Rath Yatra is a festival of three chariots, carrying the Lord of the Universe along with Lord Balaram and Devi Subhadra, and walking in the streets of Jagannath Puri. It has been celebrated for the last 2,000 years, or even more years in India. Let’s figure out the reason behind the millions of gathering in Puri, during the Rath Yatra.

Why We Celebrate Ratha Yatra ?

In Jagannath Puri, it is a rule that non-Hindus cannot enter the temple. So, this festival provides an opportunity for non-Hindus to take a glance at Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, and Devi Subhadra. Every man, woman, and child of any religion can take part in pulling the ropes and walking the chariots through all the streets of Puri. It is a divine gesture of Lord Krishna for his beloved devotees.

Pulling the three chariots symbolizes welcoming the Lord of the universe into everyone’s heart. But to welcome the Lord, you need to purify your heart with love and devotion. Thus, festivals like Ratha Yatra remind us continuously to develop devotion in our hearts so that one day we can welcome the Lord into our hearts.

This festival is also a message that the Lord doesn’t differentiate between Hindus and non-Hindus when it comes to devotion. The Lord himself walks with his devotees, desiring to get their love and bring mercy upon them.

Easy Ways to Take Part

Approximately 1.5 million people attend the Rath Yatra festival each year in Puri. With such a large crowd, it is difficult for everyone to seek the darshan of Lord Jagannath. But there’s a way to do so, one can join the Rath Yatra organized by the ISCKON every year.

ISCKON is present all over the world- London, New York, Sydney, all parts of India, etc. Here, only one chariot is used to carry the Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, and Devi Subhadra. There are many more ways to engage in the sacred festival of Rath Yatra:

1. Attend the local ISCKON temple in the city or town, or nearby.

2. Help the temple in organizing the festival- the arrangements, decorations, prasadam, etc.

3. Join the group of devotees, take part in Harinam sankirtan

4. Donate to support the temple in organizing the festival resources.

There could be a chance that there is no ISCKON temple nearby, you can still celebrate Rath Yatra at home:-

1. Make little chariots for Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, and Devi Subhadra.

2. Prepare delicious offerings to offer the Lord.

3. Read about the divine pastimes of Lord Jagannath with your family.

4. Consult a devotee and get to know the process of worshipping Lord Jagannath properly.

5. Organize a Harinam Satsang at your home, invite your neighbors, friends, relatives, and at the end of Kirtan, distribute the offered prasadam between the invitees.

Make It a Family Festival

The whole idea of organizing divine festivals like Ratha Yatra is encouraging people towards the ultimate duty, serving the universal Lord. It means the celebrations are not limited to temples, especially the festival of Rath Yatra.

Involving the entire family in celebrating the divine festival of Ratha Yatra is a wonderful idea. The children can engage in preparing a little chariot, the mother can prepare delicious food offerings, and the father can arrange the Hainam sankirtan, inviting people and taking care of the arrangements. In this way, this devotional activity will become a joyful and peaceful activity to do with your family.

Spiritual Benefits of Participating

Rath Yatra isn’t an ordinary festival; it is the emotional outbreak of love for the Lord. Here are the spiritual benefits of participating sincerely in the festival of Rath Yatra:

1. Darshan of the Lord:

Getting a glimpse of the Lord Jagannath on his chariot is as divine as seeing him inside the temple. Here, the Lord walks out on the streets, having a desire to meet his devotees, all around the corner in Jagannath Puri. Just a glance at Lord Jagannath’s lotus eyes, is enough to fill the heart with love and devotion.

2. Karma gets burned:

In the flow of life, everyone tends to make some kind of mistakes, sometimes a crime/ sin. But just a single glance of Lord Jagannath is enough to burn every single mistake/sin. Worshipping the Lord burns the past life's sins as well.

3. Harinaam Sankirtana: A free liberation

Compared to the earlier yugas, where getting liberation was the most difficult task of all. The yogis had to wait years and years in a single position, focusing on the form of the Lord. Yet, there was no guarantee that he would appear before them.

Here, in Kaliyuga, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu mercifully provided us the Hare Krishna Mahamatra to chant and attain liberation/freedom of the soul from every pain and suffering.

4. Service Opportunity:

In the path of devotion, every opportunity is a golden opportunity to serve the Lord, and one should not let it go. Pulling the chariots, chanting the Harinam Sankirtan, is the opportunity to spread the glories of the Lord.

Let the Festival Change You

Rath Yatra is a festival of welcoming the Lord of the Universe into our lives. It shows that if the devotional call continues, the Lord will reside in our lives. But, it is all worthwhile when one sees the festival as a devotional practice, and not as a festival.

Let Lord Jagannath destroy the negativity inside you, and bless you with kindness, love, and the curiosity to devote the Lord. In this way, you will be changed to positive growth and be able to see the world through the transparency of Lord Krishna’s mercy.

Final Words

Now, you must have got the idea about how special Ratha Yatra is for every soul. It is a once-a-year gift of Lord Krishna for his dearer souls to seek his darshan and be liberated from every sorrow. Let’s not miss this chance to serve the Lord with our capabilities- cooking, cleaning, and other preparations for celebrating the entire festival.

May this upcoming Rath Yatra, or the invitation to the eternity, reach your heart and your loved one’s heart. Jay Jagannatha, Jay Balaram, Jay Devi Subhadra!