Jagannath Rath Yatra began in Puri, Odisha

The annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) began on 18 July 2015 at Puri of Odisha. The nine-day-long Rath Yatra will see congregation of more than 50 lakh devotees from India and abroad.

The 2015 celebration of Ratha Yatra is the Millennium’s first Nabakalebar Rath Yatra, where all the Lords of Puri Jagannath Temple get new avatar after nineteen years.

The nine-day yatra is taken out to worship the 12th century shrine of Lord Jagannath.

The Odisha government has made all effort to ensure a smooth conduct of the grand festival.

During the Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will be brought out of the temple and will be taken to Gundicha temple, the place of their aunt's house, which is the feminine creative aspect of divinity.

During the journey, the chariots on which the deities are carried will be pulled by thousands of devotees. The three deities will stay in the Gundicha temple for a week and then return.

The Return Rath Yatra (Bahuda Jatra) from Gundicha temple will take place on 26 July 2015.

Besides Puri, the 138th annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath also began in Ahmadabad. Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel performed the 'Pahind-rituals’ the symbolic path cleaning on chariot of Lord Jagannath at temple.

Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra is being carried on for more than one thousand years and has not changed at all in these years. The Rath Yatra is celebrated by Hindus between June-July every year on the second day of Sukla Paksha (waxing cycle of moon) in the month of Ashadh.

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