Jagannath Ratg Yatra of Puri in Orissa is one of the biggest festivals in India. This is a spectacular and highly significant event carrying a lot of cultural, religious and social significance.

Here are some interesting facts about the Rath Yatra.

#History_Of_JagannathTemple

The Rath yatra sees the procession of three independent chariots for the three deities of Jagannath, Balarama and Shubadra.
Hence this event is also called the festival of chariots. The names of these three chariots are Nandighosha, Taladhwaja and Devadalana.

Nandigosha is the chariot of Jagannath that is set on 18 wheels. Taladwaja, the chariot of Balarama runs on 16 wheels and 14 wheels roll the chariot Padmadhwaja of Shubadra.

All the three chariots are constructed anew year after year prior to the festival.

The construction makes use of newer materials as the years go by. However, the structure, model, design and measurements of the chariot remain the same.

Hundreds of pilgrims and devotees pull the massive sized chariots with sturdy ropes.

This creates an awe inspiring sight for the onlookers. For making the canopies of the chariots, about 1200 meters of cloth is used. A team of 15 skilled tailors make the canopies.

There is an interesting story behind the chariot festival. It is said Lord Jagannath catches..

high fever year on year prior to the Rath yatra. Hence he is given rest for a period of a week before the chariot festival.

The temple doors remain shut for the public and none is allowed to disturb the Lord during this period.

The chariot procession comes as a change for the Lord to visit his maternal aunt’s house after he recovers from his fever.

Lord Jagannath and his siblings take a halt on the way back to their own abode after a stay at the Gundicha Temple for 9 days.

Poda Pitha, a popular dessert in Odisha, is a favorite of the Lords. They find it irresistible to have a bite of their favorite dish during the return journey.

According to those who have been to the Rath Yatra Festival of Odisha and have pulled the chariots, Lord Jagannath seems to refuse moving initially when the festivity begins, no matter how many hundreds of people push from behind and pull from the front.

Lord Jagannath’s Chariot seems to stand still despite massive push and pull. The Lord agrees to go ahead and His chariot starts moving only after a few hours of cosmic effort. It sounds offbeat. If the onlookers are believed, it is incredibly true.