The world-famous rath Yatra (Car Festival) of Lord Jagannath at Puri is the most spectacular event of the Jagannathdesh Orissa that attracts pilgrims from far and wide. The festival is observed on the second day of the bright fortnight of Asadha (June-July) every year. This year, Rath Yatra is scheduled on 12 July. The fame and popularity of "the Lord of the Universe: Jagannath" both among the foreigners and the Hindu world are largely due to the car-festival with its three cars which carry Lord Jagannath and his divine Sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra, from their bada danda (great temple) through Puri's bada dander (grand road) to the Gundicha temple, their recreational stay for nine days. On the tenth day of the same fortnight, the deities are carried back to the main temple. According to traditional accounts, Gundicha was the Queen of Maharaja Indradyumna of Avanti in mid-western India. He was the first builder of the massive temple for the Lord soon after the icons of the sacred triad of Puri were fabricated out of a log that was seen floating on the sea near Puri.
About the chariots
The construction of the chariots starts from the day of Akashya Trutiya (Baisakhya Shukla Trutiya). The construction of the chariots are regularly monitored by Administrator of Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri and some other government officials. Three chariots are beautifully decorated with colourful coverings. Since Lord Jagannath is identified with Lord Sri Krishna and since He is called Pitambara (one who wears costumes yellow in colour), a large portion of the external cover of his chariot is yellow. Similarly, Lord Balabhadra is identified with Balaram (the elder brother of Sri Krishna) whose costumes are green, (and who is, therefore, called Nilambara) a large portion of his chariot is green fabrics. The chariot of Subhadra who is predominantly held to be the spouse of Lord Balabhadra alias Shiva has been externally decorated with black fabrics who is compared with the puranic concept of the Durga. The three chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are named as Nandighush, Taladhwaja and Darpadalan respectively. The height of the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are 33 cubits, 32 cubits and 32 cubits respectively and there are 16 wheels in Jagannath chariot, 14wheels in Balabhadra's chariot and 12-wheels in Subhadra's chariot. It is said that the shape of the "roof' of the chariot combines both architectural models similarly and thus unifies by architectural means the main temple of the deity and the three mandapas meant for priests and devotees' on the occasion of the car festival when the Lord of the universe leaves his ratnasimhasan in order to appear to his devotees, the chariot thus transforms the separate temple buildings of the divine palace into one, drawn by devotees from all social strata.
When the chariots rolls down in the grand road of Puri, a state of excitement is seen among the lakhs of devotees. The movement of the chariots starts with the joint efforts of the devotees. Each car is drawn with four ropes by hundred of pilgrims who are further incited by the rythmic sound of the brass gongs beaten by priests standing in two rows on each car. Another fascination of Car festival is chera pahara which is performed by the Raja of Puri. He was called the Gajapati Maharaja also. Chera pahara is held on two days. One on the first day of the festival, when the Lord is taken to his garden house and again on the last day of the festival, when the three deities are ceremoniously taken back to the main temple Srimandir. In these days the Gajapati Maharaja is brought to the chariots to perform the duties of a sweeper. he is dressed like a sweeper on duty in royal palace and he holds in hand a golden broom to clean the space around the deities. This art signifies that there is no distinction between the powerful soveregin King and the lowest of the low. Here Jagannath himself imparts the lesson of humbleness. When Jagannath is taken from the main temple to the Chariot (Pahandi), the Lord ungrudgingly tolerates the kicks, slaps and the derogatory remarks of his devotees. He behaves like a commoner. He protests against the arrogance of Brahmin priests by accepting a coconut from the hands of an untouchable, Dasia by name.
Though car-festivals are celebrated in various parts of the country, Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra has two unique features. Unlike other places, in Puri, new chariots are constructed year and after the celebration of the Rath Yatra, the chariots are demolished. Only the uppermost portions of the chariot (Kalasha), the nine small painted wood carvings and the wooden horses attached to the car are retained to be used again. Secondly, Jagannath culture is more directly associated with kingship than most of India's great places of pilgrimage.
The universal Jagannath cult
Devotees of one cult normally do not accept the godhead of another cult. But here if you would have a casual look at the hundreds of thousands of devotees congregated on the Grand Road on the day of the Car Festival at Puri one can find the Shaivas, the Shaktas, the Ganapatayas, the Pasupatas and even the Buddhists and the Jains adoring Jagannath as their own. So we can't still call Lord Jagannath the deity of a cult.
The Jagannath culture has always played a vital role in the process of socio-cultural integration of this vast country. It expressed the Indian concept of Dharma which aims at continuance of social solidarity and social well-being. Lord Krishna had the same role in Dwaparayuga in the removal and elimination of the evil and maintenance of social good and the unity. Jagannath culture allows all the religious cults in India to come freely and offer prayer in their own manner in the temple of Puri. The vaisnavas regard Jagannath as Lord Vishnu. The Saktas regard Jagannath as Bhairava and Bimala as Bhairabi. The Shaivas and the Ganapatayas regard Jagannath as their own specific deity. Srikshetra Puri" has always fascinated the saints and the seers for the place of meditation and worship. Prominent saints who came to Puri are Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Madhvacharya, Guru Nanak Dev, Sant Tulasi Das and Shri Chaitanya Maharaj. To integrate the Hindu -society Jagat Guru Adi Shankaracharya had established four Peeths, Govardhan Peeth of Puri is one of them. He appointed Acharya Padmapada as the first peethadheesh of Govardhan Peeth. Adi Shankaracharya had written the famous Jagannathastakam.
From historical findings we can say that Jagannath was originally the God of Savaras and later established as the Lord of the Universe by the King of Orissa in a temple at Puri. It was accepted and worshipped by the acharyas of Hindu philosophy and religion. Jagannath culture has been acclaimed to be the perfect expression of Indian culture at its best. Various castes, creeds, customs, traditions, communities and sects are found to be assimilated in Jagannath culture. The Daru-Devata of the Shavaras is very primitive and is loving by identified as Purusottama. The Upanishadic concept of Purusa comes into prominence with the identification of Daru and Purusottam. One of the basic and significant feature of the Jagannath culture is that it is responsible to combine people belonging to different castes and creeds under one common bond of unity. The black colour of Jagannath represents the black races such as the Indians, the Africans and the Negroids etc, and the white colour of Lord Balabhadra represents the colour of white races and Subhadra represents the yellowish Mangolians.
Jagannath culture is a unique culture. Indian culture has reached its culmination in the unique culture of Lord Jagannath before 15th century. It is an all-embracing synthesis of various cultures. The family God of Orissa not only hold a unique place in the history of the land, but in the lives and customs of its people. He is the friend, philosopher, guide and the anchor of the purest thoughts of the people of the entire Universe. He is accepted as the great initial. He is Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Ganesh, Kali Bhairav, Budha and Jaina. He is the deity of the savaged and the civilised, of the rich and poor, of the high and low.
The Mantra of Jagannath is: Om Klim
Krisnaya Govindaya Gopijanavallabhaya Namah. The term Om signifies vedic
pranava and klim is said to be the indication of a tantric tradition. The
point that is emphasised by such composition of vedic pranava and Tantric
klim is perhaps to show that the object of vedic worship is not different
from that of tantras. Further by identifying Vedic Om and Tantric klim
with Krishna, Govinda, etc, an attempt for coordinating the Vedic and Tantric
traditions with Puranic and Vaishnavite traditions are clearly indicated.