Puri: Jagannath Rath Yatra is an important annual festival held in India. The Jagannath Rath Yatra festival is being observed every year in India as per the Hindu calendar (Shukla Paksha Dwitiya Tithi, Ashadha month).
The Puri Rath Yatra festival is an annual celebration held in Puri, a state of Odisha. The Rath Yatra is associated with Lord Jagannath, the Lord of Universe.
It is believed that the festival started when the sister of Lord Jagannath (Subhadra) expressed her desire to visit Puri (Odisha’s State). In order to fulfil Subhadra’s wish, Lord Jagannath along with Lord Balabhadra and Subhadra left for Puri in a chariot. Since then the Jagannath festival is being observed every year as per the Hindu calendar.
On the Jagganath festival, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra leave in their chariot and to pay a visit to Gundicha Temple. They stay in the Gundicha Temple for a period of 8 days.
Three heavily-built wooden chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are traditionally pulled by thousands of devotees over a distance of three kilometres twice during the nine-day festival of the Trinity at Puri.
Lord Jagannath’s Rath, Nandighosha (also known as Garudadhwaja, Kapiladhwaja) is about 44 feet tall and has 16 wheels. Balbhadra’s chariot is called Taladhwaja or Langaladhwaja, and it stands 43 feet in height and has 14 wheels. While Subhadra’s chariot has 12 wheels and it is 42 feet tall.
After the eighth day, the deities (Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra) leave from the Gundicha Temple and this period is called Bahuda Yatra.