Rath Yatra

What

Best known from Puri in Odisha, Rath Yatra involves pulling enormous, elaborately decorated wooden chariots carrying images of Jagannath (a form of Krishna), his brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra through the streets, with thousands of devotees taking turns to pull the ropes.

Why

The festival marks an annual journey of the deities from the main temple to a garden temple and back, and is notably one of the few major temple traditions where the deities are said to leave their sanctum entirely and travel among the public, rather than the public traveling to them.

Preparation

• Watch or join a rath yatra procession if held in your area
• Learn the story of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra
• Reflect on the symbolism of the divine coming out to meet people, rather than the reverse
• Offer a simple prayer of gratitude for accessibility in your own spiritual life