Rath Yatra Festival
on Jane in India (India), 12/Jul/2011 17:46, 34 days ago
The weekend before last was Rath Yatra / Chariot festival in Puri. Lord Jagannath is one of the biggest Hindu Gods, and the most important in Orissa (he's like the Shahrukh Khan of Gods in Orissa). The oldest and most famous Jagannath deity (wooden statue) is in the temple in Puri, a very sacred spot for Hindu pilgrimages. Rath Yatra is an annual event when Lord Jagannath comes out of the temple to go to his Aunty's house with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. So every year thousands of pilgrims flock to Puri to see the the deities and to pull the massive wooden chariots. It is the only time of year when non-Hindus like me can see Lord Jagannath, as we aren't allowed into the temple other times of the year. The festival is celebrated all around India, and even around the world (apparently they celebrate in Soho Square in London).the three chariots waiting to be pulled through the streetscarrying Lord Balabhadra to his chariotOne million people descended on Puri for this year's festival. We got balcony viewing tickets to watch the goings-ons from a safe distance– a great spot right behind the chariots and beside the temple. We were up at the painful hour of 5am (after going to bed at 2..) to get our seats and spent the whole day there watching the processions as people carried Jagannath& his brother and sister to their personal chariots, along with their rugs, jewellery and clothes etc. People from the crowd took their places along the rope and pulled the chariots through the sea of people, down the road to their Aunt's house (Gundicha Temple). It was an amazing sight:There are casualties and fatalities every year. I've heard different numbers from different people, but the papers reported that 3 died in separate festivals in Orissa this year - two of them young boys who were dragged under the wheels of the chariots. In the past people would throw themselves under the wheels as it is believed your soul will go directly to heaven...I was glad not to be down in the mosh pit– where it's apparently grope-central, not a pleasant experience for a woman, especially a foreign one. The police weren't shy with their batons on the crowd, and at one point a stampede broke out when the crowd started throwing their shoes at the police (the ultimate insult in Indian culture). The sea of bodies rushed backwards in a big stampede, leaving the ground covered in shoes.Today, 9 days later, holiday is over and Jagannath and his brother and sister returned back from their Aunt's house, to the main temple where they are adorned with real gold.While I was in my staff meeting on Saturday there was a book on the table about Lord Jagannath, so I read up on some facts:Lord Jagannath is believed to be a reincarnation of Lord VishnuHe is the Lord of the Universe (appears in many forms - in Puri as Jagannath)The beliefs surounding the Jagannath cult are about bringing all castes, creeds and religions together, about brotherhood and love& respect for all human beings (I find it ironic that non-Hindus are not allowed to enter the Jagannath temple in Puri if this is the case..)ISKON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (i.e. the Hare Krishnas) are devotees of Krishna, and hence Lord Jagannath. There were lots of Western Hare Krishnas wandering around Puri recentlyLord Jagannath is a very human-God. Every day he goes through a regimented routine from 5am to midnight, involving bathing, getting dressed, eating 56 varieties of food, bedtime....By this I mean in the temple there are a team of people whose job it is to feed, bathe and dress a large wooden statue that looks like a cartoon, EVERY SINGLE DAY - what people do for religion!!brother Balabhadra, sister Subhadra and Lord Jagannath - these three are a common sight around OrissaAll in all, a great experience to witness Rath Yatra and be amongst a million Indians in their excitement and devotion of their beloved Hindu God.