Ratha Yatra (World Largest Holy Gathering), Puri, Orissa, India

Ratha Yatra is a Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Odisha, India. It is the oldest Ratha Yatra taking place in India and the World, whose descriptions can be found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana and Kapila Samhita.This annual festival is celebrated on Ashadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya (second day in bright fortnight of Ashadha month). RathaYatra is a colorful festival which draws millions of devotees from various parts of the country as well as from abroad to Puri, is held in June-July every year. Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe, comes out of His sanctum sanctorum to give Darshan to all Devotees belonging to all sects and communities. It is said that those who take part in the Car Festival 2015 earn their passage to the Heaven.

The festival commemorates Jagannath's annual visit to Gundicha Temple via Mausi Maa Temple (maternal aunt's home) near Saradha Bali, Puri. The three chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhdra are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. They are customarily brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privileges for the same. The logs are traditionally set afloat as rafts in the river Mahanadi. These are collected near Puri and then transported by road.

The three chariots are decorated as per the unique scheme prescribed and followed for centuries stand on the Bada Danda, the Grand Avenue. The chariots are lined across the wide avenue in front of the temple close to its eastern entrance, which is also known as the Sinhadwara or the Lion's Gate. Around each of the chariots are nine Parsva devatas, painted wooden images representing different deities on the chariots' sides. Each chariot has a charioteer (Sarathi) and four horses.

'SnanaPumima' marks the beginning of this festival. On this day the three deities Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra take prolonged bath on an open platform known as 'SnanaBedi', Then they retire for 15 days popularly called the period of 'Anabasara' and remain in isolation. During this period, no public worship is performed. After 15 days of isolation, the Gods come out of the temple in a colourful procession to board their respective Chariots and thereafter begins the journey known as RathaJatra.

Reference to Car Festival in JagannathaPuri is available in various scriptures like those of Buddhists. Jains and Hindus. However, the present concept of Lord Jagannath is most popular. According to the prevailing concept, Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped by Savaras a Scheduled Tribe of Odisha.Car Festival symbolizes the Lord's desire to come out of the temple for a brief period to give Darshan to the 'Patitas' and redeem them. The chariots of Lord Jagannath and His brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are dragged by thousands of devotees in three gorgeously decorated chariots from the main gate of the temple to GundichaMandir near about 3 Kms. away. At Gundicha Mandirthe Lord along with His entourage remains for 7 days.

When the chariots move on the main thoroughfare  of Puri known as BadaDanda through a vast concourse of humanity that  usually throng to have His Darshan, the atmosphere is charged with sanctity. It is delightful to  witness the foreigners in saffron robes dancing and reciting musical compositions in  honour of Lord Jagannath and Krishna, to the accompaniment of cymbals and  mridangas.

The Gods perform their Return Journey on the 9th day and   this is known as Bahudayatra. The deities, after a seven-day stay at 'Gundicha Mandir' commence  their Return Journey, or the Bahuda yatra. On the tenth day of the bright fortnight of Asadlia. The  Return Journey of the chariots takes place in the same order as in the RathaJatra. Balabhadra's  chariot moves first, followed by those of Subhadra and Jagannath. On His way back,  Jagannath slops for a while at Ardhasani temple popularly called MausiMaa Temple or the  Temple of Aunt. He accepts his favourite rice-cake, PodaPitha from the  Aunt.

The three chariots, pulled by thousands of devotees, reach back the Singhadwara in the late afternoon of the Bahuda day. On the next day the BadaEkadasi, the three deities are attired in costumes of glittering gold ornaments and are worshipped by lakhs of devotees. This form of the deities Is known as the 'SunaVesha'. On the Dwadasi day, the three deities go back to their original place of the temple, the 'RatnaSinghasana', in the Pahandi style. Their arrival into the sanctum sanctorum marks the end of the RathaJatra, the grand festival of chariots.