Rath Yatra Festival at Jagannath Puri 2017
When is Rath Yatra organised -Rath Yatra begins on Aashaadh Shukla Dwitiya.
In the year 2016. Rath Yatra festival is on Sunday, 25.06.2017.
Important things about Rath Yatra -
Rath yatra festival is one of the most important festivals of the Hindus .
This festival is held at Jagannath puri. The temple of Jagannath at Puri in Orissa is one of the grandest and the most famous temples of India. Thousands of Hindu devotees from all over the country come here. The temple has three idols - the first of Balbadhra, his elder brother and the second of his sister,Subhadra , the third is his.
The idol of Lord Jagannath is given an annual bath in the Ganga. It is placed on a grand chariot .The chariot is then drawn to Ganga bari . A large crowd of the devotees and spectators follow it.At the Ganga bari ,the idols rest for a week .
The Rath or the chariot has its remarkable frame work. It is mostly made of wood. It is about 14 metres high and 10 metres in square.It has 16 wheels. Each wheel has a diameter of 2.13 metres.The Rath is drawn by the devotees by pulling the ropes tied to it.
Thus the festival starts from the day of the beginning of Yatra up to its return journey.The worshipers sing hymns and dance and beat drums in Harikirtan.
The temple of Jagannath has a spectacular grandeur. The building is not only very big but also has marvelous work of architecture and sculpture.Its walls all over depict various kinds of deities carved out in stones. They have colourful structural work.
