Needless to say, Rath Yatra Festival in honor of Puri’s Lord Jagannath is one of the biggest Indian festivals. It is a grand celebration, cultural extravaganza and stunning spectacle. Nicknamed the Festival of Chariots, it draws pouring crowds of devotees brimming with enthusiasm. Numerous legends of the Puri Jagannath Temple and the Rath Yatra Festival capture the imagination. Indian Eagle curates the most interesting facts of Puri Rath Yatra Festival in Odisha. 

1 The Jagannath Temple of Odisha is one of the few orthodox Hindu temples in India where only the followers of Hinduism are allowed to enter the premises and offer prayers. The people of other religious sects cannot catch a glimpse of the Lord as they get access till the doorstep of the premises no matter how ardent devotees they are, except on some special days. However, the door of the Puri Jagannath Temple is open to all, irrespective of caste and religion, during the Rath Yatra Festival. The people of different Indian communities can worship the Lord and get blessed.

2 Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra – the three deities of the Jagannath Temple – travel in three different chariots. That is why Ratha Yatra is also called the Festival of Chariots. Their chariots are named Nandighosha, Taladhwaja and Devadalana respectively. Lord Jagannath’s Chariot Nandighosha runs on as many as 18 wheels, while 16 wheels drive Lord Balaram’s Chariot Taladhwaja, and Subhadra’s Chariot Padmadhwaja has 14 wheels.

3 One of the most interesting facts of Rath Yatra is that the chariots of the deities are newly constructed every year. New materials including wood are used in construction. However, the model, structure, design and dimensions of the chariots remain invariable. Four wooden horses are attached to the front of each chariot.

4 The top of the chariots of Lord Jagannath and other two deities resembles the structure of a Hindu temple. The chariots are pulled with ropes by hundreds of devotees and pilgrims, which makes an inspirational spectacle of devotion and enthusiasm. Canopies for the chariots are made of almost 1200 meters of cloth. A team of 15 tailors make the canopies.

5 According to those who have been to the Rath Yatra Festival of Odisha and have pulled the chariots, Lord Jagannath seems to refuse moving initially when the festivity begins, no matter how many hundreds of people push from behind and pull from the front. Lord Jagannath’s Chariot seems to stand still despite massive push and pull. The Lord agrees to go ahead and His chariot starts moving only after a few hours of cosmic effort.  It sounds offbeat. If the onlookers are believed, it is incredibly true.

6 The monarchy system of India has faded into the past long back. But it is believed that the Majesty of Puri is there, and that Lord Jagannath walks out of temple for the ceremonious journey after the path is swept by the mythical king of Puri with a broom made of gold.

7 Lord Jagannath and His siblings take a halt on the way back to their own abode after a stay at the Gundicha Temple for 9 days. Poda Pitha, a popular dessert in Odisha, is a favorite of the Lords. They find it irresistible to have a bite of their favorite dish during the return journey.

8 Do you know why the main door of the Puri Jagannath Temple is kept shut for one week prior to the festival? The presiding deity Lord Jagannath is believed to catch high fever and, therefore, have rest at this time. That is why the sanctum sanctorum is not open to the public for this brief period. Once the period of rest is over, the Lord takes a break and travels to his maternal aunt’s house for a change.

9 The Puri Jagannath Temple of Odisha is one of the few Indian temples which the deities are taken out of during festivities. Lord Raghunath, the presiding deity of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, is brought from Sultanpur Temple in the palace of King of Kullu to the festival ground during the Dussehra Festival of Kullu. Similarly, the idols of Goddess Meenakshi and Lord Sundareshwarar are taken out of the Meenakshi Temple for a ceremonious boat ride across the lake on the King Thirumalai Nayak’s birth anniversary during the Float Festival of Madurai.

10 In 2007, the Rath Yatra festival was observed in a different way in Orissa’s Bargarh district. It was an unusual celebration having nothing to do with the traditional ceremonies. Herbal plants and saplings were put in place of the idols on chariots to spread awareness about the need to save environment and forests. It was the first Green Rath Yatra in India which was followed by plantation of saplings.

Indian Eagle, a leading international travel organization, connects Indian Diaspora with the culture and heritage of India through Travel Beats, a digital community portal for Indians Abroad. Check other interesting stories about Indian festivals at Travel Beats.

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The worth of Indian art and culture is immeasurable. Apart from the thriving cultural heritage of India in the capital cities, the country’s artistic potential is nipped in villages like Raghurajpur. As focus of the tourism industry is mostly concentrated in adventure, food, beach and luxury sectors; rural areas are neglected in the public eye despite their rich handcraft culture. Most of the folk art forms and tribal cultures remain hidden in the wilderness due to their lack of exposure to the light of civilization. For example, the art and craft of Raghurajpur in eastern India. Indian Eagle, out of its social responsibility, highlights what makes Raghurajpur a must-visit art & culture destination.

Raghurajpur is a handicraft village at a 14-km drive from Puri, the best pilgrimage destination where the most famous Rath Yatra festival is held in the state of Orissa. 50 km away from Bhubaneswar, Raghurajpur is a village of artists, painters and craftsmen who live in art, dream of art and drink to art. A micro presence on the macro cultural map of India, this Oriya village is worth the value of a tourist destination not just for its opulence of art but also for its idyllic setting amidst coconut, palm, jackfruit and mango groves on the southern bank of the Bhargavi River. Most of the houses are made of mud in the village, and the outer surface of the walls of the houses is decorated with beautiful mural paintings which visually depict mythological glimpses from two great Indian epics – the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Raghurajpur, the cradle of artists, is one of the thousand places in rural India where handicraft has been a chief source of livelihood for generations. This village in Puri district takes pride in not a single artwork but an assemblage of artworks including stone engraving, wood carving, mask making, Tussar painting, palm leaf engraving, and pata chitra. Craft, carving, painting and dance form the cultural excellence and artistic treasure of Raghurajpur.

Pata chitra painters create enchanting poetry on pieces of cloth, dried palm leaves and paper with the magic of creativity and colors. Pata chitra is an age-old folk art which today’s artists have traditionally inherited from their forefathers. In this art form, a variety of miniature painting, mythological stories and religious themes are depicted as delicately as possible. Natural dyes are used to beautify the painting done on the polished surface of a piece of cloth and a palm leaf.

The most popular theme that most of the pata chitra painters work on is the Dashavatara, the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu including Matsya, Kurma, Vaman, Varaha, Narasimha, Buddha, Rama, Krishna and Kalki. The stories of each of these incarnations are depicted meticulously using a complete palette of colors made from natural ingredients. Paintings of Ramlila, Raslila, Ayodhya Vijay and other scriptural themes on Tussar saris are influenced by pata chitra.

Orissa tourism basks in the glory of Raghurajpur art and craft. Besides handicraft, Gotipua Dance is another highlight of this art-loving village. This traditional folk dance form is integral to Orissa’s tribal culture and is performed by boys in the guise of girls. The dance is performed as a worshipping ritual to please the Deity of the Puri Jagannath temple. The performers are called Gotipuas. Some of the Gotipuas like Kelucharan Mohapatra have made their way to international stages abroad. Kelucharan Mohapatra, a legendary Gotipaus, was born in the village.

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage brought Raghurajpur to the light of civilization and put it on the list of cultural tourist destinations by declaring it as a heritage handicraft village. It is one of the villages to be developed under the purview of rural tourism in India.

Indian Eagle connects NRIs with Indian culture, art and craft by booking the cheapest flights for them to India throughout the year. Do check the available lowest airfare on IndianEagle.com.

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Festivity and divinity are synonymous in India. Festive India and Divine India are like two sides of a coin. It is because most of Indian festivals are religious occasions dedicated to gods and goddesses. One such festival is the Festival of Chariot or Rath Yatra which is celebrated in honor of the Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity in east India. Pouring crowds, religious fervor, ceremonious rituals, grand arrangements and aura of devotion are the stunning spectacles of this cultural extravaganza in India.

Though the Chariot Festival is celebrated all over India, it is the prime tourist attraction of Puri, a coastal town in the Indian state of Orissa. The ceremonious procession of the idols – Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra – on three colossal, embellished chariots from the Puri Temple to the Gundicha Temple is the biggest draw of the Indian festival offering lots of visual joy. The 45 feet high chariot of Lord Jagannath is pulled on 18 wheels by hundreds of devotees.

Some facts of the Chariot Festival in India

It is said that the custom of pulling chariots with the idols is a Buddhist tradition. The similar mention is found in an account of ancient India, written by Fa Hien, a pilgrim from China, in fifth century AD.

The British were shocked to see the waves of crowd and commotion around the chariots during the festival in the 18th Century. They were so stunned that they called it “Juggernaut” with reference to destructive force.

The colossal chariots are made of wood. New chariots are constructed every year. The old idols of the deities are replaced by new ones once in twelve years. The deities are taken back to the main temple after a 7-day long stay at the Gundicha Temple.

At some places in South India, to say Mangalore, the Chariot Festival is observed as a glittering celebration of the wedding of Goddess Padmavathi and Lord Venktesh. Mangalore in the state of Karnataka celebrates it in January or February.

The holy chariots of Puri Temple in Orissa are different from those of South Indian temples. The topmost part of Puri chariots is covered with a large piece of colorful clothes. In South India, the chariots are adorned with flags of different colors and delicate images of different gods.

The grand procession of the chariots is accompanied by several ethnic musical instruments like mridang, nagaras, drums, shahnayee, etc. The Lord Jagannath’s name is loudly chanted in chorus during the procession.

The Brahmins who offer regular worship to the Lord at the temple carry the Jagannath idol in an embellished palanquin to the chariot. Tied to the front end of the chariots, the ropes are used to pull the chariots. Some devotees touch the rope while some others pull it to be blessed by the Lord.

Why travel to India during the Puri Chariot Festival

The flow of tourists to India runs high just before the Chariot Festival of Puri. Such frenzy, such excitement, such gaiety, such fervor, such crowds and such festivity in incredible India must not be missed. The beach is another attraction of Puri apart from the temple and the festival. What more? Khaja, a sweet delicacy that Puri is famous for the world over, is a must taste.

Also Check More Interesting Facts of Rath Yatra Festival

The Chariot Festival of Puri is scheduled to commence on July 10 this year. Travel to India with cheap air tickets from IndianEagle.com.

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