Jagannath Rath Yatra, which will begin on 27 June 2025 in Puri, Odisha, is a very sacred and historic festival of Hinduism. On this day, the tradition of a grand Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra begins from the Jagannath Temple in Puri to the Gundicha Temple. This Yatra lasts for 9 days and various religious rituals, festivals and traditions are performed during this period.
🕉️ Important dates and rituals of Rath Yatra
Jagannath Rath Yatra will begin on 27 June 2025. On this day, the second day of Shukla Paksha will begin at 1:24 pm and will end at 11:19 am. Before the start of the Yatra, the ‘Navajouban Darshan’ ritual will be performed on 26 June, in which the deities are bathed and decorated with new colors. On the first day of the Yatra, the chariots go from the main temple to the Gundicha temple and rest there for seven days. Then they return to the main temple through the ‘Bahuda Yatra’.
🚩 Design and Decoration of the Chariots
There are three main chariots in this Rath Yatra:
Nandighosh (Jagannath Rath): 18 wheels, 45 feet high.
Taldhwaj (Balabhadra Rath): 16 wheels, 44 feet high.
Darpadalan (Subhadra Rath): 14 wheels, 43 feet high.
These chariots are completely made of wood, and new chariots are made every year. Traditional craftsmen play a significant role in decorating the chariots.
🛡️ Security and Management
Significant changes have been made to the security arrangements for this year’s Rath Yatra. For the first time, over 10,000 police personnel, NSG commandos, drones, snipers and artificial intelligence (AI) will be used to manage the crowd. 275 CCTV cameras, 200 police platoons, and central armed forces will be deployed. A chatbot-based app has been launched to provide parking, guidance, and other facilities along the Yatra route.
🙏 Special information for devotees
After the conclusion of the Rath Yatra, parts of the Rath Yatra, especially the wheels, are available for auction for devotees. This year, the price of the Jagannath Rath Yatra wheel has been kept at ₹3 lakh, the wheel of Balabhadra at ₹2 lakh, and the wheel of Subhadra at ₹1.5 lakh. The proceeds from these auctions are used for the development of the temple.
🌐 Rath Yatra on a global scale
The Jagannath Rath Yatra is celebrated not only in Odisha, but also at various places across the country and the world. The 58th Rath Yatra is being organized at the Shri Jagannath Temple in Delhi. Devotees participate in this festival in Thyagaraj Nagar in large numbers. Similarly, the 148th Rath Yatra will be organized in Ahmedabad on June 27. More than 10 lakh devotees are expected to participate in this festival.
📺 Live Streaming
This year’s Rath Yatra will be broadcast live on Doordarshan from 8:30 am onwards.
Jagannath Rath Yatra is not just a religious festival, it is a symbol of cultural and social unity. On this day, lakhs of devotees come together to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath, which creates a wonderful feeling of devotion.
To experience this wonderful festival, you can go to Puri and have darshan in person or watch it from home through Doordarshan.
ll Jagadguru Shri Krishna : Sharanam Mama : ll