Rath Yatra is the chariot procession of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra at Puri in Odisha. Every year, on the second day of the bright half of Ashadha, the three deities are brought out of the Jagannath temple and carried in enormous wooden chariots along the Grand Avenue, the Bada Danda, to the Gundicha temple about three kilometres away. It is one of the oldest and best known processions in India, and it draws crowds of lakhs.
Month and tithi
The festival is the Shukla Dwitiya of Ashadha, described on the Dwitiya page. Both calendars name the bright fortnight the same way.
The festival at Puri
The three chariots are rebuilt every year from specific woods by a hereditary group of carpenters. Jagannath’s is called Nandighosha, Balabhadra’s is Taladhwaja and Subhadra’s is Darpadalana, each with its own colours and number of wheels. Before the procession, the king of Puri, as the first servant of the deity, sweeps the chariot platform with a golden broom in a ritual called Chhera Pahanra.
The deities rest at the Gundicha temple for nine days and return in the Bahuda Yatra. Before that, in the weeks leading up to it, they are bathed in the Snana Yatra on Jyeshtha Purnima and are then kept out of public view during the Anasara period. The sacred bodies are made of wood and are renewed on a longer cycle that the temple determines. The temple of Jagannath at Puri is one of the four Char Dham sites; see Char Dham.
Rath Yatra worldwide
Rath Yatra is also kept in cities around the world, led by ISKCON centres and by Odia and Gujarati communities. Chariot festivals are held in London, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Melbourne, Nairobi and many other places, often on the weekend nearest the day, with kirtan, a procession and free food. The dates in the table are those of the astronomical day for each city, and local events are often on the nearest Saturday or Sunday.
How the date is fixed
The rule used here follows Drik Panchang: the festival is on the civil day on which Dwitiya is in force at sunrise. The Puri temple administration announces the date for the official procession, and it may fix a day by its own panchang. If you plan to travel to Puri, follow the temple’s own announcement.
Why cities differ
The tithi starts and ends at the same moment worldwide, but sunrise happens at a different time in each city. A Dwitiya that ends shortly after sunrise in one city may have ended before sunrise in another, so the festival can fall a day apart between countries. The table shows each city’s result, and the any-city tool gives yours.
What people do at home
Many families pray before an image of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, sing the Jagannath Ashtakam, and offer simple sweets. Joining a local chariot pull is considered an act of devotion in itself, since everyone, of any background, takes hold of the ropes. The festival’s central idea is that the deity comes out of the temple to meet everyone.
A calm note
If you attend a large procession, take care in the crowd and in the heat, drink water, and keep young children close. If a trip is not possible, a lamp and a quiet prayer at home are a full observance. Follow your own temple or community for the day.