Thread by @VarierSangitha

🚩 The World Famous #JagannathRathYatra at Puri #Odisha is the oldest festival taking place in India & the world marking the annual ceremonial procession of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra & younger sister Subhadra. It has continued unbroken for the last 285 years🚩1

🚩 The chariots of the deities are newly built every year -3 chariots to 3 deities. The central chariot 'Nandighosha' carries Bhagwan Jagannath, 2nd chariot called Taladhwaja carries Lord Balabhadra, & 3rd chariot called Darpadalana carries Ma Subhadra 🚩2

🚩 The deities remain in the chariots on the 1st day & enter the Gundicha Temple on the 2nd day & reside there for 7 days. Gundicha Temple - the home of Jagannath's aunt, who loves to welcome her nephews every year to pamper them with love & affection 🚩3

🚩 17th century poet, Bhakta Salabega, a Muslim subedar in Emperor Jahangir’s army became a Lord Jagannath devotee after surviving a grave injury.
Once Salabega was late for Ratha Yatra & was worried that he may miss seeing his beloved Lord on the chariot🚩4

🚩 He prayed to Lord Jagannath to wait until he reached Bada Danda (grand gate). That day, miraculously, Nandighosha (chariot of Jagannath) didn’t move until Salabega reached the spot & even today, God waits exactly at the same spot for same time before starting his journey🚩5

🚩 The period from Akshay Tritiya till Chariot starts rolling is a testimony to a 2000 year old engineering marvel of Vedic Bharat Varsh which sees ancient chariot making technology being brought into practice through simple tools🚩6

🚩 A know how which is not documented but passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth & through on job training. The engineers are called Bhoi Maharana. Every year there is a place just ahead of the Gundicha temple where the procession comes to a stop by itself🚩7

🚩 This delay gives an opportunity to 1000’s of devotees to have darshan of the Deities. Probably it is the God's way of conveying that all are alike in His eyes. RathaYatra is a symbolic journey of Bhagwan Vishnu to his childhood 🚩8

🚩 Hence, Bhagwan Jagannath is accompanied by siblings, not his wife Lakshmi, who is left behind in the main temple. Lord walking out of his abode to meet his devotees signifies that He does not discriminate against people on the basis of caste, creed & religion🚩9
#JaiJagannath