Rath Yatra: The legend behind world's largest chariot festival

Rath Yatra-Most Famous Festivals

One of the largest religious festivals in India, the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra begins on Thursday. The festival is unique in that the three Hindu deities are taken from their temples in a colorful procession to meet their devotees. BBC's Priyanka Pathak told about the story behind the festival and its importance.

The largest of these processions take place in Puri in the eastern state of Orissa, wAnother talk about Krishna's grief-stricken siblings - his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra - says that he went to the Dwarka sea carrying half his body. At the same moment, King Indrayumna dreamed that Krishna's body floated back to their edges in the form of a log.

Here the two legends merge: Indrayumna decided to build a temple to house the logs. His next task was to find someone to sculpt the sculptures. Legends say that the Lord's own architect, Vishwakarma arrived as an old carpenter. He agreed to carve the idols, but on condition that he not be disturbed. However, when he did not get out of his workshop for weeks, without food, water or rest, an anxious and impatient king threw the door open.hile the other takes place in the western state of Gujarat.

The world's oldest rath yatra or chariot procession, the festival is believed to be an annual one from the home of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, to another temple, believed to be his home. The ceremony takes place. Aunt's house

This journey is documented in the Hindu Hindu sacred texts known as the Puranas, which are believed to have been written a few thousand years ago.

What makes it so interesting?

It is the only festival in the world where deities are taken out of temples to visit devotees, and is also the world's largest chariot procession.

Rath Yatra-Most Famous Festivals

Millions of people come to see him as a "king", who cuts a golden grass on the road and three massive 18-wheeled chariots, who make their way through a huge crowd of siblings. His chariots, which are mini architectural marvels, are constructed over 42 pieces of wood in 42 days, the only family with hereditary rights to build them.

Legend says that it always rains on a procession day. A week before, the temple doors are closed and no one is allowed inside, as it is believed that the Sibling gods have a fever after bathing in the sun with 108 pots of water. His fever breaks as the scene changes, causing him to visit his aunt's house for a few days.

The size, pomp and grandeur of this procession have also contributed one word to the English dictionary: Juggernaut.

What is the legend of the sibling deities?

Unlike ornate, meticulously carved metal sculptures everywhere, these three deities are made of wood, cloth and resin. They are deformed with large heads and no arms: reminiscent of the legend of an impatient king.

The legend begins in different ways.

One speaks of a proud Indrayumna, formerly the king of Puri, who tried to steal the heart of the Hindu god Krishna. It was immersed in the mythical Dwarka sea after his cremation and reappeared in the form of an idol to the people of the tribes there. When Indrayumna tried to claim her possession, the idol disappeared. The repentant king sanctified him in another form and sought absence from Krishna

.

Rath Yatra-Most Famous Festivals

Another talk about Krishna's grief-stricken siblings - his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra - says that he went to the Dwarka sea carrying half his body. At the same moment, King Indrayumna dreamed that Krishna's body floated back to their edges in the form of a log.

Here the two legends merge: Indrayumna decided to build a temple to house the logs. His next task was to find someone to sculpt the sculptures. Legends say that the Lord's own architect, Vishwakarma arrived as an old carpenter. He agreed to carve the idols, but on condition that he not be disturbed. However, when he did not get out of his workshop for weeks, without food, water or rest, an anxious and impatient king threw the door open.

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At that time the paintings were only half-finished, but the carpenter disappeared. Nevertheless, believing the idols to be made from the body of God, the king consecrated them and placed them in the temple.

When the gods disintegrate, they are remaked to the same semi-framed image with new wood every 12 years. He was last remade in 2015.

Why are there two rath yatras and how are they connected?

Dwarka in Gujarat - where half of Krishna's body is believed to have been immersed in the sea - is located on the west coast of India and is located in Puri, Odisha, where it is said to have re-emerged as a log - East where it is located.

About 500 hundred years ago, a traveling Hindu saint and priest of the Hanuman Temple in Gujarat, Sri Sarangadasji, arrived in Puri to worship at the historic Jagannathan temple.

Most Famous Festivals

While sleeping in the temple's guest house, it is believed that he received visionary instructions from Lord Jagannathan to go back to Ahmedabad in Gujarat and install the three idols of Jagannathan, Balabhadra and Subhadra. Following the instructions he received in his dream, he established the Ahmedabad Jagannathan Temple.

By doing so, he consecrated two places - one where Krishna's corpse started from the west for his transformation as Lord Jagannathan of Puri.

About 142 years ago, Ahmedabad Rath Yatra was started by the founder, Shri Narasimhandasji Maharaj. The gods, on chariots drawn by elephants and humans, repeat their own journey in Puri, completing a set of rituals that consecrate the two places where mortal remains of Krishna are believed.

What happens to the chariots and elephants after the journey?

At the end of the festival, the chariots are destroyed and their wood is used as fuel in the kitchen of the temple - it is believed to be the largest in the world with 56 things being caught every day and between 2,000 and about 200,000 people Feeds anywhere between

The elephants return to roam back to the land managed by the temple trust until the procession arrives next year.

However, this year's festival was associated with elephant disputes.

Following the death of elephants of some temples in Gujarat, there was heavy resentment over the plan to replace elephants from the north-eastern state of Assam.

Four elephants must travel a dangerous train of more than 3,100 km (1,926 mi) under heatwave conditions to participate in the festival.