27 June 2024

“Rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate”

Simply by seeing the lord on the chariot, one makes advancement for stopping the repetition of birth and death.

(Prabhupad Lecture: – London July 13th, 1972)

What is Ratha Yatra festival?

Jagannath Ratha yatra is a very big famous festival worldwide. This is the festival of chariots, is celebrated originally in Jagannath Puri (Odisha) from time immemorial. In Puri lord Jagannath is worshipped with his elder brother Baldeva and his sister Subhadra. Their lordship come out on the road and rides on their chariots to bless the citizens. Thousands of people pull the rope of the Ratha and take from Sri mandira to Gundicha temple. It’s a similar concept of Krishna Balrama’s returning from Kurukshetra to Vrindavan on Ratha which was pulled by Vraja Gopis.

Prabhupada said, “if you participate in these chariot festivals and see the deities riding on these chariots, you will go back home, back to godhead at the end of this life.”

The chariot is decorated with a colourful display of flowers and covered in distinctly coloured cloths. Ratha yatra begins with a huge fanfare of conches, mridanga, drums and cymbals, accompanied by kirtan, prasad distribution and various types of cultural Programs, Thousands of devotees pull the chariot, offer their prayers and aarti and part take the prasadam being distributed, all along the route of the Ratha yatra.

The lord is calling you on that special day of Festival please join and celebrate Ratha Yatra.