Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannatha!

07-02-2000, 11:32 PM

Hare Krsna!

Today is Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannatha in Puri!
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Importance of Jagannatha Ratha Yatra:

Each year the splendidly decorated chariots of Jagannatha, the Lord of the
Universe, roll down the streets of Puri. Their towering red-and-blue silken
canopies rise into the sky as drums and cymbals resound in joyous
celebrations. People young and old, their eyes bright with excitement sing
and dance in the street, as if swimming in an ocean of overwhelming
happiness.

The Ratha-Yatra festival is perhaps the oldest continously celebrated
spiritual festival in the world. As far back as human records and memory
extend, the chariots of Lord Jagannatha have rolled each summer in the town
of Puri on the Bay of Bengal, to the delight of millions of joyous
pilgrims.

Throughout the year, the Deity of Jagannatha is worshipped in a great
temple,the massive stone tower of which dominates the city of Puri. The
Diety is not a mere statue. By His supreme potency, the Supreme Lord agrees
to personally enter the form of Deity, just to accept the loving service of
His devotees. In this sense the Deity is non-different from the Lord
Himself. And once a year Lord Jagannatha comes forth in all His
magnificient splendour to enjoy the Ratha-Yatra parade and show Himself to
all.

Story of how this particular Diety came to be installed in the great temple
of Puri is quite intriguing. Many thousands of years ago, a King name
indradyumna desired to have someone carve special Deity forms of Lord Krsna
and His brother Balarama and sister Subhadra. Visvakarma, an architect and
artist from the heavenly planet, agreed to make the Deities on the
condition that no one would interrupt his work. The King agreed to this
proposal, and Visvakarma set about carving the Deities, working in a locked
room. Once, however, the King, impatient with the slow pace of the work,
entered the room to see how much progress had been made. At that instant,
Visvakarma vanished, leaving three incompletely carved forms. The King,
however, was so pleased that he installed them in a great temple and
worshiped them with great opulence. Each year, he arranged a grand
procession, during which each of the three Deities rode on a large
beautifully decorated cart.

Then 500 years ago, the festival became the centre of the pastimes of Lord
Caitanya, who is Krsna Himself appearing in the guise of a great devotee of
the Lord. Each year Lord Caitanya danced and chanted in the Ratha-Yatra
festival along with His associates.To this day, the followers of Lord
Caitanya eagerly participate in the chariot procession in Puri and others
like it held throughout India, and the Vedic scriptures state that anyone
who sees Lord Jagannatha or pulls His chariots achieves immense spiritual
benefit.

--------------------------------Hari bol-----------------------------------