The world-famous Rathayatra of Lord Jagannatha is also known as Yatra and Ghosha Yatra. It is held on Ashadha Sukla Dvitiya i.e. the second day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha (June-July) every year. Rathayatra symbolizes that after a long time of the separation Lord Sri Krisna is going to Kuruksetra from Dvaraka to meet the inhabitants of Vrindavan. Three different sizes of chariots are made for this Rathayatra which begins from Jagannatha temple. The chariot of the Lord Jagannatha is called Nandighosa, the chariot of Balabhadra is called Taladhvaja, the chariot of Lady Subhadra is called Padmadhvaja. Except the vessels of kalasa, which are on top of the chariots, and the Deities, the rest of chariots is made new every year in accordance to the strict ancient specifications. Nearly around one thousands of devotees are needed to pull these chariots with the help of four ropes which are tied to each chariot and has no steering system on it.

Each year in Jagannath Puri, three enormous chariots are built anew for Lord Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhardra. Over 1,000 logs are brought from the Dasapalla and Ranpur forests, and more than 100 carpenters work for two months constructing the three chariots. A local mill provides nearly 2,000 meters of cloth each year, and the chariots are radiantly draped in color. Very strong coconut fiber ropes, 8 inches in diameter, are used by the devotees to pull the chariots along the parade route. The nails, brackets and fixtures are all made locally, and the smiths work for a month on them. The ratha's main structure (above the wheels) contains eighteen pillars and roofs. Each chariot holds nine parswadevatas (subsidiary deities), two dwarapalas (door keepers), one Sarathi (charioteer) and one presiding deity of the crest banner (dhwaja devata), and all are made of wood.
In Oriya, the language of Orissa, the word "yatra" means journey, or tour. Yatra might be performed on foot (pada yatra), by train, or by air (vimana yatra). Advanced devotees are also able to perform invisible yatra, traveling with the subtle body. For Lord Jagannatha's ratha yatra, the means of transport for Lord Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhardra is by way of chariot, or 'car'. This chariot vehicle is known as "ratha".
Once each year, for a period of about 15 days, Lord Jagannatha travels out to spread his mercy. Those who have the good fortune to view the Jagannatha deities, or who help to pull the chariots along on their ropes, are benedicted by the Lord during the ratha yatra parade.

Nandighosa ratha: This chariot is of Lord Jagannatha, it is 45ft (13.71 m) high and has sixteen wheels. The fabric of the roof is in red and yellow colour. A wheel is placed on the top of the chariot.
Taladhvaja ratha: This chariot belongs to Balabhadra. The height of this chariot is 44ft (13.2 m) and consists of fourteen wheels. The fabric colour of the roof is red and green. Tala fruit is placed on top of the chariot.
Padmadhvaja ratha: Lady Subhadra's chariot is 43ft (12.9 m) in height and consist of twelve wheels. The fabric of roof is in red and black colour.
There are side Deities on each of the chariot. Sudarsana is seated by the side of Lady Subhadra in Her chariot, Madanamohana sits in the Lord Jagannatha's chariot, and small Deities of Lord Rama and Krisna take their seats in the Balabhadra chariot. Thus total seven Deities are seated on the three chariots and are pulled by the devotees by the ropes tied to the chariots and taken to the Gundica temple which is about 3 km away from the main temple.
Before Rathayatra begins some ceremonies are held in main temple:

(1) Snana yatra festival: This ceremony is held on "Jyestha Purnima", when the main Deities along the Sudarsana are brought to the Snana Mandapa (a platform for 'snana', bathing) and are bathed around midday. One hundred and eight pots of water are poured on the Deities. The water is brought from a sacred well which is dear to the goddess Sitala. After bathing the Deities get elephant masks, which is called as Ganesa Vesa. Then the Deities are offered bhoga (cooked food) and arati. The Deities are then taken back to the temple in a procession and stay in retirement for fifteen days. The Deities are placed in the hallway between the inner and outer shrine in a semi-horizontal position. Here in this ceremony the general public can see the food offerings to the Deities, which is not possible any time in the year.
(2) Anavasara festival: After Snana yatra Lord Jagannatha become 'sick' and suffers from fever. He is therefore moved to His private stay, there He is offered drugs which are prepared by the fruit juice. The dayitas (servants of Lord Jagannatha) take care of Lord. They sleep and stay there with the Deity. The word Anavasara is used when Lord Jagannatha is not seen in the temple.

(3) Nibhrita festival: The fifteen-day period of resting and renovation is called Nibhrita. Honoring the isolation of His wife, goddess Laksmi, Lord Jagannatha lives there in privacy enjoying svakiya rasa. Then by taking Her (goddess Laksmi's) permission Lord Jagannatha comes out for His Rathayatra.
(4) Anga-raga or Nava Yauvana festival: These festivals are held for the purpose of renovation of the Lord Jagannatha's body. After being washed the body of Lord Jagannatha needs repainting, This work is done by the dayitas, which takes two weeks to complete. Then the Deities are fully restored to youth (nava yauvana).
(5) Netrotsava: This ceremony is performed in the inner shrine where the Deities are placed in semi-horizontal position. They have been fully painted, except their eyes. In this ceremony the eyes of the Deities are painted by their respected pujaris and the puja (worship) is started in the temple. The Deities are still in the same position.
After completing the above ceremonies the Deities are taken out from the temple and placed in Their respective chariots on the Rathayatra day.
The procession of the Deities from the temple to the chariot is the most colorful aspect of the Rathayatra. The chariots are brought and kept at front of the Simha Dvara facing north side before Rathayatra begins. In a traditional ceremonial manner first Sudarsana is brought from the temple and put on to the chariot of Lady Subhadra. Balabhadra as elder in the family is placed in His chariot first, followed by Lady Subhadra and Lord Jagannatha.

While bringing the Deities of Balabhadra and Lord Jagannatha out of the temple they are made to swing forward and backward in a manner called "pahandi". As the Deities are extremely heavy they need many strong men to move them. Each Deity is provided with thick soften ropes around their body. By taking assistance from the pujaris who hold the ropes, the dayitas move the Deities. As the main Deities arrive on Their respective chariots ,the small Deities of Lord Rama and Krisna are placed on the Balabhadra's chariot and Madanamohana Deity is placed on Lord Jagannatha's chariot. All Deities are then refreshed and offered fresh garlands. At this time in a palanquin the king of Jagannatha Puri arrives and sweeps the street in front of the chariots with a golden handled broom-stick and sprinkles the ground with fragrant waters.
After all these rituals completed the Rathayatra begins with the Balabhadra chariot going first as He is elder. Then follows chariot of Subhadra and then follows chariot of Lord Jagannatha. The chariots of Lady Subhadra and Balabhadra reach directly the Gundica temple, whereas the chariot of Lord Jagannatha stops at his mausima (aunt's) goddess Ardhamsini temple. Here the Lord is offered poda pitha (fried cheese cake). Then the chariot of Lord Jagannatha proceeds towards the Gundica temple and usually reaches it next day. After reaching the Gundica temple the Deities take rest on their chariots for another day, then They are taken into the sanctum of the Gundica temple. While staying in the Gundica temple for seven days the Deities receive all the routine rituals as in the main temple.
On the 10th day, fortnight of Ashadha, the Deities are brought back on their respective chariots and pulled back to the main temple. This is known as Bahuda yatra. While returning to the main temple Lord Jagannatha stops again at His mausima (goddess Ardhamsini) temple and receives bhoga (poda pitha). He then proceeds towards the king's palace where He has a meeting with goddess Laksmi and continues his Yatra. The Rathayatra reaches an end in Jagannatha temple at night and the Deities spend Their night in Their rathas till morning.
Next day in the morning on Bada Ekadasi the Deities are dressed in the Suna Vesa (golden dress). Arms and feet made of pure gold are attached to the Deities and are decorated by putting on Them golden ornaments and golden crowns. This day is considered to be the most auspicious day of the festival. The devotees make pradaksina of the ratha (moving around the chariots). After a few hours the golden ornaments are removed from the Deities and brought back to the temple. As usual first comes Balabhadra, then Subhadra and then Lord Jagannatha in a traditional procession among huge assembly of thousands of devotees.
Lord Jagannatha faces a tough time when He tries to enter into the temple, as goddess Laksmi is angry with Lord Jagannatha because He went to Rathayatra along with His brother and sister. She also expresses Her anger by going to the Gundica temple on 5th day of the festival. The devadasis (servants of goddess Laksmi) close the Simha Dvara and ultimately open it again but close the Jaya Vijaya Dvara, hear songs comprising of dialogues exchanged between devadasis and dayitas. Then Lord Jagannatha tells goddess Laksmi if He is allowed to enter into the temple. He will present her many gifts. Listening to this, goddess Laksmi allows Lord Jagannatha to enter into the temple. Thus Rathayatra is completed.

Five thousand years ago, Lord Krishna, with His elder brother Balarama and His younger sister Subhadra, once visited Kurukshetra in a chariot. Two thousand years later, King Indradyumna started the temple of Jagannatha in Orissa at Puri, and he wanted to establish a picture in the temple of Krishna, Subhadra, and Balarama coming to Kuruksetra in the chariot during solar eclipse. He employed Visvakarma to carve them from wood, and made a contract with Visvakarma that the sculptor would do his work behind closed doors and the King should not disturb him. But the King, being very impatient to see, forcefully opened the door. Visvanatha stopped carving, but the king decided, "Never mind it is half finished. I shall install these deities in the temple." Since then, the three deities Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra are being worshiped in India at Jagannatha Puri.

The significance of Jagannatha Puri and the story of how the Deities first appeared goes back many hundreds of years to the time of King Indradyumna, who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. It is related that one time in his court the King heard from a devotee about an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, named Nila-madhava. (Nila-madhava is the Deity form of Lord Vishnu.) The King very much wanted to see this form of the Supreme and sent many Brahmanas to search for Nila-madhava. All came back unsuccessful except for Vidyapati, who did not come back at all. He had wandered to a distant town which was populated by a tribe of people known as Shabaras of non-Aryan heritage. He had stayed in the house of Visvasu, and later, at Visvasu's request, married his daughter, Lalita.
After some time Vidyapati noticed that Visvasu would leave the house every night and return at noon the next day. Vidyapati asked his wife about this. Though her father had ordered her not to tell anyone, she told Vidyapati that Visvasu would go in secret to worship Nila-madhava. After repeated requests, Vidyapati finally got permission to go see Nila-madhava, only if he went blindfolded. But Vidyapati's wife had bound some mustard seeds in his cloth so that a trail could be left to follow later. When they reached the shrine, Vidyapati saw the Deity Nila-madhava after the Shabara took off the blindfold, and he felt great ecstasy.
The story continues to relate that while Visvasu was out collecting items for worship, Vidyapati saw a bird fall into the nearby lake and drown. The soul of the bird suddenly took a spiritual form and ascended back to the spiritual world. Vidyapati wanted to do the same and climbed the tree to jump in the lake. Then a voice from the sky declared that before he jumped he should tell Indradyumna that he had found Nila-madhava.
When Visvasu returned to worship the Deity, Nila-madhava spoke and said that He had accepted the simple worship from him for so many days, but now He wanted to accept the opulent worship that would be offered by King Indradyumna. When Vidyapati went back to tell the King, Indradyumna immediately went to find Nila-madhava but could not locate Him. So the King arrested Visvasu, but a voice told him to release the Shabara and that he should build a temple on top of Nila Hill where the King would see the Lord as Daru-brahman, the wooden manifestation of the Absolute.

After great endeavor, King Indradyumna built the temple at Sri Kshetra, now known as Jagannatha Puri, and later prayed to Lord Brahma to consecrate it. However, Lord Brahma said that it was not within his power to consecrate the temple since Sri Kshetra is manifested by the Supreme's own internal potency and is where the Lord manifests Himself. So Brahma simply put a flag on top of the temple and blessed it, saying that anyone who from a distance saw the flag and offered obeisances would easily be liberated from the material world. Nonetheless, after much waiting the King became anxious since Nila-madhava had not manifested Himself. Thinking his life was useless, the King decided he should end his life by fasting. But in a dream the Lord said that He would appear floating in from the sea in His form as Daru-brahman.
The King went to the shore and found a huge piece of wood that had the markings of a conch, disc, club, and lotus. This was Daru-brahman. But try as they might, the men could not budge the wood. In a dream the Lord spoke to the King and instructed him to get Visvasu and put a golden chariot in front of Daru-brahman. After doing this and forming a kirtana party to chant the holy names, and praying for Daru-brahman to mount the chariot, Daru-brahman was easily moved. Lord Brahma performed a sacrifice where the present temple now stands and installed a Deity of Lord Narasimhadeva, the Deity that is now on the western side of the temple.
From the wooden Daru-brahman, the King requested many expert carvers to carve the form of the Deity, but none could do so for their chisels immediately broke when they touched the wood. Finally the architect of the demigods, Visvakarma, (some say the Lord Himself) arrived as an old artist, Ananta Maharana, and promised that he would carve the Deity form of the Lord inside the temple in three weeks if the King would allow him to work behind closed doors. But after 14 days the King became very anxious because he could no longer hear the sounds of the carving. Finally he could stand it no more. On the advice of the queen he personally opened the doors of the temple to see what was happening. Then he saw the forms of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama, and Lady Subhadra. But because the King had opened the doors sooner than he was supposed to, the Deities were not completed; Their feet and hands had not yet been carved. Thus, the Supreme manifested Himself in this form.
The King felt he had committed a great offense for having opened the doors before the allotted three weeks had passed, so he decided to end his life. But in a dream Lord Jagannatha told the King that though he had broken his promise, this was just a part of the Supreme's pastimes to display this particular form. The King was told that this form, even though it appeared to be incomplete, was actually the form of the Lord that was meant to be worshiped in this age of Kali-yuga. Occasionally the King could decorate the Deity with golden hands and feet. Yet those devotees filled with love would always see the form of Lord Jagannatha as the threefold bending form of Syamasundara, Krishna, holding a flute. Thus, the Supreme appeared in this form so that people could approach and see Him, especially as He rides through town on the huge carts during the Ratha-Yatra festival.

Five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu went to live at Jagannatha Puri after taking sannyasa. He enjoyed many pastimes there worshipping the deities of Lord Jagannatha (Lord Krsna), Balarama and Subhadra, and dancing in ecstasy before the ratha yatra cart at the yearly festival in Puri.

In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (118) it is said that King Indradyumna later took birth again in his own family as Maharaja Prataparudra, during the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Maharaja Prataparudra was as powerful as King Indra. He belonged to the dynasty of the Ganga king, his capital was in Cuttak, and he was the Emperor of Orissa and a great devotee of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The drama named Caitanya-candrodaya was written under his direction.
The records of Sri Jagannatha Temple in Puri reveal that after Maharaja Indradyumna had the deities installed in the temple, he requested Lord Brahma to prescribe the proper worship of Lord Jagannath (seva, puja and niti), which included twelve annual yatras, of which ratha yatra is the main one.

The history of Lord Jagannatha is a story of devotion, the eternal love between man and God. It tells how the prayers of a devotee caused the Lord to make His appearance in a wondrous way. And it shows how Krisna came as the Deity Jagannatha, so that He could accept loving service from all classes of men.
The ancient Vedic literature describes the world ruled by King Indradyumna as a tranquil place. From his capital in Avantipura, the emperor surveyed a land filled with peace and prosperity unknown in modern times. Abundance was everywhere during the enlightened age of Satya-yuga, except in the heart of the King. Indradyumna felt all vacant in the world he ruled, because he hankered for a pleasure beyond material bounds: he long to see the Lord face to face.
This is a difficult feat, even for the greatest monarch in the world. The Gita states that such a boon is rarely achieved by mystics who devote their entire lives to God realization. Usually, the more one is involved in material pursuits, the less likely one is to make spiritual advancement. So how is it possible for a king absorbed in worldly affairs to obtain the Lord's special mercy?
Krisna is not partial to displays of material wealth or power: they are insignificant compared to His glories. What is significant though is the love each soul may direct to the Lord. And sometimes Krisna can be conquered by a very pure love.
The Search Begins
One day as Indradyumna lamented that he was not able to serve God directly, a pilgrim suddenly appeared. This man revealed how he had actually seen the Lord accept direct loving service in His Deity form of Nila Madhava. God incarnates in many ways throughout the ages, and sometimes He manifests in the form of stone or wood just to please His devotees and accept their loving service.

The traveler described how, on the remote mountain top of Niladri, he had seen the demigods worshiping the Lord. The King immediately dispatched his chief brahminical priest, Vidyapati, to find this Deity, so that all of Avantipura could be presented at the lotus feet of the Lord as an offering of love.
After a month's journey without rest, Vidyapati found Mount Niladri, where he discovered Sabaras, low-born pig herders, camped near the holy ground. Looking beyond class distinctions married the daughter of the tribal chieftain, Vishvavasu, who had been worshiping the Lord in great secrecy. Due to his daughter's pleas, Vishvavasu finally agreed to show Lord Nila Madhava to Vidyapati - only if he went to the site blindfolded. But the brahmin tricked his father in law by sprinkling mustard seeds along the path, seeds that would eventually sprout and lead the emperor back to claim the Lord's attention.

For many years Lord Nila Madhava had been served by Vishvavasu with simple fruits and flowers. Knowing the prayers of Indradyumna, Nila Madhava spoke to Vishvavasu and revealed His intention of accepting more opulent worship according the desires of Indradyumna. Vishvavasu was devastated.
No-one can predict the plan of the Lord; sometimes He bestows special mercy on His devotee by being present before them, and sometimes that mercy is also shown through separation which increases the longing and attachment of the devotee.
That the Deity was speaking to him did not strike Vishvavasu as remarkable, he was too much absorbed in grief at Nila Madhava's imminent disappearance. He blamed Vidyapati for persuading Nila Madhava to accept Indradyumna's worship. Accusing the brahmin of cheating him out of Cod's favor, Vishvavasu bound Vidyapati with ropes. But his daughter heard her husband's cries for help and freed him to return to Avantipura.
The Deity Vanishes
Upon Vidyapati's return, Indradyumna climbed upon his chariot and led an army to the mountain, where they located the trail of tiny mustard plants. The two struggled with the temple door and discovered that Nila Madhava had vanished.
Only Vishvavasu could be suspected of removing the Deity. In his desperation to keep the Lord he might have done anything. However, when they found the chief of the Sabaras, he was still mourning Nila Madhava's departure. Not believing his lament they arrested Vishvavasu. Suddenly Narada Muni, a great sage, appeared and revealed what had really happened to Nila Madhava.

The Lord had withdrawn due to His own choosing, but He would re-appear again in the form of Lord Jagannatha to bestow benedictions upon the entire world. Whereas Nila Madhava had enjoyed the simple and intimate service of Vishvavasu, His appearance as Jagannatha would be for the benefit of everyone. First, however, Narada Muni announced that a great temple must be constructed. Then Lord Brahma, chief of the demigods, would receive Indradyumna on his own planet and plan for the sacred installation of Jagannatha Swami, the Lord of the Universe.
When the temple was finally completed, Narada Muni escorted Indradyumna to his father's abode on Satya-loka. The home of Lord Brahma is inaccessible to ordinary human beings, but so great was Indradyumna's devotion to God that even Lord Brahma was eager to meet him. Lord Brahma further described how Lord Jagannatha would appear in a wooden form from a great kalpa-vrksa tree, transported from the spiritual planet of Svetadvipa.
As Indradyumna returned to earth in a space ship from Brahma's planet, he noticed that things had changed. Though he was away for what seemed a short time, the earth had aged many years. No one recognized him in his own kingdom, and his trusted priest Vidyapati had been replaced by another.

The Sacred Tree
The King remained bewildered until a mystical crow revealed how all Indradyumna's associates had died in his absence. For the sake of worshiping the Supreme he had lost everything: family, friends, and kingdom.
Despite this hardship, Indradyumna remained steadfast in his courage. He knew that God sometimes tests the love of His devotees by removing all other objects of affection. King Indradyumna was determined to hasten the Lord's arrival by fasting, if necessary until death. Then Jagannatha did appear - but only in a dream - and the emperor was guided to a great log floating in the ocean. No ordinary tree, this giant had come uprooted from the spiritual sky, part of the same transcendental energy as the Lord's own body. Even the might of the army could not budge it.
A lowly Sabara stepped from the crowd and handled the huge trunk with ease. This amazing fellow turned out to be a descendant of Vishvavasu, and he carried the sacred log to Gundica Temple for preparation.

The greatest craftsmen in all the world assembled to carve the Lord's Deity form, according to scriptural injunctions. But all their tools simply shattered to pieces. Then a mysterious old brahmin appeared, Ananta Maharana, and he agreed to carve the Deity of the Lord. But it had to be done on his own terms: complete isolation for three weeks. Gates were locked and the beat of the chisel resounded for days. After only two weeks however, it stopped and Indradyumna worried. The brahmin was old, perhaps...
Jagannatha's Appearance

Overcoming the restraints of priests and advisors, the King wrenched open the doors to discover an unusual sight: a form of the Deity never before seen. The Lord's form was apparently unfinished having no hands or feet, and the Emperor feared he had made a great mistake in opening the doors too early. The aged sculptor had vanished.
As Indradyumna cursed his foolishness, new found friends tried to console him. The descendant of the Sabaras said, "Whatever happens is by the Lord's will. You acted out of love so there can be no wrong." And the chief priest said that the Deity of Jagannatha, along with His brother, Baladeva, and sister, Subhadra, should be painted and dressed and prepared for the installation ceremony by Lord Brahma.

Indradyumna felt ashamed until God's plan was finally revealed by Narada Muni. A passage in the Vedas mentions that the Lord has no hands or feet, which impersonalists and atheists interpret to deny the Lord's personal existence. So Jagannatha's appearance proves that He is a person - unlike any other - and that He can still bestow blessings and accept offerings of love, even without hands and feet.

Narada Muni then described how he had seen this form before, while visiting Dvaraka. At that time, the Lord's Vrindavan pastimes were being discussed, and the Lord overheard the conversation and felt loving separation for His devotees. He went into a trance and His eyes opened wide, His feet and hands retracted into His body. Sharing in this transcendental exchange, Krisna's sister and brother were similarly transformed.

Then, Narada Muni announced that his father, Lord Brahma, would soon arrive to install the Jagannatha Deity. Before the celebration began, Brahma gave Indradyumna divine vision to see that his new friends were, in fact, the embodied souls of his old companions Vidyapati and Vishvavasu. Thus the story of Jagannatha's appearance ended happily, with the reunion of loving devotees to honor and serve the Lord.

After thousands of years, the Jagannatha Deity remains a source of unlimited joy to His friends and servants. And the Rathayatra procession is a time to celebrate the loving exchange between the Personality of Godhead and His devotees. All those who take part in this festival will receive His special blessings and help on their journey back home, back to Godhead.