Jagannath Rath Yatra 2021: SC permits Puri Rath Yatra to be organised - Know date, religious significance, history

Jagannath Rath Yatra 2021: As a piece of good news for ardent devotees, the Supreme Court has given consent to take out Jagannath Rath Yatra 2021 in a restrained radius. This Rath Yatra will be taken out only in a limited radius in Puri on July 12. 

According to the order issued by the Supreme Court, the Jagannath Rath Yatra 2021 will be taken out only in Puri. The Supreme Court has further banned the Rath Yatra in the entire state of Odisha, given the increasing outbreak of the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19 and the possibility of a third wave.

Last year, only a symbolic rath yatra was organised in the premises of the Lord Jagannath temple in the Jamalpur area here, after the Gujarat High Court denied permission for the usual public procession in the wake of the pandemic.

What is the Jagannath Rath Yatra? Know importance, significance

For the unversed, Shri Jagannathji, Balabhadraji, and Subhadraji are worshiped in the temple of Jagannath Puri. The present temple was built by King Chodagan Dev in the 12th century. The architecture of the temple is of Kalinga style. During the Rath Yatra, Shri Jagannathji, Balabhadraji, and Subhadraji sit in separate chariots and go to their aunt's house, the Gundicha temple, three kilometers away from the Puri temple. After staying there for 8 days, they come back to the Puri temple.

Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra starts every year on Dwitiya Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Ashadh month and ends after 8 days on Dashami Tithi with the return of Shri Jagannathji, Balabhadraji, and Subhadraji.