Rath Yatra: The legend behind world's largest chariot festival.

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▼ One of India's biggest religious festivals, the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra, gets underway in the western state of Gujarat on Thursday. The festival is unique in that three Hindu gods are taken out of their temples in a colourful procession to meet their devotees. The BBC's Priyanka Pathak explains the legend behind the festival and its significance.
Believed to be the oldest Rath Yatra or chariot procession in the world, this festival marks the annual ceremonial procession of Lord Jagannathan, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, from their home temple in Ahmadabad city to another temple 2.3 kilometres away, located in what is believed to be their aunt's home.
This journey is documented in undated Hindu sacred texts known as the Puranas which are believed to have been written a few thousand years ago.
What makes it so interesting?
This is the only festival in the world where deities are taken out of temples to travel to devotees, and it is also the largest chariot procession in the world.
Millions of people come to watch as a "king" sweeps the road with a golden mop and three massive 18-wheeled chariots bearing the sibling deities make their way through massive crowds. Their chariots, which are mini architectural marvels, are constructed over 42 days from over 4,000 pieces of wood by the only family that has the hereditary rights to make them.
Legend says it always rains on the day of the procession. For a whole week before, the temple doors are shut and no one is allowed inside, because it is believed that the sibling deities have a fever after bathing in the sun with 108 pitchers of water. The breaking of their fever calls for a change of scene, which is why they go to their aunt's home for a few days.
The size, pomp and splendour of this procession has even contributed a word to the English dictionary: Juggernaut.
What is the legend of the sibling deities?
Unlike the ornate, carefully crafted metal idols everywhere else, these three deities are fashioned from wood, cloth and resin. They are malformed with large heads and no arms: reminders of the legend of an impatient King.
The legend begins in different ways. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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thnikhilkrsingh

Ratha Yatra is a Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Odisha, India.

asr335704

Although this yatra is a sacred festival in Puri city of Odisha state in India, heart warming note is that this yatra is happeing just a month after Cyclone FANI hit Odisha badly.

This shows the never breaking human spirit even in face of tough challenges.