibility to the divine, as Lord Jagannath emerges from the temple to bless everyone equally, breaking barriers of caste, class, and creed.