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RATHA JATRA 2022
The wait is finally over! The Lord of the Universe is preparing to leave His heavenly abode of Srimandir to give darshan to his devotees from all over the world on Puri’s Bada Danda (Grand Road).
Ratha Jatra, Lord Jagannath and His siblings’ nine-day sojourn, is held on Dwitiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashadha. A sea of devotees from various parts of the country and abroad have flocked to the pilgrim town to have darshan of the deities.
They are returning to the grand festival after a two-year absence. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Odisha government has restricted public participation in Ratha Jatra for the past two years.
Ratha Jatra 2022 Schedule
Ratha Jatra- 1st July 2022
It is also referred to as the ‘Car Festival.’ According to the Hindu calendar, the auspicious occasion falls on Dwitiya Tithi of the month of Ashadha. On this day, devotees drag the chariots — Nandighosha, Taladhwaja, and Darpadalana — carrying Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra, as well as Sudarshan, three kilometers from Srimandir to the Gundicha Temple. After brief stops at the crematorium in Bhakta Salabega and the Mausi Maa Temple, the deities travel to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for seven days.
Bahuda Jatra- 9th July 2022
The Bahuda Jatra commemorates Lord Jagannath’s, Lord Balabhadra’s, and Devi Subhadra’s return journey. This ritual takes place on the ninth day, and the deities begin their journey back to the Srimandir on the tenth. The deities’ chariots stop by the Mausi Maa Temple again on their way back, and Lord Jagannath accepts his favorite baked pancake – Poda Pitha – from his aunt. The three chariots with the deities arrive at the Singhadwara.
Suna Besha- 10th July 2022
Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra appear in the ‘Suna Besha’ a day after their return to Singhadwara, adorned in glittering gold ornaments on the chariots. A swarm of devotees flock to the pilgrim town to see the divine on the Grand Road.
Adhara Pana- 11th July 2022
The Adhara Pana ritual begins the day before Niladri Bije. According to tradition, ‘pana’-sweetened milk made from ingredients such as milk, sugar, cheese, banana, camphor, nutmeg, and black pepper-is prepared by the servants and offered to the Lords in nine huge earthen pitchers measuring over a meter in height each to touch the deities’ lips (adhara).
Three pana-filled pitchers are traditionally placed on each of the three chariots in front of the deities. Following the Sodasha Upachara Puja, the Lords are given drinks, and the servants smash the pitchers, causing the pana to spill over the chariots. The spilled drink is an offering for the parswa devatas (subsidiary deities) riding in the chariots and spirits that had accompanied the Lords in the chariots during the nine-day long journey.
Niladri Bije- 12th July 2022
The annual Ratha Jatra concludes with Niladri Bije. Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra, return to the Srimandir on this day. In a ceremonial procession known as ‘Goti Pahanadi,’ the Lords are escorted by their servants from their respective chariots to the Ratna Singhasana inside the temple.
On Niladri Bije, Lord Jagannath comes to a halt at the temple’s Jaya Vijaya Dwara as an anguished Goddess Lakshmi prevents Him from entering the Srimandir for leaving her alone during the Ratha Jatra. While Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are permitted to enter the temple, Lord Jagannath is not permitted. The Lord then appeases Her by presenting Rasagola, a popular dessert.
