Ratha Yatra
 | This article uses secondary sources that critically analyze them. (February 2017) ) |
| Ratha Yatra | |
|---|---|
Dwitiya | |
| Ends | Ashadha Shukla Dashami |
| 2023 date | 20 June |
| 2024 date | 7 July |
| 2025 date | 27 June |
| 2026 date | 16 July |
| Frequency | annual |
Ratha Yatra[a] (/ˈrʌθə ˈjɑːtrə/), or chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot.[3][4] They are held annually during festivals in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.[5] The term also refers to the popular annual Ratha Yatra of Puri.[6] that involve a public procession with a chariot with deities Jagannath (Vishnu avatar), Balabhadra (his brother), Subhadra (his sister) and Sudarshana Chakra (his weapon) on a ratha, a wooden deula-shaped chariot.[7][8]
Ratha Yatra processions have been historically common in Vishnu-related (Jagannath, Rama, Krishna) traditions in
Western impressions of the Jagannath Ratha Yatra in Puri as a display of unstoppable force are the origin of the English word juggernaut.
| |||||||||
.jpg)
Etymology
Ratha Yatra is derived from two Sanskrit words, Ratha, which means chariot or carriage, and Yatra which means journey or pilgrimage.[16] In other Indian languages such as Odia, the phonetic equivalents are used, such as jatra.
Description
Ratha Yatra is a journey in a chariot accompanied by the public. It typically refers to a procession (journey) of deities, people dressed like deities, or simply religious saints and political leaders.[5] The term appears in medieval texts of India such as the Puranas, which mention the Ratha Yatra of Surya (Sun god), of Devi (Mother goddess), and of Vishnu. These chariot journeys have elaborate celebrations where the individuals or the deities come out of a temple accompanied by the public journeying with them through the Ksetra (region, streets) to another temple or to the river or the sea. Sometimes the festivities include returning to the sacrosanctum of the temple.[5][17]
Traveler Fa-Hien who visited India during 400 CE notes the way temple car festivals were celebrated in India.
The cities and towns of this country [Magadha] are the greatest of all in the Middle Kingdom [Mathura through Deccan]. The inhabitants are rich and prosperous, and vie with one another in the practice of benevolence and righteousness. Every year on the eighth day of the second month they celebrate a procession of images. They make a four-wheeled car, and on it erect a structure of four storeys by means of bamboos tied together. This is supported by a king-post, with poles and lances slanting from it, and is rather more than twenty cubits high, having the shape of a tope. White and silk-like cloth of hair is wrapped all round it, which is then painted in various colours. They make figures of devas, with gold, silver, and lapis lazuli grandly blended and having silken streamers and canopies hung out over them. On the four sides are niches, with a Buddha seated in each, and a Bodhisattva standing in attendance on him. There may be twenty cars, all grand and imposing, but each one different from the others. On the day mentioned, the monks and laity within the borders all come together; they have singers and skillful musicians; they pay their devotion with flowers and incense. The Brahmans come and invite the Buddhas to enter the city. These do so in order, and remain two nights in it. All through the night they keep lamps burning, have skillful music, and present offerings. This is the practice in all the other kingdoms as well. The Heads of the Vaisya families in them establish in the cities houses for dispensing charity and medicines. All the poor and destitute in the country, orphans, widowers, and childless men, maimed people and cripples, and all who are diseased, go to those houses, and are provided with every kind of help, and doctors examine their diseases. They get the food and medicines which their cases require, and are made to feel at ease; and when they are better, they go away of themselves.
— Faxian, c. 415 CE[18]
Places
| Part of a series on |
| Hinduism |
|---|
 |
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2017) |
Jagannath Ratha Yatra, Puri
The most significant ritual associated with the Ratha Yatra is the chhera pahara. During the festival, the
Chera pahara is held on two days, on the first day of the Ratha Yatra, when the deities are taken to garden house at Mausi Maa Temple and again on the last day of the festival, when the deities are ceremoniously brought back to the Shri Mandir.
As per another ritual, when the deities are taken out from the Shri Mandir to the Chariots in Pahandi Vijay.
In the Ratha Yatra,[23] the three deities are taken from the Jagannath Temple in the chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for nine days. Thereafter, the deities again ride the chariots back to Shri Mandir in bahuda jatra. On the way back, the three chariots halt at the Mausi Maa Temple and the deities are offered Poda Pitha, a kind of baked cake which are generally consumed by the people of Odisha.
The observance of the Ratha Yatra of Jagannath dates back to the period of the Puranas. Vivid descriptions of this festival are found in
Moreover, Starza
International Jagannath Ratha Yatra
The Ratha Yatra festival has become a common sight in most major cities of the world since 1968 through the Hare Krishna movement. Local chapters put on the festival annually in over a hundred cities worldwide.[29]
Dhamrai Jagannath Rathayatra
Dhamrai Jagannath Ratha is a chariot temple, a
Iskcon Swamibagh, Dhaka Rathyatra
Iskcon Swamibagh is a temple dedicated to the
. The annual Jagannath Ratha Yatra is a famous Hindu festival attracting thousands of people. The Ratha Yatra in Swamibagh is one of the most important events for the Hindu community of Bangladesh.
Rathayatra of Mahesh
The Rathayatra of Mahesh is the second oldest chariot festival in India (after the Rath Yatra]] at Puri) and the oldest in Bengal,[31] having been celebrated since 1396 CE.[32] It is a month-long festival held at Mahesh in Serampore of West Bengal and a grand fair is held at that time. People throng to have a share in pulling the long ropes (Roshi) attached to the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra on the journey from the temple to Gundicha Bari (Masir bari) and back. Subhadra is worshipped with Krishna in Jagannath Yatra.[33]
Manipur
The practice of Ratha Yatra in
Examples
- Ratha-Jatra, Puri, at Puri in the state of Odisha, is the largest and most visited Ratha Yatra in the world attracting a large crowd every year.
- Baripada Ratha Yatra is the second oldest in the world. So Baripada is also called as Dwitiya Shrikhetra or 2nd Puri. Ratha Jatra has been celebrated here since 1575 without any interruption.
- Ratha Yatra of Kendujhar is the second largest Ratha Yatra in the world. The Keonjhar Ratha (Chariot) - Nandighosh is the Tallest Ratha in the World.
- Rath Yatra (Ahmedabad) - Ratha Yatra also takes place in Ahmedabad, Gujarat State, which is known to be the third largest in the world.[35]
- Sukinda Ratha Yatra in Odisha is also known to attract a large number of devotees.
- Dhamrai Rathayatra, at Dhamrai in Bangladesh, is the most famous Ratha Yatra in Bangladesh.
- ISKCON DhakaRatha Jatra is the second famous Ratha Jatra in Bangladesh.
- Rajbalhat Ratha Jatra, West Bengal, India.
- People of
- Radha Rani Ratha Yatra, held at the Radha Madhav Dham temple near Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
- Ratha Yatra in Silicon Valley is organized at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA.
See also
- Mahishadal Rathayatra
- Guptipara Rathayatra
- Ratha
- Yatra
- Yatra (disambiguation)
- Jatra (disambiguation)
- Hindu pilgrimage sites in India
- List of Hindu festivals
- Padayatra
- Tirtha (Hinduism)
- Tirtha and Kshetra
Notes
- ^ Other transliterations include Ratha Jatra, Rathayatra, and Rathajatra.
References
- ^ "National Portal of India". india.gov.in. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ "National Portal of India". india.gov.in. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-61069-211-3.
- ISBN 978-0-14-024602-5.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-906756-04-2.
- ISBN 978-0-415-93919-5.
- ISBN 978-1-61069-211-3.
- ^ Mandai, Paresh Chandra (2012). "Rathajatra". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 978-0-8108-4070-6.
- ISBN 978-0-520-28847-8.
- ISBN 978-0-415-31215-8.
- ISBN 978-81-246-0195-2.
- ^ Ajit K. Singh (1982). Tribal Festivals of Bihar: A Functional Analysis. Concept. pp. 30–33.
- ISBN 978-1-134-07459-4.
- ISBN 978-1-134-07459-4.
- ISBN 978-0-252-09499-6.
- ^ a b Mandai, Paresh Chandra (2012). "Rathajatra". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Fa-Hien (1875). "A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms (Chapter XXVII: Pataliputra or Patna, In Magadha)". gutenberg.org. Translated (published 415).
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Hopes of Puri Rath Yatra I like Dying Fast". Odisha Television. Archived from the original on 10 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
- ^ Starza 1993, p. 16.
- ^ Das 1982, p. 40.
- ^ Karan, Jajati (4 July 2008). "Lord Jagannath jatra to begin soon". IBN Live. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ "Jagannath Ratha Yatra Festival of Odisha".
- ^ Chakraborty, Yogabrata (28 June 2023). "পুরীধাম ও জগন্নাথদেবের ব্রহ্মরূপ বৃত্তান্ত" [Puridham and the tale of lord Jagannath's legendary 'Bramharup']. dainikstatesmannews.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: Dainik Statesman (The Statesman Group). p. 4. Archived from the original on 28 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Starza 1993, p. 133.
- ^ Mitter 1977, p. 10.
- ^ Starza 1993, p. 129.
- ^ Das 1982, p. 48.
- ^ "Festival of India". Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ "Rathajatra festival today". The New Nation, Dhaka. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2012 – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ "Rathayatra celebrated in West Bengal". The Hindu. 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2008.
- ^ "Bengal celebrates Rathajatra festival". Monsters and Critics. 16 July 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Why Subhadra is Worshipped with Krishna in Jagannath Yatra". July 2011. Archived from the original on 7 September 2021. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ Singh, Moirangthem Kirti (1980). Religious Developments in Manipur in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Manipur State Kala Akademi. pp. 165–166.
Gonarkhan
- ^ "About Ahmedabad Ratha Jatra : Jamalpur Jagannath Temple".[permanent dead link]
- ^ S Banerjee, Partha (2008). "Dussehra in Bastar -- a riot of colours - Economic Times". indiatimes.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
The Bastar royal family figures prominently in the script and the props include a huge chariot that is first built, then ritually 'stolen', and then again recovered and pulled ceremonially through the streets of Jagdalpur
- ^ "Tribals celebrate unique Dussehra in Bastar - Oneindia News". news.oneindia.in. 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
Another attraction of this 'tribal Dusshra', is a double-decked Ratha (Chariot) with eight wheels and weighing about 30 tonnes.
Bibliography
- Das, J. P. (1982), Puri Paintings: the Chitrakara and his Work, New Delhi: Arnold Heinemann, ISBN 9788190158978
- Mitter, P. (1977). Much Maligned Monsters: A History of European Reactions to Indian Art. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226532394.
- Starza, O. M. (1993), The Jagannatha Temple at Puri: Its Architecture, Art, and Cult, BRILL, ISBN 978-90-04-09673-8, retrieved 15 December 2012
| This article is part of a series on |
| Odisha |
|---|
 |
| Governance |
| Topics |
|
Divisions |
| GI Products |
|
 India portal |
| Cuisine |
|  | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance |
| ||||
| Music |
| ||||
| Handlooms and handicrafts |
| ||||
| Observations and festivals |
| ||||
| Arts |
| ||||
| Other | |||||
| Authority control databases: National |
|---|
