June 24: Rath Yatra – A festival to worship Karishna

June 24: Rath Yatra – A festival to worship Karishna
Posted in Festivals in July, Festivals in June, Hindu Festivals on 20. Jun, 2009
Rath Yatra, a major Hindu festival is celebrated with zeal in the Eastern state of Orissa in the Puri District. The festival commemorates the memories of Karishna’s return to his native town, Virndavan, after a long separation from his people. In Hindi Rath means chariot and Yatra means pilgrimage.
This festival is celebrated during the monsoon season between June and July every year. During this festival people worship Lord Karishna, Baladiva and their sister Subhadra. The worship is not limited to the temples, but takes to the streets so that everyone can see the richly decorated chariots. Devotees from all over India and beyond participate in the huge procession with a desire to touch the rope of the chariot. For them it’s a virtuous act. Temple shaped chariots are carried to the Gundicha Temple in a huge procession where devotees play religious songs with drums and tambourines.
The festival gives a unique opportunity to Non-Hindus and foreigners who cannot visit the temples during the routine rituals to get a glance of these chariots. In 2008, approximately 10 million people visited Puri to attend the festivities of Rath Yatra. This year millions of people are expected to gather in Puri to perform their rituals for Rath Yatra.