Jagannath Rath Yatra 2023: Preparations in Full Swing for the Grand Festival

Jagannath Rath Yatra Preparations Underway

Preparations for the Jagannath Rath Yatra are in full swing, with the festival set to commence on June 27, followed by the Return Car Festival, known as 'Bahuda Jatra', on July 5. The construction of three enormous chariots for the Holy Trinity – Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath, and Goddess Subhadra – is currently taking place at the Puri Jagannath Temple.

During this festival, devotees pull the three deities – Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra – in massive wooden chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they will stay for a week before returning to the Jagannath Temple. A worker involved in the chariot construction expressed, “We are in the final stages of work. The decoration of the chariot is ongoing. Our efforts will be rewarded when Mahaprabhu takes his seat. This is a proud moment for us, as we do this every year.”

On Friday, a multi-agency mock drill was conducted at Dharamshala, located in front of the Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, to evaluate emergency preparedness and coordination. Puri Superintendent of Police, Vineet Agarwal, stated that this drill involved 11 agencies to assess the readiness of security forces for potential emergencies. He noted, “This was an intervention exercise aimed at evaluating our teams' preparedness for anti-terrorist actions.”

Earlier this week, the sacred bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, took place during Snana Purnima in Puri. The deities were ceremonially bathed with 108 pitchers of holy water, marking an important lead-up to the grand Rath Yatra. This celebration, also referred to as the Chariot Festival of Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra, is one of the most significant Hindu festivals in Puri, Odisha, occurring annually on the second day of Shukla Paksha in June or July.

Every year, new chariots are constructed for the festival. The Rath Yatra in Puri is characterized by vibrant colors, joyful faces, bustling shops, and cheerful artisans, making it a grand celebration outside the Jagannatha Temple.