Jagannath Rath Yatra -- Three Towering Chariots in Puri HD Wallpaper
Free download • HD quality • 3.0 MB
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About this image
Three colossal chariots roll through the Grand Road of Puri -- the most spectacular religious procession in India and one of the oldest continuously celebrated festivals in the world. Jagannath's chariot Nandighosa towers in the center, 45 feet tall with 16 wheels, draped in red and yellow cloth that billows in the sea breeze. Balabhadra's chariot Taladhwaja stands to the right, 44 feet tall with 14 wheels in blue and green. Subhadra's chariot Devadalana completes the trinity at 43 feet with 12 wheels in red and black. The Rath Yatra of Puri is ancient beyond precise dating -- references appear in texts as early as the Brahma Purana and the Skanda Purana, placing its origins well over a thousand years ago. The chariots are built new every year from specific types of wood, by specific carpenter families who have held the hereditary right for generations. Construction begins on Akshaya Tritiya (April-May), and the completed chariots are ready by Rath Yatra day (June-July). After the festival, the chariots are dismantled and the wood is used as cooking fuel in the temple kitchen -- nothing is wasted, everything returns to sacred service. The Rath Yatra procession covers the distance from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple -- about 3 kilometers -- a journey that can take the entire day as millions of devotees take turns pulling the massive ropes. The English word "juggernaut" -- meaning an unstoppable, overwhelming force -- derives directly from the sight of these immense chariots moving through the crowd. Free HD download for phone and desktop.
