Rath Yatra 2019: Flags, Ropes Of Lord Jagannath Chariot Have Names, Know Interesting Facts About The Festival

Scores of people have congregated in Puri to celebrate Rath Yatra today. With references in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana and Skanda Purana, Puri's Rath Yatra, associated with Lord Jagannatha is the oldest of its kind in the world. The festival celebrated on Ashadha Paksha Dwitiya, or fortnight of Ashadha month, the festival commemorates Jagannath's annual visit to Gundicha Temple via Mausi Maa Temple (aunt's home) near Balagandi Chaka, Puri.

The day sees the deities of Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra being taken out in a procession to Gundicha Temple and remaining there for nine days, along with the Sudarshana Chakra, before being brought back to the main temple in a procession called the Bahuda Jatra.

Even though technically it should rain since the festival falls in the middle of the monsoon, it is said that there has never been a Rath Yatra when it has not rained. There have been times when it has not rained for days before Rath Yatra and then it pours on that day.

About The Rath Or Chariot

Interestingly, every year the chariots are built from scratch by a team of around 1,400 carpenters voluntarily. The chariot is 45 feet high and has 18, 16 and 14 wheels and are named Nandighosha, Taladhwaja and Devadalana respectively. Interestingly, not a single nail is used in the making of the chariot and everything is made of wood, including the pegs. A fixed number of families of traditional carpenters build the chariots every year and the methods, measurement; techniques, etc. to build the same are handed down through generations. Canopies for the chariots are made of almost 1200 meters of cloth.

Must ReadHere's Your Complete Guide For Lord Jagannath's Mammoth Rath Yatra In Puri

It Takes A Lot Of Cajoling to Get The Gods To Their Aunt’s House

Legends and folklore say that each year it takes a lot of cajoling to get the Gods to their aunt's house. Every year the chariots refuse to budge and inch even though over 1000 people are pulling and tugging at it. The chariot only moves after much cajoling and coaxing by devotees.

Furthermore, the woods for the chariot come from two nearby forests of Dashpalla and Ranapur. Saplings are planted simultaneously so that the wood stock remains replenished and the ecological balance is maintained.

If you are in Puri to see Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, you must visit Belgadia Palace. To know more about it, read this: The Unheard Romantic Past Of Odisha's 200 Year Old Belgadia Palace

Flags & Ropes Of The Chariot

The flags atop the chariots and the ropes being used to pull them have unique names as well and it is only after the presiding King of Puri sweeps all the chariots with a golden broom and fragrant water that the pulling of the chariots commences.

Mahaprasad

The woods used in making the chariots are used to cook the Mahaprasad after the festival. The Mahaprasad comprises of 56 different varieties and is cooked in the Temple kitchen which is the largest community kitchen in the world and can cook for up to 1,00,000 people at a time. The amazing thing about this is that the amount of food cooked every day is the same and it has never been wasted ever.

Apart from these, interestingly, when cooking the Mahaprasad, seven vessels or pots are kept one above the other and it is always the food kept in the topmost vessel that gets cooked first. Furthermore, at the Puri temple itself, the flag atop the temple always flies in the direction opposite to the air flow and strangely enough, neither does the main dome cast a shadow nor do any birds fly above the Jagannath temple.

Doors Of Temple Are Kept Shut One Week Prior To Festival

Another important fact associated with the temple is that the main door of the Puri Jagannath Temple is kept shut for one week prior to the festival. The presiding deity Lord Jagannath is believed to catch high fever and, therefore, is made to rest at this time. That is why the sanctum sanctorum is not open to the public for this brief period. Once the period of rest is over, the Lord takes a break and travels to his maternal aunt’s house for a change.