Archive · 17 Jun 2025
Jagannath Rath Yatra: A Guide to the Festival of Chariots
Imagine a huge parade with giant, colorful wooden cars carrying important figures like a king and his siblings!
Every year in a special town in India, millions of people come to see this parade called the Rath Yatra.
The parade celebrates a journey these figures take to their birthplace, and it happens at a specific time of year based on an old calendar.
The parade is very colorful with three different cars for each figure, each with its own look and feel.
It's a big deal for the people there, and they all gather to watch the procession.
Millions participate in the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha.
The festival occurs on the second day of Shukla Paksha in Ashadha, according to the Odia calendar.
Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra travel to their birthplace during the nine-day Yatra.
Three chariots, Nandighosha, Taladhwaja, and Darpadalana, carry the deities.
The Rath Yatra begins on June 27, with Baripada hosting the second most popular event.
- Who
- Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and devotees.
- What
- Jagannath Rath Yatra, a chariot festival.
- When
- Annually, beginning on June 27 this year.
- Where
- Puri, Odisha, India and Baripada.
- Why
- To celebrate the deities' journey and honor tradition.
- Festival Name
- Jagannath Rath Yatra
- Location
- Puri, Odisha, India
- Deities
- Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra
- Chariot of Jagannath
- Nandighosha (red and yellow, 16 wheels)
- Chariot of Balabhadra
- Taladhwaja (red and green, 14 wheels)
- Chariot of Subhadra
- Darpadalana (red and black, 12 wheels)
- Second Popular Event
- Baripada