Rath Yatra of Puri Symbol of Cultural Unity

Puri region of Odisha in South India, which is also known as 'Purushottam Puri', 'Shankh Kshetra' and 'Shri Kshetra', is the main lilabhoomi of Lord Shri Jagannathji. Shri Jagannathji is considered the main deity of Utkal Pradesh. The belief of Vaishnavism here is that Shri Jagannathji himself is the symbol of the couple idol of Radha and Shri Krishna. The whole world has originated from this symbolic form of Shri Jagannath. Shri Jagannathji is the Supreme Lord and Shri Krishna is a form of his art. Such a belief is of the Pancha Sakhas, the disciples of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
The Rath Yatra of Purna Paratpar Bhagwan Shri Jagannathji starts at Jagannathpuri on Ashada Shukla Dwitiya. This Rath Yatra is also the main festival of Puri. Lakhs of children, old men, youth and women come from far off places of the country and abroad to take part in it and to benefit from its darshan.
Attainment of Salvation
The importance of Rath Yatra has been accepted in the scriptures and Puranas as well. It is clearly said in Skanda Purana that the person who reaches Gundicha Nagar in the Rath Yatra chanting the name of Shri Jagannathji, becomes free from rebirth. The person who rolls around in the dust and mud of the road while paying obeisance to Shri Jagannathji, goes directly to the supreme abode of Lord Shri Vishnu. The person who sees Sri Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra Devi seated on the chariot in the Gundicha Mandap while going south, attains salvation.
Pride of Mahaprasad
At the forefront of the rath yatra is Shri Balram on Taladhwaj, followed by Mata Subhadra and Sudarshan Chakra on Padmadhwaj chariot and at last Shri Jagannathji walks on Garudhwaj or Nandighosh chariot. By evening all these three reach the temple. The next day the deity gets down from the chariot and enters the temple and stays there for seven days. The darshan of Shri Jagannathji during these nine days in the Gundicha temple is called Aadap-Darshan. Prasad of Shri Jagannathji is considered as Mahaprasad, while Prasad of other pilgrimages is generally called Prasad. Prasad of Shri Jagannathji got the form of Mahaprasad by Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharyaji.
It is said that to test the loyalty of Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, when he reached Puri on the day of his Ekadashi fast, someone gave Prasad in the temple itself. Mahaprabhu spent day after day singing praises with Prasad in hand. The next day, on Dwadashi, that Prasad was received at the tomb of Stavan and that Prasad got the glory of Mahaprasad.
Boon to Devarshi Narad
In the Rath Yatra of Shri Jagannathji, Lord Shri Krishna is not accompanied by Radha or Rukmini but by Balarama and Subhadra. His legend goes something like this:
In Dwarka, while sleeping with sages like Shri Krishna, Rukmini, etc., one night suddenly Radhe-Radhe was uttered in his sleep. The queens were surprised. On waking up, Shri Krishna did not allow his feelings to be revealed, but Rukmini talked to other queens that there is a gopkumari named Radha in Vrindavan, whom the Lord has not called even after so much service, loyalty and devotion by all of us. Mata Raihani knew very well about Radha's mysterious raas-leelas with Shri Krishna. All the queens pleaded to get information from him. At first Mata Raihani wanted to avoid it, but on the stubbornness of the queens, she said that it is okay. 'Listen! Put Subhadra on guard first, no one should be able to come inside. Even if it is not Balram or Shri Krishna?'
As soon as Mata Rohini started the story, Shri Krishna and Balram were suddenly seen coming towards the inner city. Subhadra stopped him at the door after giving him a valid reason. Shri Krishna and Balram both heard the talk of Shri Krishna and Radha's Rasleela from Anthapur. By listening to him, wonderful love started emerging in every part of Shri Krishna and Balram. At the same time, Subhadra also started getting emotional. The condition of all the three was such that even after looking carefully, the hands and feet etc. of none were clearly visible. Sudarshan Chakra melted. He assumed a long shape. It was a glorious scene of greatness of Mata Radhika. All three of them were undone by the sudden arrival of Narad. It was Narada who prayed to Lord Shri Bhagwan that O Lord, the idol form in which I have seen all four of you, may always remain beautiful on the earth for the darshan of common people and Mahaprabhu also said 'Athasta'.
Start of Rath Yatra
It is said that King Indradyumna, who lived with his family near Nilanchal Sagar (Odisha), saw a huge wooden stick in the sea. Vishwakarmaji himself presented himself in the form of an old carpenter as soon as the king decided to get the Vishnu idol made from him. He put a condition for making the idol that no one should come to the house where I will make the idol till the idol is completely made. The king accepted it. At the place where Shri Jagannathji's temple is today, he started making idols in a house near the same place. The relatives of the king did not know who the old carpenter was. When the door of the house was closed for many days, the queen thought that how would that old carpenter be able to work without eating and drinking? By now he must be alive or must have died. The queen made the king aware of her doubt. The old carpenter was nowhere to be found when the Maharaja opened the doors, but half-made wooden idols of Shri Jagannath, Subhadra and Balarama were found there.
The king and the queen became sad, but at the same moment both of them heard a voice from the sky, 'Don't be sad in vain, we want to remain in this form. Get the idols purified with liquid etc. and installed. Even today those incomplete and unclear idols are decorated and revered in Purushottam Puri's rath yatra and temple.
For the purpose of fulfilling the wish of Mata Subhadra to visit Dwarka, the Rath Yatra was conducted by Shri Krishna and Balram sitting in separate chariots. This Rath Yatra takes place every year in Puri to commemorate the visit of Mata Subhadra to the city. Like Holi, Deepawali, Dussehra, Rakshabandhan, Eid, Christmas, Baisakhi, the major festivals that take place throughout the year in the whole of India, the Rath Yatra festival of Puri is also important. Despite being the main festival of Puri, this Rath Yatra festival is celebrated with devotion and love in almost all the cities across India. Those who are not able to participate in the Rath Yatra of Puri, they participate in the Rath Yatra of their city. The cultural and mythological scene that is present in this festival of Rath Yatra is seen by almost all the countrymen from the perspective of harmony, brotherhood and unity. The importance of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' is automatically reflected by the reverence and devotion with which all the people sit together in the Puri temple and receive the Mahaprasad of Shri Jagannathji. People consider themselves blessed by enthusiastically pulling the chariot of Shri Jagannathji. This rath yatra of Shri Jagannathpuri is seen as an important link of cultural unity and natural harmony.