Rath Jatra
Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 06:51 Written by Swadhin Behera Thursday, 05 June 2008 23:45
Ratha
Jatra is a festival of Lord Jagannath, when
lord
comes out of temple with his big brother Balabhadra and little sister
Subhadra to take a grand procession in three beautifully decorated
huge chariots (which are called Raths). This grand procession is
celebrated every year at Puri famous for the Shri Jagannath temple
(known as Sri Mandira) in the province of Odisha on the east coast of
India. The huge, colorfully decorated chariots are drawn by hundreds
and thousands of devotees on the main road (bada danda) leading to
the temple of Gundicha about 2 kilometers away from the main temple.
After a stay for seven days, the deities return to the main temple
(Sri Mandir).
The festival symbolizes a culture of
equality when supreme gods come out in public to mingle with ordinary
people, some of whom are restricted to enter the temple because of
their cast, creed or religion. It also symbolizes the community
activity when all join the procession to pull the rope of the
chariots.
This festival takes place in Asadha Sukla Dwitiya (in traditional calendar), somewhere around the first half of July. The whole festival is followed with a sequence of rituals as described in the following:
Snana Yatra (The bathing festival)
About 15 days before the Rath Jatra festival, the three deities are taken in a colorful procession to a platform known as Snanavedi (bathing platform). Here deities are bathed with one hundred and eight pitchers of perfumed water. After the ritual bath, the Deities are decorated with a special dress code known as Hati Vesha (elephant dress). Cute; is not it?
Anasara (Sick bed)
After taking the bath with waters from the old well, like human beings, three deities also fall sick with fever. They stay away from the public view for a period of fifteen days and undergo treatment in which special herbal medicines and some special liquid diet (sara pana) are offered to them. During this period, the idols also get fresh coats of paintings.
Naba Jaubana Vesha (Fresh youth Image)
With all new paintings and dresses, the deities finally appear out of their sick house in their Naba Jaubana Vesha.
Pahandi (The ceremonial procession
of idols)
This is the first step to begin the festival of Rath Jatra. Pahandi is the spectacular procession by which deities are carried on to their respective chariots from the temple. Idols are held tightly by the arms of Daitapatis (god's own people) and pulled by people from behind and the front alternatively by the ropes tied firmly to the body of idols. It is a spectacular view to watch topsy-turvy idols going to their chariots.
Chherapanhara (Sweeping of the floor)
Before pulling the chariots, the King of Puri climbs the chariots for ceremonial sweeping of floors by a golden broom. This symbolizes people's government when King becomes servant.
Rath Jatra (Chariot festival)
Then comes the most exciting part of the festival, when the chariots are pulled by thousands of people without distinction of caste, sex or religion. First moves the Chariot of Balabhadra known as Taladhwaja, next Subhadra's known as Darpadalana and finally Jagannath's Chariot known as Nandi Ghosha. New chariots are built every year about 2 months before the ceremony. It is amazing that huge chariots are traditionally built in such short times without the help of modern technology.
| A very awkward ritual associated with this chariot festival is that people chuck various possible obscenities and sacrilegious abuses at the God. Perhaps this verbal abuse to lord Jagannath is an attempt to bring the Lord down from his glorious pedestal to an ordinary human level in an attempt to humanize the god. |
Usually chariots arrive at the Gundicha temple, the same evening. The deities enter the Gundicha Temple on the next day in the usual Pahandi style and stay their for seven days.
Bahuda Jatra (Return journey)
The return journey from Gundicha Temple to Main Temple is known as bahuda jatra. On His way back, lord Jagannath stops for some time at Mausima Temple (auntie's temple) to eat His favorite Poda Pitha (rice cake). On the next day, i.e. Bada Ekadasi, the idols are attired in costumes of glittering gold and are worshipped by thousand of devotees. This form of the deities is known as Suna Vesha (gold dress).
Nandighosa: It has a height of
45 feet and is decked with red and yellow coverings of cloth. 832
pieces of wood are used in Nandighosa. It has sixteen wheels, each of
seven feet diameters. The Sarathi or the Charioteer made of wood is
known as Daruka. The Four horses attached to the Chariot are known as
Samkha, Rochica, Mochica and Jwalani. They are white in colour. The
name of Ratha Pala (manager) is Shri Nrusingha. At the crest of the
Chariot are the wheel and the image of Garuda (the bird who carries
lord Vishnu). The name of the flag of Nandighosa is Trailakyamohini.
Taladhwaja: It has a height of
44 feet and covered with red and blue cloth. 763 pieces of wood are
used in this Chariot. It has fourteen wheels.The name of the Sarathi is Sudyaumna. The four wooden
black horses attached to the Chariot bear the names of Sthira,
Dhruti, Sthiti and Siddha. The Rathapala is Ananata and the name of
the flag is Unnani.
Darpadalana: It has a height of
43 feet covered with red and black cloth. 539 pieces of wood are used
in this Chariot. It has twelve wheels.
The name of Sarathi is Arjuna (who is her husband). Four wooden
horses fixed to the Chariot are known as Prajna, Anuja, Ghora and
Aghora. The Rathapalika is Vana Durga and the name of the flag is
Nadambika.
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