By Priyamvada Singh
Rani Priyamvada KumarI of Talcher, Odisha reminiscences about the glorious festivities that surround the Rath Yatra.
My earliest memories of the Rath Yatra take me back to childhood, when I watched the live
telecast on Doordarshan each year, tucked cosily between my grandparents. The
magnanimity of the chariot festival never seized to amaze my curious little mind even after
repeated views every twelve months. This annual tradition ended once I joined boarding
school, but my interest in the festival renewed during senior years when Kumari Divyajyoti
Debi, the eldest daughter of Gajpati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb of Puri joined my class. The
two of us became good friends, and each time Divyajyoti shared some fascinating trivia
about the Rath Yatra, I would tell her how keen I was to attend the festival at least once in
my lifetime. Little did I know that I will land up getting married in Odisha one day, and the
chariot festival will become an integral part of my life forever.
While the Rath Yatra of Puri is known all over the world, the festival is also celebrated in
several other princely states across Odisha with equal gusto and gaiety. The construction of
chariots begins on the auspicious day of ‘Akshaya Tritiya’ for the annual sojourn of the holy
trinity. “Lord Jagannath's chariot is called Nandighosa, the chariot of Lord Balabhadra is
called Taladhwaja and that of Goddess Subhadra is called Dwarpadalana” shares Raja
Rajendra Chandra Deb of Talcher. “Even though most of the measurements are done
traditionally using hand and finger lengths, it is fascinating to observe the design and
dimensions of the chariots that always remain consistent.”
It is interesting to note how the royal families of Talcher and Dhenkanal share a centuries-
old connection with the chariots of Puri. Historian Hermann Kulke has mentioned in the Art
and Archaeological Research Papers (London – Volume XVI) how “the iron, necessary for the
construction of the chariots was procured from the feudatory Rajas of Dhenkanal and
Talcher in 1744, and a royal order was issued to the temple officers of Puri to send
‘mahaprasada’ to both the Rajas for generously supplying the iron ore for the chariots.”
The festivities leading up to the Rath Yatra begin on ‘Devasnana Poornima’ when Lord
Jagannath is unable to bear the heat of the scorching summer and steps out with his siblings
for a bath. Explaining this ritual, Raja Tribikram Chandra Deb of Baramba says, “The deities
are brought out with a lot of pomp and show to the ‘Snana Mandap’ and bathed with a
hundred and eight pots of cold water. After this royal bath ceremony, the trinity falls ill and
quarantines themselves away from the public view for a fortnight.” This period is known as
the ‘Anasara’. Once the deities recover from illness, fresh eyes are painted on the idols
during ‘Netra Utsav’, marking the beginning of the Rath Yatra.
The most significant ritual associated with the first day of the Yatra is the ‘Chhera Pahara’,
where the Rajas act as attendants of the Lord, and sweep the Rath. Throwing light upon this
ritual, Raja Braj Keshari Deb of Aul says, “The sweeping ceremony reflects the idea of
equalisation. Under the lordship of Jagannath Mahaprabhu, there is no distinction between
a powerful sovereign and a humble devotee. Hence, the ruler becomes the ‘sevak’ for one
day in a year.” A unique feature about the Jagannnath idol at Aul is that it is made of a single
piece of muguni stone unlike the idols everywhere else which are made of wood, cloth and
resin.
While all three idols reside in the temple in most princely states including Puri, Dhenkanal
holds a unique distinction where the idol of Lord Balbhadra resides permanently in the
palace. Yuvrani Meenal Jhala Singh Deo shares, “Lord Balbhadra’s idol proceeds for the Rath
Yatra from the palace premises with incredible festive fervour, and he is later joined by Lord
Jagannath’s idol en-route to the Rath. Hundreds of devotees pull the ropes of the chariots
making it an inspiring display of enthusiasm and devotion.” The chariot journey is completed
by reaching the Gundicha Temple, considered to be the home of the trinity’s maternal
aunt.”
Lord Jagannath is dressed in the form of the revered nine avatars like Narsimha, Vamana,
Parshuram and Rama during his stay at the Gundicha Temple. Raja Jayant Mardaraj of Nilgir
narrates an interesting ritual from this phase. “It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi gets
upset with her husband Lord Jagannath for having left her behind, and comes looking for
him at his aunt’s place. This day is known as ‘Hera Panchami’, where ‘hera’ signifies ‘to look
for’. Goddess Lakshmi requests the Lord to return to their abode and he gives his consent in
the form of a garland. On this day, the Lord is dressed in the ‘Lakshmi Narayan’ avatar to
celebrate his conjugal bliss with his consort.”
After residing at the Gundicha Temple for a week, the trinity begins their return journey
known as the ‘Bahuda Yatra’. Explaining the culmination ceremony, Yuvraj Vijayendra
Chandra Deb of Talcher says, “Once the deities arrive at their temple, they continue to
remain in the chariot for a day and don the ‘Suna Bhesha’, where they are dressed in
elaborate gold fineries. Considered to be their most opulent avatar, this stunning spectacle
draws pouring crowds of devotees. The deities finally enter the temple the next day amidst
mystical chanting of mantras and reverberating sounds of conch shells, ending the Rath
Yatra on a high note.”
The Rath Yatra is one of the first non-Vedic festivals devised with the idea to unite different
communities irrespective of their caste, creed or social strata. From finding mention in
ancient scriptures like the Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana and Kapila
Samhita, to becoming an important celebration across the globe in places like London, Paris,
Rome, Moscow, Toronto, Nairobi, Melbourne and New York, the Rath Yatra has established
its footprints across the sand of time.
As for me, Lord Jaganath has always appealed to my spiritual senses since childhood
because of his human-like attributes. He plays with his siblings Lord Balbhadra and Devi
Subhadra, falls sick after bathing in cold water, argues with his spouse Goddess Lakshmi
over trivial issues, and most of all, his bodily imperfection is what makes him so realistic and
approachable. He is God, of course, but more than that, he is like a friend, invoking a ‘sakha-
bhaav’ or devotion through the emotion of friendship.