HE JAGANNATH SWAMI,NAYAN PATHGAMI,BHAVE
TUME
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'RATHA JATRA' or the 'Car Festival', the most important festival of Lord Jagannath commences on the 29th June, Sunday and Return Car Festival or ' Bahuda Jatra' on 07 July this year. This colourful festival which draws millions of devotees from various parts of the country as well as from abroad to Puri, is held in June-July every year. Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe, comes out of His Sanctum Sanctorum to give Darshan to all Devotees belonging to all sects and communities. lt is said that those who take part in the Car Festival earn their passage to the Heaven.
'Snana Pumima' marks the beginning of this festival. On this day the three deities - Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra take prolonged bath on an open platform known as 'Snana Bedi', Then they retire for 15 days popularly called the period of 'Anabasara' and remain in isolation. During this period, no public worship is performed. After 15 days of isolation, the Gods come out of the temple in a colourful procession to board their respective Chariots and thereafter begins the journey known as "Ratha Jatra'.
The much famous Temple Chariot Festival of Lord Jagannath, takes place in Puri. On the first day, the Jagannath temple images are carried through the street in three huge thundering chariots which have made this event internationally known. Nine days later, the journey is repeated in the opposite direction. To witness this festival is an experience of a life time, but ensure to book rooms and make all other arrangements well in advance.
Each year, in monsoon season, the proxy images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra--the deities enshrined in the Jagannath Temple at Puri--are carried in colorful processions every evening for 21 days to the Narendra Tank where they cruise in a bright decorated boat.
In gaiety and color, this festival stands next only to the Car Festival. On the full noon day of Jyestha (June), the Sananjatra or the bathing festival is observed when the images in worship are actually brought out for public viewing.
After the bathing festival, the deities spend 15 days in seclusion during which period they are repainted and prepared for the Car Festival. The Car Festival is celebrated on the second day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha (June-July) and the deities are taken on a journey of around 3 kms in stupendous and decorated chariots for sojourn in the Gundicha Ghar till the return Car Festival which is held 9 days later.
The chariot of Lord Jagannath, known as 'Nandighose', is 23 cubits high and has 18 wheels. The chariot of Balabhadra, which is 22 cubits in height and has 16 wheels, is named 'Taladwaja'. 'Devadalan' the chariot of Subhadra, is 21 cubits in height and has 14 wheels.
The chariots are made anew every year in accordance with strict and ancient specifications and are pulled by several thousand devotees at a time. In terms of splendor and fervent devotion, the Car Festival is one of the world's most incredible spectacles.
The Festival
Ratha Jatra Festival in Puri, India. Painting by James Fergusson
SignificanceThree richly decorated chariots, resembling temple structures, are pulled through the streets of Puri called Badadanda. This commemorates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and their sister Subhadra to their aunt's temple, the Gundicha Temple which is situated at a distance of 2 km from their temple. This is the only day when devotees who are not allowed in the temple premises, such as non-Hindus and foreigners, can get their glimpse of the deities. During the festival, devotees from all over the world go to Puri with an earnest desire to help pull the Lords' chariots with the help of other priests pulling the chariots with ropes. They consider this a pious deed and risk their lives in the huge crowd. The huge processions accompanying the chariots play devotional songs with drums, tambourines, trumpets etc. Children line the streets through which the chariot will pass and add to the mass chorus. The Ratha carts themselves are some approximately 45 feet (14 m) high and are pulled by the thousands of pilgrims who turn up for the event; the chariots are built anew each year only from a particular type of tree. Millions of devotees congregate at Puri for this annual event from all over the country and abroad. It is also broadcast live on many Indian, foreign television channels as well as many of the websites telecast jagannath ratha yatra live.
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The festival is also known as Gundicha Jatra, Ghosa Jatra, Navadina Yātrā, Dasāvatāra Yātrā and by a variety of other names. "Rathe tu vamanam drishtwa punarjanmam na vidyate".A glimpse of the Vamana, the dwarf form, an incarnation of Lord Jagannatha, is sure to ensure emancipation, release from the cycle of birth and death. Jatra is an essential part of the ritual of the Hindu system of worship. Jatra literally means travel or journey. Normally, it is the representative deities of temples more popularly known as Utsava Murti in south and Chalanti Pratima or Bije Pratima in Odisha, partake in these journeys. The Jatra for the Ritual Journey take two forms – one involving the short circumbulation around the temple and other involving a longer journey from the temple to some other destination. The Jatra is considered as an important part of festivities and ceremonies of each temple and is considered as a special and sacred occasion. Rath Jatra being unique among all Jatras is the grandest festival of the supreme divinity who has manifested himself in the Kali Yuga to emancipate humanity and to relieve them from their sufferings. Lord Jagannatha is identified fully with Krishna. In his original manifestation as Nilamadhaba, he was worshipped in a sacred Nyagrodha Briksha or banyan tree. The branches of the tree had spread for several miles and any one entering this area was instantly emancipated and was relieved of the travails of the birth and rebirth. In fact, the influence of Yama, the God of Death, is supposed to have been curtailed in the sacred city of Puri – Srikshetra on account of the presence of Lord Jagannatha and therefore it is also called the Yamanika Tirtha.
A glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on the chariot is considered to be very auspicious and saints, poets and scriptures have repeatedly glorified the sanctity of this special festival. The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages. In fact, there is a famous Oriya song which says that on this occasion, the chariot, the wheels, the grand avenue all become one with Lord Jagannatha himself.
The concept of the chariot has been explained in the Kathopanishada in the following words-
"Atmaanam rathinam viddhi shareeram rathamevatu Buddhim tu saarathim viddhi manah pragrahameva cha". The body is the Chariot and the soul is the deity installed in the chariot. The wisdom acts as the charioteer to control the mind and thoughts.
The Skanda Purana glorifies the sanctity of the Rath Jatra in the following words-
"Gundicha mandapam namam jatrahamajanam pura Ashwamedha sahasrasya mahabedi tadadvabat. " Those who are fortunate to see the deities of the Srimandira in the Gundicha Temple, the final destination of the procession of the chariots, derive the benefits of a thousand horse sacrifices, an immensely pious deed. Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja in his famous Vaidehisa Vilasa mentions that the Lord comes out from his sanctum for participating in the Gundicha Jatra, another name of the Festival of Chariots, only for redeeming the fallen, the patita jana who get the opportunity to behold their dearest god at close quarters on this occasion. Similarly, saint poet Salabega waxes eloquent in praise of the dark Lord Jagannath and says that the Lord swaying and moving like a wild elephant arrives at the Grand Avenue and rides his chariot and destroys in a flash all the sins of his devotees, even if these may be grave or unpardonable.
The Chariots
The three chariots of Balarama, Subhadra and Jagannatha are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. They are customarily brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privileges for the same. The logs are traditionally set afloat as rafts in the river Mahanadi. These are collected near Puri and then transported by road.
The three chariots are decorated as per the unique scheme prescribed and followed for centuries stand on the Bada Danda, the Grand Avenue. Covered with bright canopies made of stripes of red cloth and combined with those of black, yellow and blue colours, the huge chariots are lined across the wide avenue in front of the majestic temple close to its eastern entrance, which is also known as the Sinhadwara or the Lion’s Gate.
Lord Jagannatha’s Chariot is called Nandighosa. It is forty-five feet high and forty-five feet square at the wheel level. It has sixteen wheels, each of seven-foot diameter, and is decked with a cover made of red and yellow cloth. Lord Jagannatha is identified with Krushna, who is also known as Pitambara, the one attired in golden yellow robes and hence the distinguishing yellow stripes on the canopy of this chariot.
The Chariot of Lord Balarama, called the Taladhwaja, is the one with the Palm Tree on its flag. It has fourteen wheels, each of seven-foot diameter and is covered with red and blue cloth. Its height is forty-four feet.
The Chariot of Subhadra, known as Dwarpadalana, literally "trampler of pride," is forty-three feet high with twelve wheels, each of seven-foot diameter. This Chariot is decked with a covering of red and black cloth – black being traditionally associated with Shakti and the Mother Goddess.
Around each of the chariots are nine Parsva devatas, painted wooden images representing different deities on the chariots' sides. Each of the chariots is attached to four horses. These are of different colours – white ones for Balarama, dark ones for Jagannatha, and red ones for Subhadra. Each chariot has a charioteer called Sarathi. The three charioteers attached to the chariots of Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra respectively are Daruka, Matali and Arjuna.
DESCRIPTION OF CHARIOTS
(1) Chariot of Jagannath -NANDIGHOSHA/GARUDADHWAJA/KAPIDHWAJA
Number of wheels : 16 Total Number of wooden pieces used : 832 Height : 44' 2" Length and breadth : 34'6" x 34'6" Wrappings : Red, Yellow colour cloths Guarded by : Garuda Name of the charioteer : Daruka The flag : Trailokyamohini The horses : Shankha, Balahaka, Suweta, Haridashwa The rope : Sankhachuda Naguni Presiding Nine Deities : (i) Varaha (ii) Gobardhan (iii) Krushna, Gopi Krushna (iv) Nrusingha (v) Rama (vi) Narayan (Vii) Trivikrama (viii) Hanuman (ix) Rudra
2) Chariot of Balabhadra – TALADHWAJA
Number of Wheels : 14
Total Number of wooden pieces used : 763
Height : 43' 3"
Length and breadth : 33' x 33'
Wrappings : Red, Bluish green colour cloths
Guarded by : Basudev
Name of the charioteer : Matali
The flag : Unnani
The horses : Tribra, Ghora, Dirghasharma, Swornanava
The rope : Basuki Naga
Presiding Nine Deities : (i) Ganesh
(ii) Kartikeya
(iii) Sarvamangala
(iv) Pralambari
(v) Hatayudha
(vi) Mrutyunjaya
(vii) Natamvara
(viii) Mukteswar
3) Chariot of Subhadra – DARPADALANA/PADMADHWAJA/DEVADALANA
Number of wheels : 12
Total Number of wooden pieces used : 593
Height : 42' 3"
Length and breadth : 31'6" x 31'6"
Black colour cloths
Guarded by : Jayadurga
Name of the charioteer : Arjuna
The flag : Nadambika
The horses : Rochika, Mochika, Jita, Aparajita
The rope : Swarnachuda Naguni
Presiding Nine Deities : (i) Chandi
(ii) Chamunda
(iii) Ugratara
(iv) Vanadurga
(v) Shulidurga
(vi) Varahi
(vii) Shyamakali
(viii) Mangala
(ix) Vimala
FOLKS, YOU ALL ARE BLESSED.
SEE THIS WONDER OF THE WORLD.
GO FOLKS GO !
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