| June 25, 2017 |
The temple town of Puri, Orissa experiences a great event- the image of god Krishna (known as Jagannath in the State) is taken out in a great ceremony, in June-July each year. Images of the god, his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra are placed in large yellow chariots or raths, drawn by the pilgrims. The chariots are 45 feet high and have 6 wheels. The procession or rath yatra draws huge crowds from all over the country. An atmosphere of frenzied devotion prevails on this day. It is said that in olden days, devotees threw themselves under the wheels of the rath in hope of attaining instant salvation!