RATHA YATRA
Hare Krishna
The records of Sri Jagannatha Temple in Puri reveal that after Maharaja Indradyumna had the deities installed in the temple, he requested Lord Brahma to prescribe the proper worship of Lord Jagannath (seva, puja and niti), which included twelve annual yatras, of which ratha yatra is the main one.
In Oriya, the language of Orissa, the word "yatra" means journey, or tour. Yatra might be performed on foot (pada yatra), by train, or by air (vimana yatra). Advanced devotees are also able to perform invisible yatra, traveling with the subtle body. For Lord Jagannatha's ratha yatra, the means of transport for Lord Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhardra is by way of chariot, or 'car'. This chariot vehicle is known as "ratha". Once each year, for a period of about 15 days, Lord Jagannatha travels out to spread his mercy. Those who have the good fortune to view the Jagannatha deities, or who help to pull the chariots along on their ropes, are benedicted by the Lord during the rathayatra parade.
Ratha yatra is a celebration of the occasion when Sri Krsna (Lord Jagannatha) attended a religious function in Kuruksetra some 5,000 years ago, traveling from Dwarka in a big chariot along with Subhadra and Balarama. In remembrance of that event, the car festival takes place in Jagannath Puri every year, and millions of people go there to participate. Today, rathayatra festivals are performed at temples around the world, and they are one of the paraphernalia of our Krsna Consciousness movement because they revive our consciousness about Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada said, "Therefore if you participate in these car festivals, as it is stated in the scriptures, rathe ca vamanam drstva punar janma na vidyate... If you kindly see these Jagannatha deities riding on these cars and in procession, and as Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted the Hare Krsna mantra in front of this car, then according to our Vedic scripture, in your next life you'll go to back, back to home, back to Godhead."
Every year in Jagannatha Puri, Lord Caitanya took part in the car festival of Jagannatha, exhibiting symptoms of the mode of separation, as if Radharani was taking Krsna back to Vrndavana. So this Ratha-yatra festival is a feeling festival for the Vaisnavas. Lord Caitanya taught us how to feel separation of God. Lord Caitanya never taught us that He had seen God, but He felt the separation of God very severely.
The Ratha Yatra Chariots
Each year in Jagannath Puri, three enormous chariots are built anew for Lord Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhardra. Over 1,000 logs are brought from the Dasapalla and Ranpur forests, and more than 100 carpenters work for two months constructing the three chariots. A local mill provides nearly 2,000 meters of cloth each year, and the chariots are radiantly draped in color. Very strong coconut fiber ropes, 8 inches in diameter, are used by the devotees to pull the chariots along the parade route. The nails, brackets and fixtures are all made locally, and the smiths work for a month on them. The ratha's main structure (above the wheels) contains eighteen pillars and roofs. Each chariot holds nine parswadevatas (subsidiary deities), two dwarapalas (door keepers), one Sarathi (charioteer) and one presiding deity of the crest banner (dhwaja devata), and all are made of wood.
| JAGANNATH | BALABHADRA | SUBHADRA | |
| Ratha | NANDIGHOSA GARUDADHWAJA KAPILDHWAJA | TALADHWAJA | DARPADALANA PADMADHWAJA |
| Number of wheels | 16 | 14 | 12 |
| Total number of wooden pieces | 832 | 763 | 593 |
| Height | 13.5m. | 13.2m. | 12.9m. |
| Color of cloth wrappings | Red, Yellow | Red, Blue | Red, Black |
| Guarded by | Garuda | Vasudev | Jayadurga |
| Names of charioteers | Daruka | Matali | Arjuna |
| The flag | Trailokyamohini | Unnani | Nadambika |
| The horses | Shankha, Balahaka, Shveta, Haridashva | Tibara, Ghora, Dirghashrama, Swarnanava | Rochika, Mochika, Jita, Aparajita |
| The ropes | Sankhachuda | Basuki | Swarnachuda |
| Presiding nine Deities | Varaha, Govardhana, Krushna, Gopi - Krishna, Rama, Narayana,Trivikram, Hanuman and Rudra | Ganesha, Kartikeya, Sarvamangala, Pralambari, Halayudha, Mrutyunjaya, Natamvara, Mukteshwar, Sheshadev | Chandi, Chamunda, Ugratara, Vanadurga, Shulidurga, Varahi, Shyama Kali, Mangala and Vimala |
Origin Of Rath Yatra
A few mythical stories related with Rath Yatra's origins exist that reflect the socio-religious thinking and beliefs of the people of the region. Some of the chief ones are:
To kill Lord Krishna and Balram, Kansa, their maternal uncle, invited them to Mathura. He sent Akrur with a chariot to Gokul. As asked, Lord Krishna, along with Balram, sat on the chariot and left for Mathura. The devotees celebrate this day of departure as Rath Yatra.
Euphoric devotees celebrated the day when Lord Krishna, aftr defeating the evil Kansa, gave them darshan in Mathura in a chariot with his brother, Balaram.
Devotees in Dwarika celebrated the day when Lord Krishna, accompanied by Balaram, took Subhadra -- his sister, for a ride on a chariot to show the city's splendor.
Once Lord Krishna's queens requested mother Rohini to narrate the many interesting amorous episodes (ras lilas) of Lord Krishna with the Gopis. Rohini--considering it improper of Subhadra to hear such episodes (Leela)--sent her away. Still, the Vrajkatha soon absorbed Subhadra along with Krishna and Balram, who by now had appeared on the scene. While they were completely engrossed with the stories arrived Narad. On finding the siblings standing together motionless, he prayed, "May the three of you grant darshan in this manner forever." The boon was granted. And the three forever reside in the Puri Temple of the Lord Jagannath.
There is an exciting story of Lord Krishna becoming the Sarathi - driver of Arjuna's chariot, during the 18-day battle of the Mahabharata.
Finally, a story which has been passed on from mouth to mouth, tells what happened after the cremation of Lord Krishna's mortal body.
When Shri Krishna was being cremated in Dwarika, Balaram, much saddened with the development, rushed out to drown himself into ocean with Krishna's partially cremated body. He was followed by Subhadra. At the same time, on the eastern shore of India, King Indradyumna of Jagannath Puri dreamt that the Lord's body would float up to the Puri's shores. He should build a massive statue in the city and sanctify the wooden statues of Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra.
The bones (asthi) of Lord Krishna's body should be put in the hollow in the statue's back. The dream came true. The king found the splinters of bone (asthi) and took them. But the question was who would carve the statues. It is believed that the Gods' architect, Vishwakarma, arrived as an old carpenter. He made it clear that while carving the statues nobody should disturb him, and in case anybody did, he would vanish leaving the work unfinished.
Some months passed. The impatient Indradyumna opened the door of Vishwakarma's room. Vishwakarma disappeared immediately as he had warned before. Despite the unfinished statues, the king sanctified them; placing Lord Krishna's holy cinders in the hollow of the statue and installed them in the temple.
A majestic procession is carried out with the statues of Lord Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra, every year, in three gigantic chariots. The huge chariots are pulled by devotees from Janakpur to the temple in Jagannath Puri. The statues are changed every 12 years--the new ones being incomplete also.
The Jagannath Puri Temple is one of the four most sacred temples in the four directions of the India--the other three being: Rameshwar in South, Dwarka in West and Badrinath in the Himalayas. Maybe, the temple in Jagannath Puri is the world's only temple with the statues of three deities who are siblings -- Lord Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra.