PURI Rath Yatra
2014 date – Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra
Puri Rath Yatra, the world famous chariot or car
festival, at the PuriJagannath Temple in Orissa. Puri Rath
Yatra 2014 date is June 29. It is celebrated on the second day of the
Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of moon or bright fortnight) Ashadh month as per
traditional Oriya Calendar. On the day of the Ratha Yatra (car
festival), chariots (Rath) carrying Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra is
pulled to the nearby Gundicha Temple.
At the world famous Puri Jagannath Temple in
Orissa, Lord Krishna is worshipped as ‘Jagannath’ – ‘master of the universe.’
Balabhadra is the elder brother of Lord Krishna and Subhadra is his younger
sister.
The making of the Rathas for the annual
festival begins on the Akshaya Tritiya day. The main rituals associated with
Puri Rath Yatra festival is spread over a month and several rituals, like Snana
Purnima and Anasara, take place during this period.
The
Snana Yatra or Snana Purnima (Bathing Festival) takes place on the full moon
day in the month of Jyestha (May – June). On this day, the three deities are
bathed in 108 pitchers of water.
After the elaborate Snana Yatra festival, the three
deities stay away from public view and this is known as ‘Anasara.’ It is
believed that after such elaborate ritualistic bath the deities catch fever and
therefore they do not return to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
The idols of the three deities then make an appearance
after 15 days of ‘anasara’ in a new appearance known as ‘Navaya Yauvana Vesha.’
The wooden idols of the deities are given a fresh coat of paint.
Next auspicious ceremony is the world famous Ratha
Yatra. On this day, thousands of devotees pull the three huge chariots carrying
Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra through the grand road (Bada Danda) to
the Gundicha Temple. The deities visit their aunt here.
The three deities enter the temple of their aunt on
the next day and stay there for seven days.
On the fifth day, Goddess Lakshmi, wife of Lord
Jagannath, comes in search of him to the Gundicha temple.
On finding his chariot there, she damages Jagannath’s chariot and returns back in anger.
On finding his chariot there, she damages Jagannath’s chariot and returns back in anger.
After the week-long stay, the three deities return and
the journey is known as Bahuda Yatra.
During the return journey, the chariot of Jagannath
stops at theArdhasani Temple (Mausa Ma temple). Here, Lord accepts
his favorite rice cake known as Poda Pitha from his aunt who is the presiding
deity of the temple.
The deities reach the Puri Jagannath Temple in
the evening and wait outside for the day.
On the next day, the deities are attired in new
costumes and this new form of the idols is known as ‘Suna Vesa.’
The following day, the deities move into the
sanctum sanctorum of the temple and the Rath Yatra festival comes to an end.
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