Significance of Jagannatha Ratha Yatra Celebration

Dr. Sapam Nabakishore Singh *

The world famous Jagannath Ratha Yatra(Chariot) Festival is celebrated every year on the 2nd day of Shukla Paksha (waxing cycle of moon) in the month of Asadh, the 3rd month according to the lunar calendar followed in some parts of India.

RATHA YATRA FESTIVAL IN JAGANNATH PURI

Rath Yatra Festival in Jagannath Puri is the most famous celebration of this festival across the country. The Jagannath Temple, based in Puri,Orissa State of India, is the main epicenter of the Ratha Yatra Festival. Rath Yatra in Puri honors the visit of Lord Jagannath and His siblings to the temple of His Aunt Queen Gundicha. So, the caravan stops at the mausima (Aunt) temple for a meal of sweet pan cakes, the favorite cuisine of Lord Jagannath, who is popularly known as Lord Krishna

3 Rathas (Chariots) for Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama and Subhadra in Puri

Description Of Lord Jagannath Deva.

Etymologically, "Jagannath" is a Sanskrit word which means " Lord of the Universe." Some scholars have suggested that the word Jagannath is a Sanskritization of a tribal word. They have presented arguments concerning the Jagannath's tribal origins. Lord Jagannatha Deva is worshipped in the Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri along with Sudarshana Chakra, Madhava, Sridevi and on the principal platform; and Ratnavedi (Ratna: Bejewelled, Vedi: Platform/Pedestal - The bejewelled platform) in the inner sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

The icon of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra are a carved and decorated wooden stump with large round eyes and with stumps as hands. It is made of wood, which is an exception to common Hindu iconographic deities of stone.

Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra

The most famous festival related to Lord Jagannath is the Ratha Yatra Celebration, where Lord Jagannath, Lord Balarama and Subhadra comes out of the sanctum sanctorum of the chief temple. They are transported to the Gundicha Temple (located at a distance of nearly 3 kilometres or 2 miles), in three massive wooden Rathas (chariots) pulled by devotees. Coinciding with the Rath Yatra festival at Puri, similar processions are organized all around the world.

The Origin of Ratha Yatra Celebration:

Several stories on the origin of the Jagannath Ratha Yatra Celebration as follows:

1. Kamsa, the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna, invited Krishna and Balaram to Mathura with the malicious intention of killing Them. The evil Kamsa sent Akrura with a Ratha (Chariot) to Gokul. Lord Krishna and Balaram climbed onto the chariot with Akrura, taking leave of the Gopis to proceed to Mathura. This day of departure of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama is celebrated by the devotees as Ratha Yatra Festival.

2. Krishna devotees celebrated the day when Lord Krishna, having vanquished the evil Kamsa, gave them darshan in Mathura in a Ratha (Chariot) with His brother, Balarama.

3. Devotees in Dwarka celebrated the day when Lord Krishna, accompanied by Balarama, took Subhadra - His sister, for a ride on a Ratha (Chariot) to show the beautiful City of Dwarka.

4. Once in Dwarka, Lord Krishna's eight queens requested mother Rohini to narrate the transcendental pastimes of Lord Krishna with Gopis in Vraja Vrindavan. Rohini Mata agreed, however, considering it unbecoming of Subhadra to hear such episodes (Leela), she sent her to guard the Palace Doorway. Soon, Lord Shri Krishna and Balarama arrived at the Doorway. Subhadra stood between the two, preventing Them from entering. However, from where they stood, Rohini's narration of the transcendental pastimes soon engrossed Them all! Just then sage Narada arrived. Seeing the siblings standing together like murtis, Narada humbly prayed, "May the Three of You grant darshan in this manner forever." Lord Krishna granted the boon. And the three eternally reside in the Jagannath Mandir in Puri.

5. There is an interesting story of Lord Krishna becoming the Sarathi - driver of Arjuna's Ratha (Chariot), during the eighteen-day battle of the Mahabharat at Kurukshetra.

6. Finally, a story which has been passed on from mouth to mouth, concerns about what happened after the cremation of Lord Krishna's mortal body.

When Lord Krishna was being cremated in Dwarka, Balarama, overcome with grief, dashed into the ocean with Lord Krishna's partially cremated body. Subhadra too, followed both the brothers. At the same time, on the eastern shore of India, King Indradyumna of Jagannath Puri had a dream that the Lord's body would float up to the shores of Puri. He should build a huge temple in the city and consecrate the wooden murtis of Lord Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra. The bones (asthi) of Lord Krishna's body should be placed in the hollow in the back of the murti. The dream came true. He found the splinters of bone (asthi) and took them. But the question was who would carve the murtis(images).

It is said that Vishwakarma,the architect of the gods, arrived at King Indradyumna’s Palace, as an old carpenter. He stipulated that while carving the murtis nobody should disturb him and if anybody did, he would stop work and leave. A few months elapsed. Driven with impatience, King Indradyumna opened the door of Vishwakarma's room, who vanished instantly as he had stipulated. Despite the incomplete murtis, the King Indradyumna consecrated them, placing the holy cinders of Lord Krishna in the hollow of the murti and installed them in the temple. Every year a grand procession is carried out with the murtis of Lord Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra in three gigantic Rathas (Chariots).

The Rathas (Chariots) are pulled by devotees as the celebration of Ratha Yatra Festival in Jagannath Puri. The murtis are changed every twelve years. The festival begins with the Ratha Prathistha or invoking ceremony in the morning, but the Ratha Tana or chariot pulling is the most exciting part of the festival, which begins in the late afternoon when the Rathas (chariots) of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra(Balarama) and Subhadra start rolling.

Each of these carriages have different specifications: The Ratha (chariot )of Lord Jagannath is called Nandighosa, has 18 wheels and is 23 cubits high; the Ratha (chariot) of Lord Balarama (Balabhadra), called Taladhvaja has 16 wheels and is 22 cubits high; and the Ratha (chariot) of Subhadra is called Devadalana, has 14 wheels and is 21 cubits high.

Each year these wooden Rathas (chariots) are constructed a new in accordance with religious specifications. The idols of these three deities are also made of wood and they are religiously replaced by new ones every after 12 years. After a nine-day sojourn of the deities at the country temple amidst festivities, the divine summer vacation gets over and the three return to the city temple of Lord Jagannath.

Ratha Jatra Festival In Manipur: - One of the greatest festivals of the Hindus of Manipur, the Ratha Yatra Festival is celebrated for about 10 days in the month of Ingen (June/July). Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra rani are being placed in a Ratha locally known as Kang pulled by devotees in the street.

(L) ISKCON Manipur Rath Yatra Festival , (R) Manipur Vaishnava Traditional Rath Yatra

According to Chaitharol Kumbaba (a historical record book), The First Ratha Yatra Festival in Manipur begun during the reign of Maharaja Gambhir Singh in 1832 A.D. During the Ratha Yatra, the procession follows the music party with a pung (drum), nahal (large cymbals), gongs, bells and conch. The devotees sing devotional songs and dance.

The offerings of barti (short sticks having cotton fibre wrapping around, soaked in ghee), flowers and fruits are made by devotees at dissimilar places in the locality. In the evening community feasts are arranged in the Mandapas of temples. The Kirtan called 'Khubakisei' is performed by the devotees. In houses a special kind of food is prepared as a 'prasad'. The main Ratha Yatra is performed in the Shree Govindajee temple at Royal Palace, Imphal. The women wear special dress for the occasion, the light pink coloured 'fanek' and white 'chader'. Man wear white dhoti and kurta. Some old people also wear white 'pagri'.

The First Ratha Yatra Festival of ISKCON in Manipur held on June 23, 2001, Saturday at ISKCON Airport Road, Imphal. Sriman Bhakta Nabakishore Das and Nava Youvana Das brought the Ratha from Mumbai donated by Km. Bimola Devi of London, a disciple of ISKCON GURU, Bhaktisvarupada Damodara Swami Sripada Maharaja.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krsna movement, is a worldwide association of devotees of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The movement's main purpose is to promote the well being of human society by teaching the science of God Conciousness (Krissna Conciousness) according to the timeless Vedic Scriptures of India ISKCON celebrated Ratha Yatra Festival all over the world after being introduced to the west in 1967 in San Franscisco by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON and his first American disciples.

ISKCON Ratha Yatra Festival Held On June 17, 2012 In London UK

Ratha Yatra is the biggest street festival of International Society for Krishna Consciousness(ISKCON) it features three huge, wooden Rathas (chariots) pulled by hand accompanied by singing, chanting, drums, cymbals, and dancing. It ends with a stage show, Cultural festival and delicious vegetarian prasadam feast.

The Scientific Studies on Ratha Yatra Celebration.

The Katha Upanishad(1/3/3-4) compares the human body as Ratha.

Atmanam rathinam viddhi shareeram rathameva tu,
Buddhim tu sarathim viddhi manaha pragrahameva tu.
Indriyani hayanyahur vishayansteshu gocharan,

Translation.

The atman is Rathi - owner of the `chariot' - the body,
The intellect is the Sarathi - driver,
The mind is the rein,
The senses are the horses, and
The Panch Vishayas - material objects of the five senses - are
the fields of pasture for the horses.

The person whose Sarathi - intellect - is wise, whose mind fully controls the senses, can traverse Samsara to reach the desired goal - the Lord's abode. In RamayanaLord Ramachandra describes His chariot to Vibhishan, with which He is always victorious:

Courage and tenacity are wheels of the Ratha
Immutable truth and character are its flags,
Strength, discrimination, self-control and charity
are the horses pulling the Ratha
Forgiveness, mercy and equanimity are the reins, and
Devotion to the Lord is its Sarathi.

With such a chariot one can surely traverse Samsara(Material Existence).

During Mahabharata War Lord Krishna became the Chariot Driver (Sarathi) of His devotee,Arjuna leading him and the Pandavas to victory.

In the Bhagavad Gita (18/78) that, where there is Krishna and Arjuna, there's wealth, victory, power and immutable morality. This was borne out during the battle when the mighty warrior Bhishma vowed to kill Arjuna on the tenth day. Lord Krishna anxiously searched for Arjuna and found him asleep. Bewildered, Lord Krishna asked him how he could sleep with such a pledge looming over his life. To his astonishment Arjuna answered, "Because You are awake!"

The ultimate essence of the Ratha (chariot) stories is that the Jiva should unwarrantedly surrender to the supreme Sarathi - God or the God-realised Soul, if he wishes to successfully traverse the Yatra of life from Samsara.(Material Existence).