Hindu · 5 July 2027
Jagannath Rath Yatra
जगन्नाथ रथ यात्रा
Lord Jagannath rides out of his temple in Puri on a giant chariot to meet his devotees.
Why it is celebrated
On Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya, Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra travel from the Puri temple to the Gundicha temple, their “aunt’s house”, for nine days.
The story behind it
Tradition says Subhadra once wished to see the town, so her brothers took her out on a chariot ride. Another story tells of King Indradyumna, to whom the Lord appeared in a dream; the unfinished wooden idols carved by the divine craftsman Vishwakarma are the forms worshipped to this day. Each year three new chariots are built, and anyone — king or labourer — may pull the ropes. The King of Puri sweeps the chariot path with a golden broom (chhera pahara), showing that all are equal before God.
How to celebrate
- Pull the chariot ropes or watch the yatra in Puri or your city
- Chant “Jai Jagannath”
- Take mahaprasad
- Join a local ISKCON or temple Rath Yatra
More from this calendar
Chaitra Navratri begins · Gudi Padwa · UgadiRam NavamiHanuman JayantiAkshaya TritiyaBuddha PurnimaGuru PurnimaHariyali TeejNag PanchamiRaksha BandhanKrishna JanmashtamiHartalika TeejGanesh ChaturthiAnant ChaturdashiPitru Paksha beginsMahalaya Amavasya (Sarva Pitru)Sharad Navratri beginsDurga AshtamiMaha NavamiDussehra (Vijayadashami)Sharad PurnimaKarwa ChauthAhoi AshtamiDhanterasNarak Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali)Diwali (Lakshmi Puja)Govardhan PujaBhai DoojChhath PujaDevuthani EkadashiKartik Purnima · Dev DeepawaliVivah PanchamiGita JayantiVasant PanchamiMaha ShivaratriHolika DahanHoliLohriMakar Sankranti · Pongal · UttarayanMesha Sankranti · Baisakhi · VishuEkadashiPradosh VratVinayaka ChaturthiSankashti ChaturthiMasik ShivaratriPurnimaAmavasyaSankranti
📅 Full festival calendar →Muhurat finder →Find a baby name →