Chandan Yatra is celebrated as the concluding festival of the cycle comprising a range of religious festivals during the festival of Rath Yatra Puri. This festival starts from Akshyaya Trutiya and takes twenty-one days to last. In accord with its name – Chandan Festival – its inseparable constituents are sandal (chandan) paste and water. The festival is celebrated in the month of Baisakh, in extremely hot summertime, making sandal paste and water essential to keep you cool.

In the Chandan Yatra, the deities are taken out of the temples in procession for a holy patrol in water on floats or boats as it is believed that all the land ceremonies must be ended only after the deities have an aquatic sojourn. The extremely opulently decorated floats or boats of the deities are called 'Chapa'. Generally designed in red and white color, the boats mark their resemblance to huge swans floating on water. The richly celebrated 'float' festivals are very common in most of the temples of Vishnu and Shiva, concluding the prime annual festival depicting a great deal of show-off.

Jagannath Puri temple occupies the foremost position in the catalog of the grandest monuments of Orissa. You find here the splendor of a 12th century temple along with the magnificent aura. The temple is the foremost epicenter for the festival of the Rath Yatra in Puri. Rath Yatra festival is celebrated every year on the 2nd day of Shukla Paksha (waxing cycle of moon) in the month of Asadh, the 3rd month according to the lunar calendar of India. Puri Yatra has always been popular among tourists due to its religious connotation. Every year, they visit Puri and take part in the celebrations with full of enthusiasm.

The Rath Yatra or Chariot festival, one of the much-awaited Hindu festivals, honors the Lord Jagannath’s visit along with his siblings – lord Balbhadra and deity Shubhadra – to the temple of Queen Gundicha. As many as three new splendid chariots are created for the elegant Puri Yatra (the journey) of the Gods – Lord Jagannath and his siblings – every year.

On the graceful day of Rath Yatra Puri, when these 45-feet high idols are pulled by millions of devotees came here from all over the world. During the Rath Yatra Puri, the caravan of Lord Jagannath, on the way, stops at their maternal aunt’s place – Mausima temple – to take the meal of sweet pan cakes, Jagannath’s favorite dish as said. The bejeweled chariots come back to the temple in the same way. During his journey, Lord Jagannath is accompanied also by the celestial wheel called Sudarshan Chakra.

Tour operators every year hold the Puri Rath Yatra Festival Tour in the country, in a big way. Tourists from home country and abroad participate in Rath Yatra Tour, in large number. Puri Rath Yatra will be celebrated on Friday, 1 July 2022. You can choose the best package from the variety of Puri tour packages they are offering for the upcoming Rath Yatra Tour.