Jagannath Yatra 2023: The Jagannath Yatra in is set begin today in Puri, Odisha. This event is considered to be one of the oldest and largest chariot festivals in the world. It is an annual gathering featuring chariot procession and is celebrated on 2nd day of Shukla Paksha in Ashadha month. On the Bada Dana, Grand Avenue three chariots for Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are lined up in a specified manner. The celebration lasts for 9 days, and it witnesses large number of devotees pulling the chariots of the three deities. There are various legends associated with origin of the festival, one of them is in the return of Lord Krishna, Balaram and Subhadara from Kurukshetra to Vrindavan.
Jagannath Yatra celebration
The preparation of festival begins one-month before the festival. Before taking part in the Jagannath Rath Yatra, the devotees bathe in sacred river Mahodadhi to purify themselves. The Yatra will commence on June 20 at 10:04 pm and will end on June 21 at 7:09 pm. On the first day thousands of devotees gather outside temple to get a glimpse of chariots in procession. The devotees pull the chariots with rope while chanting the name of the deities. The procession runs through the streets of Puri as sound of conch shells and drums echo throughout the city. It takes one day for the chariots to reach Gundicha temple where they remain for 7 days. This journey called is Gundicha Yatra or Nava Dina Yatra (9 days procession). On their way back, the deities stop at Mausi Maa Temple where an offering of Poda Patha is made.
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Significance of Yatra
The Gundicha temple is the birthplace of Lord Jagannath and deities take a vacation there during Jagannath Rath Yatra. The Garden House of Jagannath as it is also known is the holiest place of the Rath Yatra. According to the Sakanda Purana no event is more pious than Gundicha Yatra asthe Supreme Lord rides with his siblings for harmony of the whole humanity. The timing of the marks end of summer and arrival of monsoon season in the country and people celebrate the Yatra for good fortune and prosperity.
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