History of Jagannatha Puri
The Puri Temple Complex
Emergence of Jagannatha
The Rathayatra
Srila Prabhupada spreads Rathayatra world-wide
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Rathayatra
Significance of Rathayatra
The glories of Rathayatra
History of Jagannatha Puri
==========================
Jagannatha Puri, located on the eastern coast of Bharatam (India) in the
state of Orissa (originally called Utkala or Udradesh), is a prime pilgrim
centre in South Asia. The four famous param-tirthas (primary pilgrim centres
known as Chardham) in Bharatam are Bhadrinath established in sattyayuga,
Ramesvaram in tretayuga, Dvaraka in dvaparayuga, and Jagannath Puri in
kaliyuga. The Puranas mention that the ancient Puri temple extends up to 10
yojanas (approximately 80 miles in diameter) and it was manifested from the
ocean and covered by sand and at the middle of the sandy beach is the blue
mountain. Although Jagannath Puri, originally called Purushottama Kshetra,
was founded in sattyayuga by King Indradyumna as the Narada Purana
(uttara-bhaga chapters 52 and 57) mentions, it became famous only in this
age with the installation of the kaliyuga Deities of the Supreme Lord Krsna
along with Balarama and Subhadra in its sanctum sanctorum. The Scriptures
say that only pious people are eligible to visit Puri and meeting Jagannatha
will wash off their sins in the past lives and lead them to liberation from
the fetters of endless miserable life in this karma-bhumi.
Lord Jagannatha (Lord of the universe) represents Lord Krsna residing at the
middle of the mammoth temple complex of Puri. According to the Mahapuranas,
the coronation of the deity carved out from wood by Visvakarma was performed
by Lord Brahma in sattyayuga. Lord Jagannatha told Indradyumna that He
originally appeared in the first manvantra of Svayambhuva Manu approximately
1700 million years ago based on Vedic calculations. In memory of the
installation of the holy Deity, the snana-yatra (pubic bathing) ceremonies
carrying Jagannatha on a huge ratha (chariot) are held annually at Puri and
the first of its kind was celebrated in the second manvantra of Svarochisha
Manu. From then, the festival became famous as rathayatra. An episode in the
uttara kanda (108.30) of Valmiki Ramayana reveals that just before Lord
Rama's departure, He advised King Vibhishana of Lanka to worship Lord
Jagannatha, the Lord of the Iksvaku (a son of Vaivasvata, the current Manu)
dynasty in which Lord Ramachandra appeared. The rathayatra festivities are
held annually in the month of Ashadha (May-June) on the day of the Pushyami
star as the Skanda Purana tells. The story of the Purushottama Kshetra is
also told in the Padma Purana as Sanatana Goswami mentions it in the Dig
Darshini Tika of his Brhad Bhagavatamrta (2.1.159). The Deity of Jagannatha
is said to be perfectly spiritual, though originally made of wood, in which
Lord Caitanya (an incarnation of Lord Krsna) merged and disappeared from
this world around 500 years ago after enacting His pristine pastimes and
enlightening this mortal world as the Caitanya Caritamrta reveals.
About 500 years ago, Caitanya Mahaprabhu (an incarnation of Lord Krsna)
remained at Jagannatha Puri and danced always in the rathayatra festival.
Nityananda Prabhu (an incarnation of Lord Balarama) always joined Lord
Caitanya in the procession together with several of their associates. Lord
Caitanya was present at Jagannath Puri for 18 years and finally He was said
to have entered in the Jagannatha temple and merged with the Deity of
Jagannath.
The Puri Temple Complex
=======================
The temple records reveal that the major temple complex called Sri-mandir
was built in the 12th century by King Chodaganga Deva (Anangabhima Deva) and
it houses as many as 4000 - 5000 priests and covers an area of approximately
one acre bounded by stone walls with a gate on each of the four sides. The
25ft high outer wall (655ft x 640ft) is called Meghanada and the inner wall
420ft x 315ft is called Kurma-prachir. The gopura of the main shrine is said
to be 215ft tall and houses the six foot tall Deities of the three divine
siblings on a five foot high holy dais. The small surrounding shrines are
said to be later additions of the 16th century and they house around 100
demigods.
The Jagannath Puri temple is a combination of the Dravidian and Nagara
architecture. The architectural excellence of the temple is evident from the
carvings and construction details. In the stone borders and door frames can
be seen the beautifully sculptured 24 forms of Lord Vishnu. The main temple
consists of four distinct buildings: (1) Bhoga-mandapa: an 18m x 17m hall
for the food offerings to Lord Jagannatha and consists of beautiful
sculptures and paintings of Krsna-lila. (2) Nata Mandapa: is a spacious
music and dance hall (21m x 20m). (3) Jagamohana (Mukhashala): This is the
visitor's hall to see the Deities of Lord Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra.
Three Garuda-sthambhas are located here from where Lord Gauranga took the
daily darshan of Vajrendranandana Jagannatha Deva. (4) Vimana: (Bada-deula
or Garbha-grha): This is the inner sanctum, the main altar
(ratna-simhasanam) for the Deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra,
Sudarshana, Lakshmi, Sarasvati and Nila-madhava.
Daily artis are held six times a day from 4 AM to 9 PM in the main temple.
Devotees throng up in large numbers to worship the deities and they
ecstatically dance, sing in groups, and chant Lord's holy names. Several
cooks work in the large kitchens and prepare 56 varieties of delicious food
offerings (chappanna-bhoga) for Lord Jagannath and the remnants of the
prasadam are served to the tens of thousands of devotees visiting the temple
every day. The food offerings include 9 rice preparations, 14 subjis and
curries, 9 milk preparations, 11 sweets, and 13 cakes, pancakes and patties.
The delicious variety of foods offered daily to Jagannatha include plain
rice, ghee rice, ghee sweet rice, dry sweet rice, yogurt rice, plain kitri,
sweet kitri, ginger rice, and lemon rice. The timing of the six bhoga
offerings to Jagannath every day are (1) Gopala-vallabha-bhoga at 8.00 AM,
(2) Sakala-bhoga at 10.00 AM, (3) Bhoga-mandapa-bhoga at 11.00 AM, (4)
Madhyahna-bhoga at 12.30 PM, Sayana-bhoga at 7.00 PM, and Bada-srngara-bhoga
at 11.15 PM. The Gopala-vallabha-bhoga is the morning breakfast offering
consisting of milk sweets, fruit, butter, yogurt, coconut, malai, etc. The
Sakala-bhoga (Raja-bhoga) contains various preparations of black gram like
bada kanti, sana kanti, enduri, mathapuli, hamsakeli, kakatua, jhili, kitri,
etc. The Bhoga-mandapa-bhoga is prepared in large quantities for mass
distribution as prasadam. The Madhyahna-bhoga consists of rice, dal, subjis,
etc. The chefs still work under the traditional oil lamps and they can
prepare food for ten thousand devotees at an instance. There are nine
kitchens and each is around 2500 square feet in area. It is said that 752
stoves (chulas) fuelled by wood are used in the kitchen. The kitchenware
mainly includes the traditional clay pots of various sizes and shapes. One
thousand well trained cooks work daily, although the kitchen can accommodate
four to five times the number.
Emergence of Jagannatha
=======================
King Indradyumna was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Once he heard from his court
the greatness of Nila-madhava, the deity of Lord Vishnu, but couldn't grasp
its whereabouts. The King sent many pious brahmanas in search of the deity,
but they all returned with no clue except Vidyapati. Vidyapati stretched
long and reached a tribal village of the shabaras. Incidentally, a shabara
called Visvasu sheltered him. Vidyapati fell in love with the Shabara's
beautiful daughter Lalita and married her and continued to live there.
Visvasu was a devoted person. He left home every day and returned by noon
the next day. From Lalita, Vidyapati confidentially learned that Visvavasu
secretly worshipped every day in the small temple of Nila-madhava on a
hilltop. However, Vidyapati's request to accompany Visvavasu was acceptable
only if Vidyapati agreed to accompany him blind-folded. To learn the trail,
Lalita shielded a leaking bag of mustard seeds in Vidyapati's clothes. They
reached the shrine, removed the eye cover and saw the wonderful deity of
Nila-madhava. After they returned home, Vidyapati followed the trail of
mustard seeds and located the shrine.
One day, on the bank of a lake, Vidyapati saw a bird flew head down in water
and drowned. From the water emerged an effulgent spiritual form and ascended
to heaven. It enchanted the pious Vidyapati and he too decided to accompany
the bird ending his life. Soon he heard a celestial voice, "O Vidyapati,
before you return to heaven, please inform King Indradyumna about
Nila-madhava." Vidyapati narrated the incident to Visvasu and he too agreed
to inform the King about Nila-madhava. The King was overjoyed to hear the
news and immediately set out in search of Nila-madhava. However, the King
and his accomplices were unable to locate the Deity. The angry King charged
Visvasu with treason and ordered to put him behind bars. Soon the King heard
a celestial voice, "Release Visvasu and build an excellent temple for the
Lord. In that shrine, you will see the Daru-Brahman (the Supreme Lord in the
form of a wooden Deity)."
The King immediately ordered to build a wonderful temple at Sri-kshetra and
worshipped Lord Brahma to establish the Deity. Lord Brahma appeared and
advised the King, "O Visvasu, the Supreme Lord is ever present at
Sri-kshetra and therefore I can't consecrate His deity there. Worship the
Lord and He will not desert you." Then, Lord Brahma put a flag atop the
temple and said, "Anyone who sees this flag and worships the Lord will soon
liberate from this mortal world." As Lord Brahma advised, the King
worshipped the Lord for long, but the Lord never turned up. The dejected
King decided to fast until death if he can't meet the Lord. One day in a
dream, the Lord informed that His form of Daru-Brahman would afloat on a log
of wood in the ocean. The next day morning, the King reached the shore and
found a huge log of wood floating on water and it had the marks of a conch,
disc, club and lotus. The King's men tried to bring it ashore, but failed to
move even an inch. At night, the Lord advised the King to worship Him in
group and chant His holy names and plead the Deity to be moved by his
chariot. The next day, the King tried as advised and the holy wood was
immediately moved to the shore pulled by the chariot. Soon Lord Brahma
arrived and established the deity of Lord Narasimha there, which still
exists on the west of the current Jagannatha temple at Puri.
The King called the best craftsmen in his kingdom to carve out the
Daru-Brahman, but when tried, their chisels broke and they couldn't make
even a dart on the wood. As the Lord advised, Visvakarma (the celestial
architect) arrived in disguise as Ananta Maharana, an old craftsman. He
promised to finish his work in three weeks in an enclosure accessible to
none. The King asked, "How do we know your integrity?" Ananta Maharana said,
"As the work proceeds, you hear the noise. None should even peep in before I
finish." As said, the work started and they heard the sound of chisel and
hammer every day. Fourteen days passed and the sound was stopped. The Queen
was restless and she ordered to open the door and see what happened. They
saw three unfinished forms believed to be of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama
and Goddess Subhadra. The King and Queen were worried because they couldn't
identify the forms, for the shapes of the Deities appeared obscure with
pre-matured limbs. The worried King, decided to end his life for his
offence, but the Lord appeared in his dream and said, "You haven't committed
an offence and it is all My games to tease you. The Deities you got are
verily My obscure forms because they are for the people of kaliyuga to
worship Me. You can provide golden limbs and shapes to the deities often as
you wish, but the people of kaliyuga will identify it as the beautiful form
of Lord Krsna (Syamasundara) playing His flute. The people would see the
Supreme Lord drawn on huge chariots during the rathayatra festivities." To
mark the remembrance of this event, the rathayatra festival is held
annually.
Periodically, the embodiments of Daru-Brahman are replaced Deities made of
neem wood and the associated festivities are called Nava-kalevarna and it is
usually performed during the additional month (Purushottama) in the Vedic
calendar and replaced between the Snana-yatra and rathayatra ceremonies.
Usually the Deities are replaced in every 12 - 15 years. The replacements of
the deities were previously performed in 1969, 1977 and 1966.
The Rathayatra
==============
The rathayatra often falls in the summer season of May-June each year and
Puri becomes a vibrant scene of crowd attraction during the festival.
Perhaps a million plus gather to witness the tumultuous event. This is one
of the ancient festivals in Bharatam and a place of huge crowd attractions
like the Kumbha-mela, Makara-sankranti, and Pongal festivals. The rathayatra
festivities are organised and financed mainly by the Government of Orissa.
As said, during the rathayatra, the three Deities are sailed out for public
view from the temple seated on huge chariots (Ratha) moved on wheels and
pulled by large crowds. New carts are constructed from fresh wood each year
and the construction begins a couple of months ahead of the festival and
precisely on the third day of the bright fortnight of Vishakha (April-May).
The three carts are manufactured using over 1000 logs (around 400 cubic
metres) of wood collected mainly from the forest on the banks of River
Mahanadi. Approximately 1200 metres of cloth is consumed annually and 14-16
tailors stitch covers to suit the Rathas. The nails, brackets and fixtures
are supplied by local manufacturers. The main structure of the Ratha
consists of 18 pillars and roofs. The carts carrying the canopies may reach
14-16 metres tall and brilliantly painted. The colour of the chariots
identifies the Deity it carries. Red and yellow are preferred for
Jagannatha, red and green for Lord Balarama, and red and black for Subhadra.
The preferred colours of the Deities are black for Jagannatha, white for
Balarama, and yellow for Subhadra. The cart of Jagannatha is called
Candradhvaja or Nandighosha (blissful sound vibrations) and it is supported
on 18 wheels and stretches approximately 45 feet tall and weighs 60 - 70
tons and painted yellow. Four white wooden horses draw the chariot and the
crest of the Ratha is marked with an emblem of Garuda symbolising the Lord's
celestial carrier. In addition, a chakra also symbolises to distinguish the
cart. The blue Ratha of Lord Balarama is called Taladhvaja (strong sounds)
with 16 wheels and it is approximately 44 feet tall and drawn by four dark
wooden horses and carries the emblem of Hanuman atop. The black cart of
Subhadra is called Padmadhvaja or Darpadalan (annihilator of pride) is
supported on 14 wheels and approximately 43 feet tall and drawn by four red
wooden horses. Each wheel is said to be approximately two metres in
diameter. The Deity protecting Jagannatha is said to be Narasimha, that of
Balarama is Shesa, and of Subhadra is Vanadurga. On each Ratha are seated
many wooden Deities such as one parshva-devatas (close associates of the
Divinity), two dvara-palakas (door keepers), one sarathi (chariot driver),
and one dhvaja devata (presiding Deity). The Rathas are decorated with
flowers as well.
The Deities are bathed in public two weeks before the festival and it is
called Snana-yatra. Special offerings are made to the Deities thereafter on
specific locations. At the beginning of the rathayatra, the priests arrive
at the cart and sprinkle holy water walking around it three times and chant
the holy Vedic hymns. Then the priests bring the small Deities that move
with the carts. The Sudarshana-chakra will be first moved to Subhadra's
cart. Then the three main Deities are brought out in order as Lord Balarama
first, Goddess Subhadra next, and then Lord Jagannatha. Many musical troupes
blow horns and cymbals and beat drums at the main gate to invite the
Deities. The Deities are moved with the heads covered on clothes and when
They arrive at the carts, the coverings are removed. Massive crowd will be
drawn in to witness the occasion and they chant "Hail Thee" of the names of
the respective Divinities and sing Their glories when the Deities are moved
out. Then the Deities are beautifully decorated and worshipped paying floral
tributes.
To accommodate the three huge chariots built like a temple sanctuary, the
street from the Puri temple to the garden temple is made very wide. Various
colourfully decorated temples, saintly ashrams, hotels, shops, and large
ancient aristocratic buildings are seen on either sides of the parade road.
Well dressed up women flock up atop the buildings and balconies to witness
the rathayatra.
The Deity of Balarama is 5 feet and five inches tall, Goddess Subhadra is a
bit short of 5 feet, and Jagannatha is 5 feet seven inches erect. The
Deities are identified by special signs and marks as well. Around 50 - 80
strong men are engaged to carry the Deities and the carriers are said to be
from the lineage of Visvavasu. The Deities are moved from the temple to the
Chariot in the order of Balarama first, Subhadra second, and Jagannatha
last. Usually, the King of Puri sweeps the cart floor with a broom made of
golden handle accompanied by his accomplices and move around the chariot
sprinkling scented holy water followed by priests, and it happens in the
morning. Then the wooden stools are removed and the wooden horses are
mounted in the direction of the journey. Nearly 4000 devotees gather to pull
the chariots with long ropes made of coconut fibre (eight inches in
diameter) through the main roads. Blowing a long whistle by the captains of
the procession, the rathayatra begins. Music bands blow horns, cymbals and
other instruments along with various drums. Massive crowd witness the grand
procession watching from both sides of the street and from balconies and
rooftops. Loud shouts of jai jai Jagannatha shrill the atmosphere and the
parading men raise their hands and dance in joy. The rathayatra (chariot
parade) starts in the morning and stops at noon for food offerings near the
Jagannatha Vallabha Gardens. Group sankirtanas (congregational chanting) are
organised to glorify the Lord and chant the holy names, and numerous
devotees gather to worship the Divinities. The priests bath the Deities in
pancamrta and cool water, and offer naivedyam and artris. Then, the chariots
are drawn to the Gundicha (named after the wife of King Indradyumna) temple
located at Sundaracala hill (beautiful hill) about a couple of miles away
from the Jagannatha's abode. Then, arti is offered and the Deities are taken
in the sanctum of the Gundicha temple, where they rest for a week. After
they reach, a feast of Krsna-prasadam will be served to all participants.
The Gundicha temple is called Mahisi-badi (the home of Jagannatha's aunt).
The Jagannatha Puri Guide Book by Mahanidhi Swami tells of a Puranic verse
to extol Gundicha,
gundica mandapam yanti ye pasyanti rathe sthitam
krsna-ramau subhadram ca te yanti bhavanam hareh
ye pashyanti tada krsnam saptaham mandape sthitam
halinam ca subhadram ca vishnulokm vrajani te
"Whoever comes to Gundicha temple during rathayatra and sees Jagannatha,
Balarama and Subhadra will have his mind turned towards Lord Hari. If he
sees the Deities while They remain there for seven days on the throne of
Gundicha, he will go to Vaikuntha."
The ceremonies at Gundicha will not be elaborate as was in the main temple.
Various celebrations are organised during the brief stay of the Divinities
in the garden temple. It is presumed that on the 5th day (Hera-pancami) of
lunar fortnight, Laksmi will be out searching for Jagannatha accompanied by
Lord Shiva and her maid servants. Seeing her arrival, the servants of
Jagannatha closes the gate the Gundicha-mandiram and the door of the
bhoga-shala. Lakshmi gets wild and breaks Jagannatha's Ratha. Frustrated
Lakshmi waits long and then dines there and returns to the Puri temple.
On the ninth day of the lunar fortnight, the return rathayatra begins and it
is called Bahuda-yatra. Lakshmi and her servants arrive to invite Jagannatha
and the Lord removes His garland and adores her. While returning, the
chariot of Jagannatha stops at Ardhasani temple (Mausa Ma temple) and the
poda pitha (rice cake) will be offered to the Lord. The return journey
starts in the morning from Gundicha and reaches at the main temple by the
evening. The return journey will be similar to the onward with all pomp and
glory, and Lord Jagannatha and associates are brought back to Puri after a
trip of seven days. Sometimes the departure will be delayed and may
continue to stay at the garden temple for more than a week based on the
lunar calendar. The departure from the Gundicha temple is a replica of
events from Puri. The return journey is not popular as the onward and only a
lean crowd will witness the procession.
The process may not be trouble free always. Sometimes mishaps may happen
such as running off road, ramming on embankments, or abrupt stoppage of
carts on the way. If the carts can't be rescued in time, the leaders and
priests pray to Lord Jagannatha and then astonishingly the carts start
moving freely as before. It someone is caught in the crowd in front of the
procession, it may need a stupendous effort to squeeze through and give way
for the carts, and in the struggle may be stampeded as well. Sometimes, the
procession will be delayed due to stoppages in between. All through the
procession, rumbling of large cart wheels mix with loud chants and roar of
joy laud the ears.
Reaching Puri, the Deities will be out in the open for public view and offer
their respects. A huge crowd again throng up to witness Jagannatha and His
compatriots. On the third day, a suna-vesa festival is organised and Deities
are adorned on gold including all their ornaments and outfits. It is said
that around 800 - 1000 kilos of pure gold are used for this event. Except
the close servants of Jagannatha, others are disallowed to witness the
suna-vesa event at close ranges. The adorned Deities with the yellow metal
will be then open for a day to the public for close viewing and a controlled
crowd will line up and witness the majestic Deities. Close to sunset, the
Deities will be carried back to the Puri temple and the retreat events
follow that of the ejection from the temple, marking the end of the glorious
annual rathayatra festival.
Srila Prabhupada spreads Rathayatra world-wide
==============================================
The significance of rathayatra reached the far corners of the globe now and
especially where ISKCON temples are located ever since Srila Prabhupada
organised the first rathayatra in San Francisco in 1967 as briefed below.
The rathayatra was scheduled on a Sunday the 9th July. On Saturday, 8th
July, Jagannatha Deities were brought from Stinson Beach and draped in
cloth. Although some rathayatra posters were the only official
announcements, everyone in the Haight-Ashbury was talking about the
festival. A Krishna parade to the beach! A love feast! Bring flowers, wear
bells, paint up, chant, and get high! Celebrate Sri Jagannatha, Lord of the
universe!
On Sunday, 9th July, Shyamsunder Prabhu brought the flat bed truck on which
the chariots were mounted and the deities were installed, undraped and
garlanded Them with hibiscus. Lord Jagannatha was placed on the right side
of the cart beneath the foldable canopy engineered by Jayananda Prabhu.
While placing the Deity, the devotees sang jagannatha-swami nayana pathagami
bhavatu me, "O Lord of the universe, please be visible unto me." Subhadra
looked out from the rear, and Lord Balarama was seated on the left. On the
cart's four corners were placed Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and ISKCON flags.
The ISKCON flag consisted of a Sanskrit AUM and a drawing of a dancing pair
of Radha and Krishna.
Srila Prabhupad said, "Actually, each Deity should ride in a separate cart
and the carts should be pulled with ropes by the crowds through the streets.
But that is all right. May be in the future you can arrange that." Music and
kirtans were sung all way through the parade. The girls were dressed in
saris, and the gents wore dotis and kurta. Drums, cymbals, and tambourines
were played in rhythm, and the crowd started chanting Hare Krishna. The
girls handed out oranges, apples, bananas, chapatis, and puris to all those
came near. As Shyamasundar Prabhu drove down the car to Haight, people lined
up the sidewalk and flowed out into the street to follow the cart, while
Lord Jagannatha kept smiling. Frequently the cart slowed to a halt as people
clustered around the dancing devotees in front of the car. Flowers, apples
and kisses were distributed to those hippies flocked up and the crowd roared
"Radha Krishna Temple ki jai! New Jagannatha Puri ki jai!" The crowd and
hippies all chanted the Hare Krsna mahamantra. Finally, the cart reached the
Pacific beach of San Francisco with some hitches on the way. Soon Srila
Prabhupad also arrived at the beach and together they ate the prasadam and
everyone was elated. All listened to Srila Prabhupad about Jagannatha Puri
and Vaikuntham while partaking the prasadam. Prabhupadji said, "As long as
we are in the ocean of material nature, we will feel anxiety, but not in
Vaikuntha. That is what Vaikuntha means, freedom from anxiety. Everyone in
the material universe- from Lord Brahma down to the tiny ant- is anxious
about something. If you see a bird and make a sudden move, that bird will
fly away from fear. He is anxiously thinking, 'Oh, what will catch me and
eat me?' The Padma-purana says that the smaller living entities serve as
food for the larger. So all are in anxiety- even Brahma himself, for
although his years are incalculable by our system, there is finally
annihilation."
The Deities are to remain some days at Paradisio before returning to the
temple. Then the devotees packed back in the empty truck and their vehicles.
Srila Prabhupad said, "That was but the beginning," Prabhupadji said the
following morning. "We will inaugurate many such celebrations all over the
world. One by one, I will show you." That was the beginning of the first
rathayatra outside Bharatam. Where rathayatra procession is not held, a
special puja followed by great feast will be organised to all ISKCON
devotees in memory of the great festival and many visitors too join for the
sumptuous Krsna-prasadam distributed and receive the blessing of Jagannatha,
Lord of the universe.
It remind us Srila Prabhupad's childhood pastime in building rathas (carts)
and organising yatras (processions). When he was barely six, Abhay (original
name of Prabhupad) wanted to organise a brief rathayatra imitating the grand
procession held at Calcutta. He was also enthused at Mahaprabhu's ecstatic
dancing before the rathayatra at Puri four hundred years ago. Abhay insisted
his father Gour Mohan to buy a decent ratha for him. The father and son
visited many carpenters to see some models they could chose from, but the
price was unaffordable. Soon an old woman arrived at home. Seeing the
worried Abhay, she enquired, "Why young Abhay is worried?" From Abhay's
mother Rajani, the woman understood about his ardent love for a ratha. The
woman said, "I have a cart at home. Come and take it." Gour and Abhay went
and bought it. The wooden cart was small, but of decent size for the kids to
smart on. They fixed wooden horses to the carts and painted and decorated
them to resemble like the original rathas of Puri. Abhay's sister
Bhavantarini also helped him to ornament the Jagannatha Deities. Abhay
collected his friends and organised a rathayatra on streets of Calcutta. It
resembled like a fair mini replica of the original Puri rathayatra. It
showed the young Abhay's interest towards rathayatras and it infused
confidence in the growing mind to later build upon his talent to organise
large scale ratha-yatras all over Bharatam and across the globe. Abhay's
immense love for Radha-Krshna and Jagannatha Deities from childhood was
inherent and God gifted, and those holy hands later blessed millions of
people to become dear devotees of Gauranga and follow His path to worship
Ratha-Govinda and participate in the colourful of rathayatra festivities
world-wide.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Rathayatra
==================================
Caitanya Mahaprabhu's participation in the rathayatra is described in the
madhya-lila (chapter-13) of Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, "The ecstatic dancing
of the Lord at rathayatra," and it is briefed here. As said before, the
miraculous pastimes of Lord Caitanya's dancing exhibited during the
rathayatra was a fascination to the crowd five centuries ago. After an early
morning bath, Mahaprabhu took darshan of the Deities (Jagannatha, Balarama
and Subhadra) and got on to their carts, and that glorious occasion is
called pandu vijaya. His close associates Nityananda, Advaitacarya, Srivasa,
Ramai, Raghu, Govinda, Mukunda, Haridasa, Govindananda, Madhava, and Srivasa
Thakura, and others accompanied Him. Svarupa Damodara was made a main troupe
leader. They sang and danced around the Lord. Worshipping Lord Jagannatha,
Caitanya Mahaprabhu prayed, "My obeisance to Sri Krsna adorable to all
brahmanas, the bestower of cows and pious humans, and the world's
beneficiary, I worship You again and again, You Supreme Person, O Krsna, O
Govinda. All glories to You the Supreme Lord, the son of Devaki. O the
Supreme One, You are the light of the Vrshnis, O glorious One, Your body is
bright as a new rising cloud in sky and soft as lotus petals. All glories to
You, who arrived on earth to rescue her from the tread of demons,O liberator
of all. O Krsna, O the utmost Destination of all, O the son of Devaki, son
of Yashoda, You directed the Yadus with Your almighty arms and dissipated
all impious and inauspicious omens. Your presence destroyed all wicked life
among the movables and immovable. Your blissful smile aroused lust among the
damsels of Vrindavana. O glorious Person, please dwell in happiness. I am
neither a brahmana, kshatraiya, vaishya, or sudra nor I am a brahmachari,
grahastha, vanaprastha, or sannyasi. I am an insignificant servant of the
servants of the servants of the lotus feet of Krsna, the lover and protector
of gopis. You are an ocean of nectar, the transcendental bliss, and may You
ever dwell in glory."
When Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced, jumped high and moved in circles, if
appeared like a whirling firebrand. While He roared and treaded, the whole
earth, hills and seas appeared trembling. Many blissful transcendental
emotions transpired in the Lord when He danced. His bodily hairs stood on
end in ecstasy, and He sometimes cried aloud, trembled and perspired.
Occasionally His body appeared in various hues and aroused emotional
symptoms of humility, arrogance, peace and agitation. Sometimes He crashed
on ground and rolled like a mad man and sometimes Nityananda Prabhu
stretched out His hands to behold the Lord, while Advaita Acharya walked
behind and chanted aloud, "Hari bol, Hari bol...." To protect the Lord from
the crowd, they moved in three concentric circles and bounded with locked
hands and Nityananda Prabhu secured the inner circle. Devotees like
Kasisvara, Govinda and others formed the second circle, while King
Prataparudra (said to be King Indradyumna reborn) locked hands with
Haricandana and other royal guards framed the third circle. All danced
ecstatically in circles with their attention affixed on Lord Caitanya. Even
the manifest Deities were keen watching the ecstatic dance of Caitanya
Mahaprabhu exhibiting the eight glorious mellows of perfect bhakti-rasa and
His body appeared like a thorny silk cotton tree with erect hairs and
eruptions of blood and sweat. Tears sprayed from His eyes wetting his
accomplices and He turned pink. Occasionally, He looked stunned, stood firm,
and unmoved, and His body became hard like wood. Sometimes, He fell down and
rolled, or lied breathless with flowing tears, wet nose, and foaming mouth.
Devotees like Subhananda tasted the eruptions of His embodiment like nectar
flown from moon. When Caitanya got up, He asked Svarupa Damodara to sing and
he sang, "I have now got the Lord in my life and Cupid wandered me bereft of
Him." Hearing it, the Lord danced again exhibiting his ecstasy.
As the carts moved on, Nitai and associates took to the front of Jagannatha
and danced, and it was a majestic show of mellows to all participants and
onlookers of the rathayatra. Occasionally, the Lord and His sankirtana
troupes sang and danced at the trail of the rally as well. Sometimes
Jagannatha's car stopped when Mahaprabhu moved down and then He moved up and
danced in front and the car starts again to the astonishment of all
spectators. It showed a test of love between the giver Jagannatha (Krsna)
and receiver Gaurasundara (Radharani) and it proved that the provider will
function only in the presence of the real lover, which exemplifies the
significance of perfect bhakti to the devotees.
The Madhya-lila (13.1-2) with the translation of Srila Prabhupad tells,
sa jiyat krsna-caitanyah
shri-rathagre nanarta yah
yenasij jagatam citram
jagannatho api vismitah
"May the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Caitanya, who danced in
front of the car of Sri Jagannatha, be all glorified! By seeing His dancing,
not only was the whole universe held in wonder, but Lord Jagannatha Himself
became very much astonished."
jaya jaya sri-krsna-caitanya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrinda
"All glories to Sri Krsna Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda! All glories to
Advaitacarya! And all glories to the devotees of Lord Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu!"
Significance of Rathayatra
==========================
Intricate sentiments symbolise the grand rathayatra festivities connecting
the event with the return of Lord Krsna to Vrindavan from His pompous life
in Dwaraka to meet His heart throbs. The palace of Dwaraka represents the
residence of Jagannatha, an enticing enactment of Lord Krsna's scintillating
pastime. At Puri, Krsna and His fraternal associates dwell as living Deities
to wipe off the sufferings of His devotees in this mutilated age of
kaliyuga. The Gundicha represents the Vrindavana, where His eternal
associates Radharani, the gopis and gopas dwell. The visit of Jagannatha to
Gundicha symbolises the visit of Syamasundara to meet His youthful
associates of Vrindavan and the seven days stay there reminds His enchanting
moments of rasa-lila with the loving company of their association. Many have
enacted this colourful event and many have coined articulating words of
gesture to glorify their touching love of Lord with the glories of
Vrindavana.
Engrossed in separation with Radharani, Lord Krsna travelled to Kurukshetra
from Dwaraka accompanied by Balarama and Subhadra and met Radharani, His
ever loving friend in Goloka Vrindavan. Dragged in ecstatic love, Krsna was
arrested in sentiments and His limbs dragged in his body. Lord Caitanya was
the manifest love of Radharani and He carrying Jagannatha to Gundicha
reminds Radharani wanting to take away Lord Krsna from Dwaraka to Vrindavan.
The glories of Rathayatra
=========================
The Narada Purana (uttara kanda 52.12) reveals the conversation between Lord
Narayana and Lakshmidevi about Purushottama kshetra (Jagannatha Puri),
pratimam tatra tam drstva svayam devena nirmitam
anayasena vai yanti bhavanam me tato narau
"A person who sees the Deities there built by the Lord Himself will easily
find the path to reach My abode." Anyone seeing the Deities of Lord Krsna,
Balarama and Subhadra at Jagannatha Puri during their leisure outage of
rathayatra means buying a ticket to reach the Supreme Abode of Vaikuntha,
the eternal world of no worries. The Lord promises that His devotees who
take all pains to gather at Puri during the rathayatra will be rid off their
miseries and may reach the eternal abode of Goloka Vrindavana and enjoy
their life in association with Lord Krsna, Radharani and their close
accomplices.
It is said that the participants in the festivities will be blessed
immensely by Lord Jagannatha (Krsna) such as (1) By the sight of
Jagannatha's merciful large two eye globes, the devotee will be blessed with
astute purity of mind and spiritual elevation; (2) Observing the rathayatra
will dissipate the sins committed by the embodied person in the past births;
(3) The accompanying person in the rathayatra will receive opulence at par
with Lord Vishnu even if he hails from a poor family; (4) Dancing, singing
and chanting in the rathayatra entourage, the participant will be elevated
to a level superior to yogis; and (5) Active participation in the rathayatra
by any means will receive the utmost blessings of Lord Jagannatha.
The glories of rathayatra are inimical to imprint in mind the symbolic love
of God to His devotees. Srila Prabhupada said, "If you participate in these
car festivals, as stated in the scriptures, rathe ca vanam drstva punar
janma na vidyate... If you kindly see these Jagannatha deities riding on
these cars or these processions, and as Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted the Hare
Krsna mantra in front of this car, then according to the Vedic scripture, in
your next life you'll go back, back to Godhead." Those who participate in
the festival have a food for thought in the years to come and it may drag
down even to the final moments of their life to affix the attention in the
eventful pastimes of Jagannatha as Krsna tells in Bhagavad Gita (8.5-6),
anta-kale ca mam eva smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam yati nasty-atra samshayah
yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty-ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad bhava bhavitah
"Towards the end of life and at the time of departing the body, he who
remembers Me will undoubtedly attain My nature. Whatever a living being
thinks at the time of leaving his body, that alone he attains for being
always absorbed in that state." Those devotees who always chant and
prostrate at the holy feet of Lord Jagannatha uttering the mahamantra (HARE
KRSNA HARE KRSNA KRSNA KRSNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE
HARE) ordained by the Lord Krsna Himself in the form of Caitanya Mahaprabhu
and propagated all over the world by Srila Prabhupada will be blessed with
perfect devotion to God forever, which is said to be superior to liberation.
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