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Ratha Yatra (Puri)
Hindu Odia chariot festival dedicated to the deity Jagannath / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ratha Yatra of Puri, also rendered as the Ratha Jatra (Odia: ରଥଯାତ୍ରା, lit. 'chariot festival') (/ˈrʌθə ˈjɑːtrɑː/, Odia pronunciation: [ɾɔt̪ʰɔ dʒat̪ɾa]), is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival celebrated annually, on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh (June–July).[2][3] The festival is held at the city of Puri, in the state of Odisha, India and associated with the deity Jagannath (a form of Vishnu or Krishna).[2] During the festival, three deities (Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra) are drawn by a multitude of devotees in three massive, wooden chariots on bada danda (the grand avenue) to Gundicha Temple whereby they reside there for a week and then return to the Jagnannath temple. This return trip is referred to as the Bahuda Yatra.[2][4]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Rue-puri.jpg/640px-Rue-puri.jpg)
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Ratha Yatra of Puri | |
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![]() Three chariots of the deities with the temple in the background, Puri | |
Also called | Ghosha Jātrā |
Observed by | Hindu |
Type | Religious |
Begins | Āshādha Shukla Dvitiyā |
Ends | Āshādha Shukla Dashami |
2023 date | 20 June |
2024 date | 7 July, Sunday |
2025 date | 27 June, Friday[1] |
Frequency | annual |
![Nandighosa Ratha during Covid-19](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Taladwoja_Chariot_during_Covid-19.jpg/640px-Taladwoja_Chariot_during_Covid-19.jpg)
![Chariot is under construction](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Ratha_Yatra_Chariot_is_under_construction.jpg/640px-Ratha_Yatra_Chariot_is_under_construction.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Naveen_Patnaik_%28FB%29_09.jpg/640px-Naveen_Patnaik_%28FB%29_09.jpg)
On the way, the chariot of Jagannatha, Nandighosa (ନନ୍ଦିଘୋଷ) waits near the crematorium of Bhakta Salabega (ଭକ୍ତ ସାଲବେଗ), a Muslim devotee, to pay him tribute.
On their way back from the Gundicha Temple, the three deities stop for a while near the Mausi Maa Temple (Aunt's abode) and have an offering of the Poda Pitha, which is a special type of pancake supposed to be the deity's favourite. After a stay of seven days, the deities return to their abode.