Jagannath Rath Yatra 2025: Date, Time, Panchang Muhurat, Rituals & Significance of Puri's Chariot Festival

The Jagannath Rath Yatra is one of the most significant and grand spiritual festivals in India, especially in Puri, Odisha, where the main celebration takes place. Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, this annual chariot festival attracts millions of devotees from across the globe who gather to witness the divine journey of Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra.

Puri Rath Yatra 2025: Date and Auspicious Timings (Puri Rath Yatra Muhurat)

In 2025, the Rath Yatra will be celebrated on Friday, 27 June 2025. According to Drik Panchang, the auspicious timings are as follows:

• Dwitiya Tithi Begins: 1:24 PM on 26 June 2025
• Dwitiya Tithi Ends: 11:19 AM on 27 June 2025

The festival takes place on the Dwitiya Tithi or second day of Shukla Paksha in the Hindu month of Ashadha.

Rath Yatra 2025: Complete Nine-Day Festival Schedule

• Anavasara will be observed from 13 June to 26 June 2025.
• Gundicha Marjana will take place on 26 June 2025.
• The main Rath Yatra will be held on 27 June 2025.
• Hera Panchami will be celebrated on 1 July 2025.
• Bahuda Yatra is scheduled for 4 July 2025.
• The festival ends with Niladri Bijaya on 5 July 2025.

The festival begins with the Rath Yatra and concludes with Niladri Bijaya, marking the return of the deities to their abode.

Significance of Jagannath Rath Yatra: History Behind Puri's Rath Yatra

The Jagannath Rath Yatra is not just a cultural spectacle but a profoundly spiritual event with roots tracing back to between the 12th and 16th centuries. It is believed to symbolise Lord Krishna's journey to his maternal aunt's home, while other legends attribute it to King Indradyumna, the mythical ruler who built the original Jagannath Temple.

The festival gained prominence under the Gajapati dynasty of Odisha and today stands as a powerful symbol of unity, devotion, and tradition. It is the only time in the year when Lord Jagannath and his siblings come out of the sanctum sanctorum, giving devotees the rare opportunity of Darshan (holy viewing) outside the temple premises.

Jagannath Rath Yatra Rituals

The Rath Yatra involves a series of deeply revered and symbolic rituals:

1. Rath Snana (Holy Bathing Ritual)
The festival preparations begin with Rath Snana, where the deities are bathed with 108 pots of sanctified water. This act of purification is a mark of humility and divine service.

2. Anavasara (Retreat Period)
Following Snana Purnima, the deities go into a 15-day secluded rest period (Anavasara), believed to be a time of recovery. During this time, the temple remains closed to devotees.

3. Gundicha Marjana (Temple Cleaning)
On the eve of the Rath Yatra, the Gundicha Temple, considered the deities' maternal home, is thoroughly cleaned and sanctified. This ritual, performed by the temple priests and devotees, is known as Gundicha Marjana.

4. Rath Pratistha (Chariot Sanctification)
Each year, three new wooden chariots are built for the deities. These are purified and consecrated by chanting Vedic mantras before being used in the Yatra.

5. Rath Yatra (The Chariot Festival)
On the day of the Yatra, the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Goddess Subhadra are ceremoniously placed on their respective chariots. The three-kilometre journey from the Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple is made by pulling the chariots through the streets of Puri - a sight of deep devotion and celebration.

6. Hera Panchami
On the fifth day of the stay at Gundicha Temple, Goddess Lakshmi (consort of Lord Jagannath) symbolically visits the temple in anger, marking an emotional and cultural ritual known as Hera Panchami.

7. Bahuda Yatra (Return Journey)
After nine days, the deities return to the main temple in a ritual called Bahuda Yatra, which also draws massive participation from devotees.

8. Niladri Bijaya
The festival concludes with Niladri Bijaya on 5 July 2025, during which the deities are ceremoniously welcomed back into the temple, and the chariots are dismantled, signifying the end of the divine journey.

The Jagannath Rath Yatra is not limited to Odisha. The festival is celebrated in various parts of India and across the world.