Jagannath Rath Yatra: History and Present

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Jagannath Rath Yatra, jise Chariot Festival bhi kehte hain, Bharat ke sabse mahan aur bhavya tyoharon mein se ek hai, jo Puri, Odisha mein manaya jata hai. Yeh varshik utsav duniya bhar se karodon bhakton aur paryatakon ko apne aur kheenchta hai, jo sab Lord Jagannath, unke bhai Balabhadra, aur behen Subhadra ke bhavya Rath Yatra ko dekhne ke liye utsuk rehte hain. Is tyohar ki jaden prachin Hindu paramparao mein hain aur aaj bhi Bharat aur videsh mein phaili hui hain.

Jagannath Rath Yatra ka utpatti prachin pauranik kathao aur granthon mein milti hai. Hindu vishwas ke anusaar, Rath Yatra ka pratha Puranon ke samay se chali aa rahi hai. Yeh alag-alag prachin granthon mein ullekhit hai, jaise ki Skanda Purana, Brahma Purana, aur Padma Purana. Rath Yatra se judi sabse lokpriya katha Lord Jagannath, jo Lord Krishna ka roop hai, se judi hai.

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Lord Jagannath ki Katha (History)

Kahani shuru hoti hai King Indradyumna of Malwa se, jo Lord Vishnu ke bhakt the. Raja ko ek sapna aaya jisme Lord Vishnu ne unhe Puri mein apne naam ka mandir banane ka aadesh diya. Is devine aadesh ka palan karte hue, Raja Indradyumna ne mandir ka nirman shuru kiya. Lekin, mandir adhura raha kyunki devtaon ke roop gaib the.

Ek raat, Lord Vishnu ne fir sapne mein aakar Raja ko samundar mein tairte hue lakdi ke lathde ko dhoondhne aur usse devtaon ke roop banane ko kaha. Raja ne us lakdi ko dhoondh kar mandir mein laaya. Vishwakarma, jo devine architect hain, ek bude carpenter ke roop mein aakar devtaon ke roop banane ke liye tayar hue is shart par ki woh band darwazon ke peeche kaam karenge aur koi unhe tang nahi karega jab tak kaam poora nahi ho jata. Lekin, kayi dinon tak awaaz na sunai dene par, rani bechain ho gayi aur Raja se darwaza kholne ko kaha. Vishwakarma, naraaz hokar, adhure devtaon ko chhodkar chale gaye, jisse Jagannath, Balabhadra, aur Subhadra ka anokha roop bana.

Ithihasik roop se, Rath Yatra kayi shatabdi se manayi ja rahi hai, jiske praman 12vi shatabdi tak milte hain.

The Present-Day Puri Rath Yatra

Puri mein Lord Jagannath ka mandir, jo King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva ne banaya tha, is tyohar ka kendra raha hai. Yugon ke dauran, is tyohar ka vikas hua hai, aur alag-alag rajvansh aur shasakon ne iski bhavyata aur star mein yogdan diya hai.

Aaj, Puri Rath Yatra ek bhavya drishya hai jo karodon bhakton aur paryatakon ko akarshit karta hai. Yeh tyohar aam taur par Ashadha mahine (June-July) mein hota hai aur nau din tak chalta hai. Mukhya ghatna hai tin devtaon—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, aur Goddess Subhadra—ka Jagannath Mandir se Gundicha Mandir tak ka yatra, jo lagbhag 3 kilometers door hai.

Chariots, ya rath, bade lakdi ke sanrachna hain jo har saal bariki se banayi aur sajayi jati hain. Lord Jagannath ka rath, jise Nandighosha kehte hain, lagbhag 45 feet ooncha hota hai aur iske 16 pahiye hote hain. Lord Balabhadra ka rath, Taladhwaja, 44 feet ooncha hota hai aur iske 14 pahiye hote hain, aur Goddess Subhadra ka rath, Darpadalana, 43 feet ooncha hota hai aur iske 12 pahiye hote hain. Yeh rath hazaron bhakton dwara khiche jate hain, jo ise ek pavitra kaarya maante hain.

Yatra ki shuruaat hoti hai Gajapati King of Puri dwara rath ki safai se, jo yeh pradarshit karta hai ki sabhi, chahe unka samajik darja kuch bhi ho, Lord Jagannath ki nazar mein barabar hain. Rath phir Gundicha Mandir tak jate hain, jahan devta saat din rehte hain aur phir wapas Jagannath Mandir aate hain ek saman yatra, jise Bahuda Yatra kehte hain, ke madhyam se.

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Worldwide Celebrations of Rath Yatra

Jagannath Rath Yatra ka josh aur utsah sirf Puri aur Bharat tak seemit nahi hai. Aaj, Rath Yatras duniya bhar mein manayi jati hain, khaaskar un deshon mein jahan bharatiya samuday aur ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) ke mandir hain.

United States mein, New York, Los Angeles, aur San Francisco jese shahron mein bhavya Rath Yatra julus hota hai. Yeh ghatnayein, jo aksar ISKCON dwara aayojit ki jati hain, me bharatiya pravasi aur sthaniya niwasiyon ki badi bhagidari hoti hai. Rath, jo scale mein Puri ke rathon se chote hote hain, sundar tarike se sajaye jate hain, aur mahaul bhajan-kirtan aur sanskritik pradarshanon se bhara hota hai.

United Kingdom mein, London ke paas ek sabse bada Rath Yatra hota hai jo Bharat ke bahar mana jata hai. Yeh yatra, jo Hyde Park se shuru hota hai aur Trafalgar Square par samaapt hota hai, jismein hazaron log shamil hote hain. Is ghatna mein sanskritik pradarshan, shakahari bhojan stalls, aur bharatiya aadhyatmikta aur sanskriti par pradarshiniyan hoti hain, jo London ke logon aur paryatakon ke liye ek bada akarshan banta hai.

Other Countries

Rath Yatra utsav Canada, Australia, South Africa, aur kayi European deshon mein bhi manaya jata hai. Yeh utsav bharatiya sanskriti aur aadhyatmikta ko badhawa dene ka saadhan hai aur bharatiya diaspora mein ekta ka ehsaas badhata hai.

Symbolism and Spiritual Significance of Rath Yatra

Rath Yatra sirf devtaon ka sharirik yatra nahi hai; ismein gehra prateekatmak aur aadhyatmik mahatva hai. Jagannath Mandir se Gundicha Mandir aur wapas ka yatra Lord Krishna ke bachpan ke Gokul se Mathura yatra ka punaravartan mana jata hai. Yeh darshan (audience) dene ke liye bhagwan ke mandir se bahar aane ka prateek hai, jo jaati, dharm aur varg ki deewaron ko todta hai.

Bhakton ke liye, rath khichna ek bhakti aur seva ka kaarya hai. Mana jata hai ki Rath Yatra mein shamil hone ya isse dekhne se paapon ka nash hota hai aur divya aashirwad milta hai. Tyohar samuhik samanta, bhakti, aur khushi ka samay hota hai, jab sabhi varg ke log milkar manate hain.

At Last

Jagannath Rath Yatra ek aisa tyohar hai jo Bharat ke samridh sanskritik virasat aur aadhyatmik gehrai ko khoobsoorati se darshata hai. Apne prachin mool se jo pauranik kathaon aur itihaas mein hai, apne bhavya utsavon tak aaj ke samay mein, Puri aur duniya bhar mein, Rath Yatra karodon logon mein bhakti aur ekta ko prerit karta hai. Yeh pratha ki amar shakti aur aadhyatmikta ke sarvabhaumik akarshan ka pramaan hai, jo samay aur bhugol se pare hai.