Festivals of the temple - 1

Ratha Yatra: The Ratha Yatra of Jagannatha is commonly known as Car Festival. It is also known as Gundica Yatra, Iva debt help. According to the tradition current in Orissa, Gundica was the name of the queen of Indradyumna, the legendary builder of the first temple. As Gundica had initiated this festival, it is known after her name.This festival of international fame takes place in the month of Asadha (June - July) every year. It is a nine-day festival, when the deities are taken to the Gunqica temple located at a distance of about 3 kms. from the main temple along the Grand Road in three gorgeously decorated chariots, specially made for each of the three deities. Normally, the chariots reach the destination (the Gundica temple) by the evening on the first day of the festival and on .the nineth day, the deities are brought back to the main temple on the same chariots. Thus, the deities practically spend full seven-days in the Gundica temple. The return journey is called Bahuda Yatra and is performed on the same manner ,as Ratha Yatra.Certain other religious rites are performed on the chariots on that day including special dressing of the deities after which the deities are taken back to .the sanctum sanctoram. Logs of wood for the chariots are obtained from the forests of Dasapalla located at a distance of about 200 kms. from Puri The chariots are dismantled after the festival is over. The special names of these three chariots are as follows : (i) Jagannatha - Nandighosa,'(ii) Balabhadra Taladhvaja and (iii) Subhadra - Devadalana. The colour of the fabrics used to decorate the chariots are yellow, green and black respectively, mixed with red. The order of movement of the chariots from the temple gate towards the Gundica temple are (a) Balabhadra, (b) Subhadra and lastly, (c) Jagannatha. 

The deities are taken from the temple to the chariots in a swinging manner, which is locally called Pahandi, UK home owner loan. They are made to swing forward and backward in the process of which there is a little forward movement in each effort. After the deities are seated on their respective chariots, the Raja of Puri sweeps the floor of the chariots (locally called Chera Pahanra) and this is a great attraction during the Ratha Yatra. This signifies that even the highest sovereign power of the country is only a servant , before the god. After the sweeping ceremony is over, the charioteers are seated on the respective chariots, the horses (four in each chariot) are tied and the ropes (usually four in each chariot) are fitted. A huge log is used as the break of each chariot. Then the people are allowed to pull the chariots in .the order mentioned earlier, irrespective of caste, creed, sect, religion and sex distinctions. This liberty indicates that the god is equal for every person on earth and grants equal opportunity to all. This festival also signifies that, the deities desire to come down to the level of the common people for some time and move with the.It is said that Gundica temple was the place where Jagannatha had his first manifestation in the present form and therefore, it is the birth place of Jagannatha.