Ratha Yatra

Ratha Yatra ରଥଯାତ୍ରା
Three chariots of the deities with the Temple in the background, Puri
Observed by	Hindus
Type	Religious
Begins	Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya
Ends	Aashaadha Shukla Dashami
2016 date	6 July
2017 date	25 June
First time	Puri, Odisha

Ratha Yatra (/ˈrɑːtɑː/-/ˈjɑːtrɑː/; usually spelled ରଥଯାତ୍ରା;a transliteration also romanized as Ratha-Yatra or anglicized as Car festival or Chariot festival) is an Odia festival that involves moving deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana on a ratha or rotho, a wooden deula-shaped chariot).

Notable ratha yatras include the Ratha yatra of Puri, the Dhamrai Ratha Yatra and the Ratha Yatra of Mahesh. The festival was originated in Puri, Odisha. The English word juggernaut was originated from Jagannath that is related to the massive and unstoppable "ratha" carrying Jagannath.

Ratha-yatra is derived from two Odia words ratha/rotho meaning "chariot" and yatra meaning "journey". The festival involves an annual procession (journey) of deities. Other names for the festival are ratha jatra or chariot festival.

Triads are usually worshiped in the sanctum of the temple at Puri, but once during the month of Asadha (Rainy Season of Odisha, usually falling in month of June or July), they are brought out onto the Bada Danda (main street of Puri) and travel (3 km) to the Shri Gundicha Temple, in huge chariots (ratha), allowing the public to have darśana (Holy view). This festival is known as Rath Yatra, meaning the journey (yatra) of the chariots (ratha). The Rathas are huge wheeled wooden structures, which are built anew every year and are pulled by the devotees. The chariot for Jagannath is approximately 45 feet high and 35 feet square and takes about 2 months to construct. The artists and painters of Puri decorate the cars and paint flower petals and other designs on the wheels, the wood-carved charioteer and horses, and the inverted lotuses on the wall behind the throne. The huge chariots of Jagannath pulled during Rath Yatra is the etymological origin of the English word Juggernaut. The Ratha-Yatra is also termed as the Shri Gundicha yatra.