Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannatha!

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Hare Krsna!

 

Today is Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannatha in Puri!

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Importance of Jagannatha Ratha Yatra:

 

Each year the splendidly decorated chariots of Jagannatha, the Lord of the

Universe, roll down the streets of Puri. Their towering red-and-blue silken

canopies rise into the sky as drums and cymbals resound in joyous

celebrations. People young and old, their eyes bright with excitement sing

and dance in the street, as if swimming in an ocean of overwhelming

happiness.

 

The Ratha-Yatra festival is perhaps the oldest continously celebrated

spiritual festival in the world. As far back as human records and memory

extend, the chariots of Lord Jagannatha have rolled each summer in the town

of Puri on the Bay of Bengal, to the delight of millions of joyous

pilgrims.

 

Throughout the year, the Deity of Jagannatha is worshipped in a great

temple,the massive stone tower of which dominates the city of Puri. The

Diety is not a mere statue. By His supreme potency, the Supreme Lord agrees

to personally enter the form of Deity, just to accept the loving service of

His devotees. In this sense the Deity is non-different from the Lord

Himself. And once a year Lord Jagannatha comes forth in all His

magnificient splendour to enjoy the Ratha-Yatra parade and show Himself to

all.

 

Story of how this particular Diety came to be installed in the great temple

of Puri is quite intriguing. Many thousands of years ago, a King name

indradyumna desired to have someone carve special Deity forms of Lord Krsna

and His brother Balarama and sister Subhadra. Visvakarma, an architect and

artist from the heavenly planet, agreed to make the Deities on the

condition that no one would interrupt his work. The King agreed to this

proposal, and Visvakarma set about carving the Deities, working in a locked

room. Once, however, the King, impatient with the slow pace of the work,

entered the room to see how much progress had been made. At that instant,

Visvakarma vanished, leaving three incompletely carved forms. The King,

however, was so pleased that he installed them in a great temple and

worshiped them with great opulence. Each year, he arranged a grand

procession, during which each of the three Deities rode on a large

beautifully decorated cart.

 

Then 500 years ago, the festival became the centre of the pastimes of Lord

Caitanya, who is Krsna Himself appearing in the guise of a great devotee of

the Lord. Each year Lord Caitanya danced and chanted in the Ratha-Yatra

festival along with His associates.To this day, the followers of Lord

Caitanya eagerly participate in the chariot procession in Puri and others

like it held throughout India, and the Vedic scriptures state that anyone

who sees Lord Jagannatha or pulls His chariots achieves immense spiritual

benefit.

 

--------------------------------Hari bol--