{"id":6723,"date":"2026-05-18T07:48:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T07:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/?p=6723"},"modified":"2026-05-18T08:42:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T08:42:10","slug":"jagannath-puri-rath-yatra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/jagannath-puri-rath-yatra\/","title":{"rendered":"Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2026: The Grand Chariot Festival of Puri"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra, held annually in Odisha, is one of the most celebrated festivals in<br>India. It is a divine ocean of faith where millions of devotes be a part of this yatra and experience the presence of God in its purest form.<br><br>Every year during the Shukla Paksha of Ashada month, this festival is celebrated as the devotees pull the Chariot of the <strong>Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra <\/strong>fromThe most auspicious Shri Jagannath temple is to the Gundicha Temple, which is the home of Lord Jagannath ji\u2019s aunt. The Grand Road, locally known as <strong>Bada Danda<\/strong> of Puri, is full of flowers, colorful flags, lights, banners, and chants of \u201cJai Jagannath\u201d by the devotees with pure joy and eyes full of tears.<br><br>If you are planning to be a part of this holy yatra, pre-book the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/packages\/jagannath-puri-package.html\">Jagannath Puri package<\/a>,<\/strong> as the footfall during this festival is very high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c5984263cc\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c5984263cc\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/jagannath-puri-rath-yatra\/#When_is_the_Jagannath_Puri_Rath_Yatra_2026\" >When is the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2026?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/jagannath-puri-rath-yatra\/#Origin_and_historical_background\" >Origin and historical background<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/jagannath-puri-rath-yatra\/#Why_do_we_celebrate_this_auspicious_Rath_Yatra\" >Why do we celebrate this auspicious Rath Yatra?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/jagannath-puri-rath-yatra\/#The_three_Sacred_Chariots\" >The three Sacred Chariots<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/jagannath-puri-rath-yatra\/#What_are_the_rituals_celebrated_during_the_RathYatra\" >What are the rituals celebrated during the RathYatra?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/jagannath-puri-rath-yatra\/#What_are_the_travel_tips_you_should_follow_during_Puri_RathYatra\" >What are the travel tips you should follow during Puri RathYatra?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_is_the_Jagannath_Puri_Rath_Yatra_2026\"><\/span>When is the Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2026?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Date of Yatra:<\/strong> 16th July, 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tithi during Yatra:<\/strong> Dwitiya<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tithi start:<\/strong> 11:50 AM on 15th July, 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tithi end:<\/strong> 08:52 AM on 16th July, 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Paksha: <\/strong>Shukla Paksha<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Month: <\/strong>Ashada.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chariot pulling begins around 7:00AM.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Origin_and_historical_background\"><\/span>Origin and historical background<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Rath Yatra, rooted in ancient scriptures like the Brahma, Padma, and Skanda Puranas, has been celebrated for centuries in honor of Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is said to have begun during King Indradyumna&#8217;s regime, who built the famous <strong>Jagannath Temple<\/strong>, which is also a part of the sacred <strong>Char Dham yatra. <\/strong>His wife, <strong>Gundicha<\/strong>, requested the Lord to visit her temple annually, and another belief links the festival to Lord Krishna\u2019s visits to Vrindavan to reunite with his devotees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_we_celebrate_this_auspicious_Rath_Yatra\"><\/span><strong>Why do we celebrate this auspicious Rath Yatra?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to belief, <strong>Lord Jagannath<\/strong>, along with his siblings <strong>Balabhadra and Subhadra<\/strong>, goes on an annual visit in large wooden chariots from Jagannath temple to the Gundicha temple, which belongs to their maternal aunt&#8217;s home, about 3 kilometers away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Participation in the Rath Yatra and pulling the chariot cleans a person\u2019s sins and leads to Moksha. Those who are not allowed to enter the Holy Jagannath Temple can also be a part of this spiritual yatra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The chants of \u201cJai Jagannath\u201d continue during the yatra, making this yatra more emotional and sacred. Hearing the chants will drive you close to peace, positivity, and spirituality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_three_Sacred_Chariots\"><\/span><strong>The three Sacred Chariots<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The three huge wooden chariots depict their own story as<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>Nandighosa<\/strong> belongs to Lord Jagannath, which is 45 feet high and of yellow and red colors with 18 wheels in the chariot that mirror the 18 chapters of the Bhagavad Gita.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Taladhwaja<\/strong>, carrying Balabhadra, is 44 feet tall and painted in blue and red; its 16 wheels depict the 16 moon phases, which is a reminder of nature\u2019s cycle.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>Darpadalana<\/strong> holding Subhadra is 43 feet tall with red and black tones that have 14 wheels, symbolizing the 14 lokas, or the 14 worlds of the universe, mentioned in Hindu mythology.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_rituals_celebrated_during_the_RathYatra\"><\/span><strong>What are the rituals celebrated during the RathYatra?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>SnanaPurnia: <\/strong>Performed a few weeks before the yatra in which deities are bathed with 108 pots of sacred herbal water.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Anasara ritual: <\/strong>The deities are given a herbal remedy by hiding behind a traditional Pattachitra painting for 15 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ChheraPahanra: <\/strong>The king Gajapati of Puri sweeps the chariots with a golden broom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rath Pulling: <\/strong>Devotees pull the Rath from Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple while chanting \u201cJai Jagannath.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gundicha temple stay: <\/strong>The stay of Lord Jagannath and their siblings is 7 days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>BahudaYatra: <\/strong>The return journey of Lord Jagannath, along with Balabhadra and Subhadra, back to the Jagannath temple.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SunaBesha: <\/strong>The deities are dressed in gold ornaments and worshipped on chariots.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jagannath-yatra-1024x432.jpg\" alt=\"Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra\" class=\"wp-image-722\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jagannath-yatra-1024x432.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jagannath-yatra-300x127.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jagannath-yatra-768x324.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jagannath-yatra.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jagannath-yatra-142x60.jpg 142w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_travel_tips_you_should_follow_during_Puri_RathYatra\"><\/span><strong>What are the travel tips you should follow during Puri RathYatra?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Advance bookings: <\/strong>Plan your journey at the earliest and book your hotel, transportation, and accommodations in advance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid heavy luggage: <\/strong>Pack your bags and luggage very light to keep them handy, and always keep a water bottle to stay hydrated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dress code: <\/strong>Dress modestly and wear cotton clothes, as it is very humid and suffocating due to the heavy crowd.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Follow Guidelines: <\/strong>Cooperate with the security check and have patience and wait for your turn. Do not create chaos, as it can result in disaster.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Be cautious: <\/strong>Be careful of pickpockets during the Rath Yatra. Avoid wearing valuables like gold jewelry. \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With the passing time, the importance of this festival remains emotional for every devotee, and their participation in this auspicious RathYatra will make this journey a celebration of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra, held annually in Odisha, is one of the most celebrated festivals inIndia. It is a divine ocean of faith where millions of devotes be a part of this yatra and experience the presence of God in its purest form. Every year &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":6724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[313,4,1436],"tags":[1637,1636,342],"class_list":["post-6723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fairs-and-festivals","category-domestic-destinations","category-pilgrimage-in-india","tag-jagannath","tag-jagannath-puri-rath-yatra","tag-jagannath-rath-yatra"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6723"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6723\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6726,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6723\/revisions\/6726"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharpholidays.in\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}