Bhubneshwar

Puri Rath Yatra & Shri Jagannath

Orissa(Bhubneshwar) is the Land of festivals is known world-wide during the monsoon for the spectacular festival, Ratha Yatra or the Car Festival of Shri Jagannath. Among twelve major festivals, viz. the Snana Yatra, the Ratha Yatra, the Sayan Yatra, the Dakshinayana Yatra, the Parswaparivartan Yatra, the Utthapana Yatra, the Pravarana Yatra, the Pusyabhisheka Yatra, the Uttarayana Yatra, the Dola Yatra, the Damanaka Yatra and the Akshaya Trutiya Yatra are celebrated inside the temple of Lord Jagannath ; The Ratha Yatra or the Car Festival of Lord deserves special mention. This festival draws millions of tourists both in-land and foreigners to the Grand Road. And the deities come down from the main temple to the Grand Road to meet the ocean of pilgrims. Preparations for the festival start much before. Every year new chariots are constructed. Only the ‘Sarathi’ (charioteer), Ghoda (horses), Kalasa (Crowning element) and Parswa devatas are not made new every year. They are prepared on the year of Navakalebara (New-body ceremony). In terms of the provisions laid down in the Puri Car Festival code, it is the responsibility of the Forest Department of Govt. of Orissa to supply the required timber for construction of the Rathas free of cost every year.