- Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya
- Puri, Odisha
- Three new chariots each year
- Nine days, out and back
Where it began
Rath means chariot and yatra means journey. Legend says the three deities go each year to visit the Gundicha temple, said to be the home of their aunt, and stay there for some days before they return.
Jagannath, whose name means lord of the world, is worshipped in Puri as a form of Krishna or Vishnu. The great temple of Puri dates from the 12th century, and the chariot festival is linked with it from early times.
The chariots are built new every year from wood, by families of carpenters who keep the craft from one generation to the next. Jagannath's chariot is Nandighosa, Balabhadra's is Taladhwaja and Subhadra's is Darpadalana.
How it grew over time
12th century
The great Jagannath temple rises in Puri, and the deities become the centre of Odisha's faith.
Medieval period
Pilgrims from across India walk to Puri to see the chariots, and visitors from far away write about the huge crowds.
16th century
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lives in Puri and is said to dance and sing before the chariots, which gives the festival a deep place in Bengal's devotion.
1960s and 1970s
Devotees of Krishna carry the chariot festival to cities around the world, with processions in London, New York and beyond.
Today
Puri hosts one of the largest religious gatherings in India, and hundreds of towns hold their own chariot processions.
How it is celebrated in different places
Puri, Odisha
Three towering chariots roll down the wide Grand Road. The ruler of Puri sweeps the chariots with a golden broom before they move, a custom called Chhera Pahanra.
Ahmedabad, Gujarat
A long chariot procession winds through the old city, with decorated elephants, music groups and gifts of sprouted moong.
West Bengal
Families and towns pull small and large chariots. Mahesh in Hooghly is known for one of the oldest chariot festivals in Bengal.
Cities around the world
Chariot processions fill streets in London, New York, Toronto, Sydney and many other cities, with free food and music.
Rath Yatra moments
Rath Yatra today
Weeks of work come together on the day. Pilgrims arrive in Puri from everywhere, the chariots are pulled by ropes held by thousands of hands, and the deities return home about nine days later in the Bahuda Yatra.
Families who cannot travel watch on television, pull small chariots at home or in their street, and share sweets and khichdi offered to the Lord.
