Jagannath Rath Yatra: Celebration, Meaning & Message

Ratha Yatra is the grand chariot festival of Jagannath Puri, Odisha. This divine festival symbolizes the journey of the Lord Jagannath temple towards the Gundicha temple. However, over the past few decades, it has become a global celebration, with millions of devotees serving the Supreme Lord.

Through the service of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), this festival is now known by millions of people in different parts of the world. Including New York, London, Melbourne, Nairobi, Moscow, and many more, are now feeling the ecstasy of Rath Yatra.

Ratha Yatra: Around the World

In 1967, Srila Prabhupada arranged the very first festival of Rath Yatra in San Francisco. Nowadays, this festival is more iconically celebrated in New York City. Million of devotees witnesses the beautiful chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra travel across the streets of New York City, followed by the devotional chanting and blissful dancing. During the entire festival, there is a book distribution, prasadam distribution, and invitations to join Krishna Consciousness among the people.

Los Angeles, often known as Dwarka, hosts the festival of Rath Yatra every year. The festival starts at Venice Beach and ends at the nearby Park. It is accompanied by beautiful chanting of the holy names of Lord Krishna and blissful dancing. There’s also a distribution of free prasadam for all the viewers and the poor people, as a mercy of the Lord.

In 1969, the Rath Yatra was held for the first time in London, UK. The chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra start at Hyde Park and end at Oxford Street to Trafalgar Square. This journey is followed by devotional songs, singing, and the free prasadam.

Many other countries celebrate the Rath Yatra festival with the ecstasy of devotional singing, blissful dancing, and the taste of the Lord’s mercy in the form of prasadam.

Ratha Yatra Around the world

The Meaning and Message of Global Ratha Yatra

The three chariots of the Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra is more than a ritual of taking the deities outside the temple. It is a message. A message that says there is no boundary between the opportunity of devotion and a soul searching for it.

1. The Lord Who Comes to Everyone

In the Jagannath temple, only Hindus are allowed to enter. Non-Hindus can only have the mercy prasadam of the Lord, and not the darshan. This rule has been followed since ancient times. Here, the most beautiful thing about Rath Yatra is that there is accessibility to see and seek the blessings of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. People from every background, including Muslims, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Jews, etc., are warmly welcome to take a glance at Lord Jagannath.

2. Cultural Diplomacy Through Devotion

The Rath Yatra festival is also a symbol of cultural diplomacy. In this world of different religions and political views, this festival works as a global messenger of spirituality, not through debates but kirtans, chantings, and prasadam distribution. It is a celebration of spiritual unity through peace and celebration. Years before Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna Movement, the Rath Yatra festival was known within Hindu communities. Nowadays, it is widely known by most non-Hindus.

Not only this, but it promotes the ‘sattvic way of life’, including the simple dressing, Vaishnava tilak, food with no onion, garlic, and spices, etc. It is focusing on the youth section of society to spread spirituality. It’s a good start to build up the spiritually advanced next generation. Once you join the festival of Rath Yatra, you’ll know the importance of this festival. Also, you’ll have new beautiful experiences of a sattvic way of life.

Cultural

3. A Remedy for Modern Disconnection

In modern society, especially in urban areas, people are disconnected - not from each other but even from themselves. The only thing they are connected to is the digital tools- mobile phones, tablets, PCs, etc., which are badly impacting their mental health. This results in depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Rath Yatra is the curable medicine for this disease of disconnection; it connects the people with spirituality.

Some people might see this festival as a source of entertainment, where one can dance, sing, and eat. But, it is a source of uplifting the condition souls towards the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna. It is a meaningful activity where nobody judges you upon caste, color, gender, or nationality, a rare thing in the world of religion and spirituality.

A Ratha Yatra Celebration Beyond Beliefs

Rath Yatra is one of the major festivals that has no boundaries of different nationalities. People from all over the world come to take part in the divine activity of pulling three chariots. Most people don’t know the history of Rath Yatra, but still take part in it. The reason behind this is the glory of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. Also, the way it is celebrated on the streets - loudly chanting the holy names of the Lord, free prasadam on the way, and the aroma of devotional music.

Everyone's Lords

By the grace of Srila Prabhupada, this Indian festival has now become a global invitation. In his lecture on 18th July, 1976, he said:-

”If anyone wants to worship God, he can do in any condition of life. There is no restriction. There is no restriction of cast and creed or country or nation. Anyone can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to his means, and our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a propagation to teach people how to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is our mission, because without relationship with God, without reviving our eternal affinity with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we cannot be happy”.