Ratha Yatra

Rath Yatra also knows as the chariot festival, is among the most celebrated festivals in India. In Rath Yatra, all the deities of Jagannath Temple are taken out in their chariots which are pulled in a traditional ceremony by thousands of people towards Gundicha temple and then back to the main Jagannath temple.

According to legends, Lord Jagannath wishes to visit his birthplace for a few days every year and to fulfil this desire Rath Yatra is celebrated. The whole ceremony is a 12-day long process and includes many rituals.

There are a total of seven deities namely Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshana, Madanmohan, Rama and Krishna who seat in the chariot and taken across the two temples.

Mainly, three deities namely Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are the most prominent and known as the Trimurti, but Lord Jagannatha is the form of Lord Vishnu and regarded as the most supreme god and the sovereign monarch in the Odisha culture. Balabhadra is the brother of Lord Jagannath and Subhadra is his sister.

The festival of Rath Yatra has different beliefs and people of many faith celebrate this festival. It is believed that Lord Jagannath the supreme god blesses the devotees with whatever they desire.

Jagannath Puri temple is considered as one of the main pilgrimage centres (Char Dham) of Hindu religion.