Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra: The renowned lord Jaganth Rath yatra, also rendered as Rath yatra, will start in Puri, Odisha on June 20. The Rath Yatra is one the most well-known festivities in India. It is believed that every year Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and his yonger sister Subhadra leave for the Gundicha temple from their residence in Sri Mandir during Rath yatra.

It is world’s oldest and largest chariot procession with divine importance. The three chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. They are customarily brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privileges for the same. The logs are traditionally set afloat as rafts in the river Mahanadi. These are collected near Puri and then transported by road.

The chariots are considered to be little magnificent structures since they take more than 42 days to build. The master carpenters known as “Maharana” build the gorgeous chariots. Construction is a generational duty for these carpenters.

Ratha Yatra Date, timings, route

The Puri Rath Yatra begins every year on the second day of the Shukla Paksha, which falls in June or July. This year, the Rath Yatra will start at 10:04 PM on June 20 and terminate at 7:09 PM on June 21. The magnificent Chariot procession will begin at the Puri Jagannath shrine and move towards the Gundicha shrine.

Devotees can take any route, either by air, road or train to Puri. Bhubaneswar Airport is the nearest airport to Puri. The airport, which is around 60 kilometres from Puri, may be reached via cab. Bhubaneswar and Puri railway stations are good choices if you like to travel by train.

The authorities have sent out roughly 160 platoons of troops and enough officers to manage the situation, according to DGP for Odisha, Sunil Kumar Bansal. Preparations are being made to ensure that the thousands of pilgrims who will travel to Puri have a positive experience during their darshan.

Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra: Believes

According to the sacred Hindu texts, Subhadra, the sister of Lord Jagannath, had the wish to visit Puri. Lord Jagannath and his older brother Lord Balabhadra set out for Puri in a chariot with Devi Subhadra to grant her desire. Since that time, this festival has symbolised the Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and his younger sister Subhadra’s annual religious trip from their home temple to the temple that is thought to be their aunt’s residence.

For the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2023, the TP Central Odisha Distribution Ltd (TPCODL) is fully prepared to ensure uninterrupted power supply and implement enhanced safety measures during the event.