The Ratha Yatra (Car Festival) of Lord Jagannatha at Puri is the most important festival of Orissa, which attracts pilgrims from all over India. Annually, on the second day of the bright fortnight of Asadha, the images of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra are dragged forth in a grand procession on three separate chariots along the broad street (Bada danda) from the Sri Mandir to the Gundica temple. For its profound religious fervour, magnificence and display of colour, the car festival of Lord Jagannath is perhaps the most spectacular religious ceremony in the world.
The concept of the chariot as the vehicle of gods is as old as the Rigveda. The chariot is specially associated with the sun-god. The car festival or the ritual procession of deities in chariots was known in the early period. While classifying the chariot, the Arthasastra of Kautilya (4th century B.C.) speaks of chariots used by gods. In the 5th century A.D., the Chinese pilgrim Fahien reported the car festival of Buddha at Khotan and Pataliputra. The Jaina sources mention the car festival of Tirthafikaras. In Orissa, the chariot festival of Lord Liiigaraja is celebrated in Bhubaneswar on the Asokastami day in the month of Caitra. The car festival of goddess Viraja is celebrated at Jajpur in the month of Asvina. Thus, the car festival is not peculiar to Puri or to the cult of Jagannatha. Nev¬ertheless, the car festival of Puri is an extraordinary religious event. There is little elsewhere to compare with its splendour and popularity that makes it eternally fascinating and a very satisfying experience for the religious seekers. The fame of the Jagannatha temple through¬out" .the world, is to a large extent, due to the car festival.
The history of the car festival of Jagar+natha, like the history-of the cult, is shrouded in obscurity. There is evidence to suggest that Purusottama-Jagannatha was worshipped in Puri long before the construction of the present temple of Jagannath by Anantavarman Codagarigadeva in the 12th century. The existence of the three divinities i.e. Purusottama, Balabhadra and Subhadra during the 12th century has been attested by epigraphic evidence of the Narasimha temple located in the inner courtyard of the Jagannatha temple. It is likely that the car festival was in vogue in the 12th century or even earlier to it. The Anargha Raghava of Murari refers to the Yatra of god Purusottama(l) which may denote the car festival. This drama composed by Murari, is assigned to 10th or 11th century. Hence, we may believe that the car festival was known during that period. With the construction of a grand temple for Jagannath at Puri in the 12th century and other temples subsequently, the fame of Purusottama Jagannatha reached far and wide. During the Gafiga period Jagannatha was honoured as the State Deity of Orissa, and the Gahga monarchs from the time of Anangabhima III (1211-1238 A.D.) regarded themselves as the viceroys of Purusottama-Jagannatha. The Ganga empire was considered as belonging to Purusottama-Jagannatha (Purusottama Samrajya). In such an atmosphere, the car festival of the State Deity Jagannath must have been held on a lavish scale. The sculptural evidence of chariots drawn by people comes from a ruined temple at Dhanmandala (in Cuttack District) which may date back to 13th or 14th century. Those sculptured friezes are now placed in the premises of the Orissa State Museum, Bhubaneswar. The best preserved relief depicts a temple car with the deity placed on a platform, with an arched doorway opening. The ratha is in the form of Orissan pidha temple crowned by an amalakasila and Kalasa. It seems to be supported on 12 wheels of which 6 wheels are visible. In the 13th century, the Sun Temple of Konark was built as a veritable stone chariot with 24 wheels of exceptional workmanship. The visual evidence of chariot in temple art suggests that the car festival has already become popular during the later Ganga period.
Friar Odoric has given an interesting account of the car festival in circa 1321 A.D.
"Annually on the recurrence of the day when that idol was made, the folk of the country come and take it down and put it on a fine chariot; and then the king and queen, and the whole body of the people, join together and draw it forth from the Church with loud singing of songs, and all kinds of music". |
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