The Puri Rath Yatra is the centuries-old annual chariot festival of Lord Jagannath at Puri, Odisha, in which the deities are pulled in procession through the town on elaborately decorated wooden chariots.

Basic Details

Also Known As: Ratha Yatra / Gundicha Yatra.
Location: Puri, Odisha, centred on the Shree Jagannath Temple.
Managed By: The Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA), a statutory body constituted under the Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1954 (Odisha).
Observed: Annually, typically in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June-July), on the second day of the bright fortnight (Dwitiya).
Deities in Procession: Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, each on a separate chariot built afresh every year.

Salient Features

The Three Chariots: Nandighosha (Jagannath), Taladhwaja (Balabhadra) and Darpadalana (Subhadra) are built each year from scratch by traditional artisan families. They use specified types of wood, following rituals and measurements passed down through generations.
Route: The deities are pulled from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, about 3 km away, where they stay for about a week before the return journey (Bahuda Yatra).
Chhera Pahara Ritual: The Gajapati King of Puri ceremonially sweeps the chariots with a golden broom before the procession begins. The ritual symbolises that all devotees, irrespective of social status, are equal before the deity.
Religious Inclusivity: Devotees of every caste and background are permitted to pull the chariot ropes, historically making the festival a marker of social inclusion.
Global Footprint: Replica Rath Yatras are organised by ISKCON and Jagannath devotee communities in cities worldwide.

Significance

One of India's oldest and largest living religious traditions, combining ritual, craftsmanship, music, dance and mass community participation in a single festival.
The chariot-building tradition sustains specialised hereditary craftsmanship — carpentry, woodwork, textile and metal work — unique to Puri.
A major driver of religious tourism and the local economy of Puri and coastal Odisha.