The word Ratha is otherwise known as vimana in ancient India. In English, chariot means a four-wheeled pleasure- carriage or a cart used in ancient warfare, or a light four-wheeled carriage with back seats. In ancient epics, like the RAMAYANA and the MAHABHARATA, the Ratha used by Ravana, the mighty demon king of Lanka is well known. Even Bharata went to Citrakuta to bring back Rama in a chariot. The Ratha signifies the royalty or nobility. The ancient kings and queens and noblemen used Ratha or chariot as mode of conveyance. It might be an evolution from the two-wheeled bullock cart which is the genesis of transport system in ancient civilizations.Even in the Indus valley, varieties of model carts and wheels are discovered which signify or attest the above statements.
In the days of the Mahabharata too, the chariot was often used both as a mode of transport as well as a carriage for warfare. But in thp Indian context, the proper definition of Ratha or chariot differs from the English version. In India our chariots are always shown with two wheels drawn usually by two horses. The popular story of Kama's Ratha wheel stuck to earth, as per the curse of Parasurama, his Guru and Arjuna's bid to kill him while he was busy in lifting the wheels from the earth, though a pathetic episode speaks of a chariot having two wheels only. Even Adhirath, the foster-father of Kama was a master chariot-builder in Hastinapur.
There are innumerable references of mrgaya, the pleasure hunting trip of the kings and noblemen in ancient India on chariots. Even king Santanu and king Dusmanta came in contact with their respective beloveds i.e. Satyavati and Sankuntala during such sojourn on chariot through the woodland.
In the Krisna legend, we get reference of Krisna's journey from Mathura to Dvaraka on chariot. Even in ancient Assyrian sculpture the two-wheeled chariot is depicted with a bearded Royal person in hunting posture now preserved in Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay.
The tradition continued in unbroken sequence and chariots became popular in Indian society. Even in the Bauddha Jataka or jn the life-history of Buddha we came across.with the reference of chariot, Kumar Siddhartha's journey round the city seated on a chariot drawn by horses and driven by a charioteer.
The sculptural depiction of chariot is also available in the Buddhist art at Amaravati and Sarichi and Bodhgaya of the 2nd century B.C. Even in Karla and Bodhgaya the depictions of the sun'god drawn by a chariot with the usual wheel and horses are interesting art-objects of the pre-Christian Era.
The Chinese pilgrim Fa-hien in his account Fo-Ku-Ki had men¬tioned about elaborate Ratha Yatra performed by the Buddhist com¬munity at Khotan and Pataliputra. The chariot of Khotan was having four wheels. The height of the chariot is45 to 50 feet decorated with silken clothes and banner. Inside, on a raised platform, the images of Buddha and Bodhisattva were installed and when the Ratha moved through the streets, people in thousands used to worship or adore them with great religious devotion including the king, queen and nobles etc.
Even in Pataliputra, Fa-hien had seen the Ratha yatra. The Rathas are usually constructed on four wheels with bamboo- made super structure covered with silken and colourful clothes and banners, having the sJaaps of a 'tope'. Unlike Khotan, in Pataliputra, the number of Ratha sometimes went up to 20 while processions were taken out.
Some scholars believed that the Ratha Yatra might have originated from the age old practice followed by Buddhist monks—that is their return to monastery or cave for the four months of the rainy days 'Varsa visa. According to Prof. J. Stevenson - "The Ratha Yatra just immediately preceding the Sayana Ekadasi on seasons of sacred is probably the remains of a triumphant entry with which the sages welcome on return from their peregrinations to hold the Wasso. |
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