The mythical glory associated with the rathyatra of Lord Sri Jagannathji

- Vichar-Vithika-Devesh Mehta

Nilachalanivasaya nityaya paramatman.

Balbhadrasubhadrabhya jagannathaya te namah ..

Jagdanandakandaya pranatartharaya cha.

Nilachalnivasaya jagannathathaya te namah ..

Ratnakarastava Griha Grihini Cha Padma

Kin devamasti bhavate purushottamaya.

Abhir Vamanayanahatmanasaya

Dutt Mano Yadupate quick home.

In the Hindu scriptures, seven holy cities are called Mokshadayini - Ayodhya Mathura Maya Kashi Kanchi Avantika. Famous Saputa Mokshadayaka by Puri. One of these seven holy cities, Jagannath Puri is situated on the coast of the state of Orissa (Orissa).

Situated on the eastern edge of the Bay of Bengal in the east of India, this divine city is a short distance from Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa. Today's Orissa was formerly known as Utkal Pradesh. In the Puranas this earth is called Vaikuntha. Jagannath Puri is one of the four abodes of Lord Vishnu. Jagannathpuri is also called Shri Kshetra, Shri Purushottam Kshetra, Shaak Kshetra, Nilanchal and Neel Giri. Here Lakshmipati Lord Vishnu did different types of greens.

According to the Brahmapuran and Skandapuran, here Lord Vishnu was incarnated in the form of Purushottam Nilmadhav and became the deity of the most revered deities of the Sabar tribe. Being the deity of the Sabar tribe, the form of Lord Jagannath here is similar to that of the gods of the tribes. In the past, the people of the tribe used to make idols of their gods out of wood. In addition to the priests of the Sabar tribe, there are also Brahmin priests in the Jagannath temple. From Jeth Sud Poonam to Ashadh Sud Poonam, all the rituals of the sage caste deity Jagannathji are performed.

King Indradyumna was the king of Malwa. He had a vision of Lord Jagannath in a dream. Many texts describe King Indradyumna and his yajna. Lord Vishnu came to the king in a dream and said that there is an idol of mine in the cave of Nilanchal mountain called Neelmadhav. You build a temple and install this idol of mine in it. The king sent his servants in search of Nilanchal mountain. One of the servants was a Brahmin Vidyapati. He knew that the people of the tribe worshiped Neelmadhav and he hid the idol in a cave in the Nilanchal mountain.

He married the daughter of Vishwavasu, the chief of the tribe. Then with the help of his wife Neil reached Madhav's cave. From there the idol was stolen and given to the king. But Lord Vishwavasu returned to the cave in devotion and assured King Indradyumna that he would return to him at the right time. But he has to build a beautiful temple for them. He even made it. Then God said to him - Bring a big piece of tree floating in the sea to make my idol. Which is floating from Dwarika towards Puri.

The king sent servants but all together they could not lift the piece then took the help of Vishwasu. He alone lifted the heavy piece to the temple. Many craftsmen tried their best but they could not make a sculpture out of wood. Eventually the sculptor Vishwakarma came in the form of an old craftsman and sat down to make an idol on the condition that no one would enter the room. One day Rajarani Gundicha did not hear the sound of making an idol so she got worried and spoke to the king.

When the king broke the condition and entered, the old artisan Rupi Vishwakarma disappeared. The king-queen saw that the idols were incomplete. The incomplete idols of Lord Krishna, his brother Balram and his sister Subhadra were installed in the temple as per the will of God.

On the day of Ashadh Sud Bij, these three idols are mounted on a chariot and taken on their journey. This rathyatra is also called the township of God. At the forefront of the rathyatra is Balramji on the Taladhwaj, behind him is the Subhadraji on the Padma flag, along with him is the Sudarshan Chakra and lastly Lord Krishna (Sri Jagannathji) is on the Garuda flag. There is a myth that a person who pulls these chariots or engages in this yatra attains as much merit as performing a hundred yajnas and attains salvation after death.