Rath Yatra in Puri Jagannath is one of the holiest and biggest festivals of India. This festival is a major festival of Hindus, which is celebrated with great pomp in Puri every year. Rath Yatra is organized on the second day of Shukla Paksha of the month of Ashadh according to the Hindu calendar, which falls in the months of June and July according to the Gregorian calendar.
This festival is celebrated in honor of Lord Jagannath. Jagannath is considered to be one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu. The temple of Puri, which is famous for the name of Lord Jagannath, is especially known for its annual Rath Yatra or chariot festival. In this festival, the three main deities of the temple—Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra—take out a tour of the city in three different grand and decorated chariots.
These chariots are made of wood and are very grand and decorated. The Rath Yatra passes through the main routes of the city. Each chariot has 16 wheels and these chariots are very big. Their height is 137 meters and the middle space is 107 meters long and wide square. Wooden horses are harnessed to the chariots and devotees pull them with the help of ropes, which they consider a very virtuous act. These chariots are built afresh every year.
People come to see this festival not only from India but from all over the world. There is a huge crowd in Puri during the Rath Yatra, due to which it is considered one of the biggest festivals in the world. This festival is celebrated with joy since the medieval period and this festival is also celebrated with great pomp in all the Vaishnav Krishna temples of India.
The Rath Yatra festival in Puri lasts for seven days. It starts with the installation of the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra on the chariot from the temple and ends after a week after those idols are reinstalled in the temple. During this period, worship and Hari Sankirtan continue to take place. Brahmins are fed and donations are given.
The Rath Yatra of Jagannath Puri is a sacred and grand festival which holds not only religious but also cultural importance. Thousands of devotees from all over the country and abroad come to Puri to participate in this festival, due to which this festival has become world famous. Rath Yatra is not only a symbol of the glory of Lord Jagannath but it is also a symbol of devotion and faith of the devotees.
In 2025, the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra will take place on June 27. Yatra will start 27 june 2025 and ending date of yatra will 05 july 2025.
Yes, it is an annual chariot festival dedicated to Lord Jagannath. Devotees from all over the country participate in this yatra during this period.
The Jagannath Rath yatra festival takes place in Puri for seven days. It starts from the temple by installing the statues of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra on the chariot, and after one week the temple is finished after re-establishing those statues.