Jagannath Rath Yatra 2019: When will the holy procession take place and what is its significance

There are innumerable reasons which make our country, India, beautiful and sets them apart on a different league. Be it our diversity, tradition or culture, we stand united through all the highs and lows. Tradition is one of the talking points globally when one talks about India. We are gifted and deeply rooted with insanely rich culture - one which has been going on since forever. 

Jagannath Rath Yatra, is that one event which excites the entire country and everyone waits for it with baited breath. But what exactly is Jagganath Rath Yatra? Why do we see all the Krishna devotees prep up for this event? Well, for all the new age millenials out there, listed below is the complete low down about this procession, the significance it holds and why is it so important for the Hindus. 

All about the festival

Well, to start off with the Yatra takes place on the second day of the Hindu calendar month, Ashada. It falls on the 4th of July this year. The festival holds major prominence and is a native of Puri in Odisha. Idols of Lord Krishna or Lord Jagannath, his sister Subhadra and elder brother Balabhadra from the Shri Mandir of Puri are taken on different chariots to the Gundicha Mata Mandir. . 

The holy procession is also known as, Gundicha Jatra, Ghosa Jatra, Dasavtara Jatra. According to old tales, Gundicha was believed to be the queen of King Indrayumna, who was the maker of Jagannath temple. It is said and believed that the Lord was so pleased and impressed with the Queen’s devotion, that he promised her that he would visit her palace once a year and stay there for a few days. The Queen’s palace has since then turned into a beautiful temple which was made on the lines of the Kalinga style and design. 

Another legend states that Gundicha was actually Lord Jagannath’s aunt. It is believed that she loves her nephews and niece dearly and welcomes them every year to pamper them with lots of love, care and affection.  

Significance of the Yatra

The significance of this beautiful procession is that the experience lives on amongst every devotee or person present there. It is believed that whoever helps in pulling the ropes of chariot, or even touches the ropes, connects with the Lord himself and also gets his direct blessings. 

The beauty of this yatra is that not only Hindus but even Non-Hindus and foreigners are welcomed with open arms. They are also allowed inside the Gundicha Mandir wherein they can help the other out and bask in all the blessings. The deities are fed their favourite dish, Poda Pitha. 

On the third day of the Rath Yatra, the devotees stage a play and show how Lord Jagannath meets his spouse, Lakshmi after a long time. The devotees showcase a cute lovers tiff, wherein later on Lakshmi breaks Lord Jagannath’s chariot wheel. Later on, the Lord visits her shrine, Gohiri Sahei to woo her back. The two are united on Vijay Dashami after which he goes back to Shri Mandir with his brother and sister. 

The Jagannath Rath Yatra is celebrated across the country with processions being carrying out in a lot of different cities. Horses, elephants also take part in the celebrated procession. We see devotees dancing their hearts away and sheer joy and cheer everywhere around.