What happens during the Rath Yatra festival in Puri?

The Rath Yatra in Puri, Odisha, is an annual festival of renewal honoring the deity Jagannatha. During the event, the murtis (divine images) of Jagannatha, his brother Balarama, and his sister Subhadra are transported from the Jagannatha Temple to the Gundicha Temple, located about two miles away.12

Key aspects of the festival include:

• Preparation: Weeks before the procession, the deities undergo a bathing ritual. They are then sequestered for two weeks, during which they are symbolically treated for illness before being repainted.1
• The Procession: On the second day of the bright lunar fortnight of Ashadha, the deities are placed on three massive, ornate wooden chariots. The king of Puri performs a ritual sweeping of the chariot platforms before devotees pull the vehicles through the streets.1
• The Journey: The deities reside at the Gundicha Temple for seven days. After receiving a visit from the goddess Lakshmi, they return to the main temple, where they are gilded with gold and restored to the inner sanctum.1

This festival is a significant cultural event, and its massive, moving chariots are the historical origin of the English word juggernaut.1