JAGANNATH RATH YATRA

The Greatest festival of the Supreme Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra is celebrated every year but for the last 2 years, the devotee's participation was barred due to the pandemic.
The annual Lord Jagannath rath yatra begins from the Jagannath temple, Puri. The festival is celebrated on the second day of Shukla Paksha of Ashadh which is the third month, according to the traditional Oriya calendar.
The Rath Yatra is 9 day-long event during which the three holy chariots carrying idols of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balaram and sister Subhadra are pulled by thousands of devotees from India and abroad.
The festival shows respect to Lord Jagannath’s visit along with his siblings to the temple of Queen Gundicha, the place of their aunt’s house where they have a nine-day stay.
Jagannath Puri temple is also called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.

Source: The Hindu

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GS-I : Art and Culture Temples

23 June, 2020
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Jagannath Rath Yatra

Ratha Jatra also called as Chariot Festival, is a Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri, Odisha.
The festival is celebrated on the 2^nd day of Shukla Paksha of Ashadh, the third month, according to the traditional Oriya calendar.

It is a 9 day-long event and marks the return of Lord Krishna to Vrindavan with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra to Gundicha Temple via Mausi Maa Temple (maternal aunt's home) near Saradha Bali, Puri.
During the festival, the three holy chariots carrying idols of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balaram (Balabhadra) and sister Subhadra are pulled by thousands of devotees from India and abroad.

Jagannath Temple

The temple is believed to be constructed in the 12^th century by King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to Hindu beliefs, the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.
This temple was called the “White Pagoda” and is a part of Char Dham pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).
There are four gates to the temple- Eastern ‘Singhdwara’ which is the main gate with two crouching lions, Southern ‘Ashwadwara’, Western 'Vyaghra Dwara and Northern ‘Hastidwara’. There is a carving of each form at each gate.
In front of the entrance stands the Aruna stambha or sun pillar, which was originally at the Sun Temple in Konark.

The Indo-Aryan style prefers a tower with a rounded top and curvilinear outline while the tower of the Southern or Dravidian style is usually in a shape of a rectangular truncated Pyramid.

Source: TH

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