Views on Ratha Yatra - last year, photos and v-clips

Wow, thank you for sharing all these interesting pics!

Jagannath's cart is in place now. Subhadra's and Balaram's follow later.

flags are used to give signals of when to pull (green) and when to stop (red)

On the yatra itself it is hard to be in the crowd to take photos and video, and moving in the crowd is difficult. Obviously TV with different cameras positioned has an advantage. The crowd forms in front of the rathas when they are standing. Police has to make space, when it is time for the pulling of the carts again. This is Jagannath's cart.

To make space the lathis (sticks) are used. Without them no one would move. Mostly threatening is sufficient. Some beating happens also, even though not with full force.

The main pulling is done by the police. First the carts of Subadhra and Balaram are moved.

The panda families placed on the carts are there by hereditary rights.

the carts are packed

another view, Jagannatha's Ratha. The pandas placed there are more organised. Fortunately, the crowd is dispersed by the time the Jagannath Ratha moves. So there is opportunity to join and pull if one wants to.

A view from within the crowd: there are groups of people banging ganthas and gongs, some dancing in their own circles.

an occasional vaishnava with tilak in between

some people offer services, like this one, collecting "garbage", others walk around with stretchers, and many spurt water into the air to cool everyone down (this makes photographing with delicate equipment within the crowd particularly difficult). I was told that it rains at least once during the first day of Ratha Yatra, no matter on which date the beginning of thefestival falls, and whether the monsoon has already set on for Orissa. True or not, that's what I was told. Last year it rained some during that day, but the monsoon had already arrived, since it was on a late date, July 1.

offering prayers while Jagannatha's Ratha stands still

Jagannatha's cart on the way

a rare Gaudiya Vaishnava representation

I intend to place a video clip on Jagannatha's car moving here, in case the 6 hour TV thread is not active permanently. I want to continue with the rest of my photos.

On the evening of the second day, the three cars with the murtis are standing infront of Gundicha Mandir, and the cars are prepared with an access, so people in crowds can come and touch him. In the afternoon individuals can climb the car, in the evening the general public can come and enter the car through a gate built on place.

During the Ratha Yatra pulling itself, it is not really possible to see the murtis, one can only get occassional glimpses, since so many people stand on those cars. In the eve of the second day however, all the murtis can be seen and touched. Here some photos of Jagannatha.

from closer. The light situation is difficult, since he stands in the shade, but the viewer out in the light.

another view from close up

The accesses to the cars are under construction for hours, also done from scratch.

I hope to find a photo later with the three cars standing side by side, and I'll put it here.

offering prayers

What really astonished me is the fact that very few vaishnavas, bhaktas visible as such, are present. Of course, any small representation of a Math disappears in the masses of Oryan and Bengali visitors. One would not see this as a vaishnava event, if one would not think it like that. In fact, Jagannath is seen differently by different traditions. Some see him as Shiva, even the Buddhists accept him in their iconography. (But, of course, it also needs to be added, that as Westerner one does not have access to the events in Gundicha Mandir and all the other activities restricted to Hindus. Most people leave after the second or third day, while the real festival continues for another seven days.)

This is why I as a bhakta wish to offer my unlimited prostrations to this bhakta couple, simple people from some village, perhaps coming a long way from West Bengal (they do not look like Oryans).

A murti of Krishna on Jagannath's car

a coconut offering

Pandas sitting on the car waiting for the hour when the crowds of people will come to touch Jagannath

A panda in his full outfit

a photo of Baladeva

and one of Subhadra

a number of wooden reliefs decorating the cars

Ganesh
I am placing Keshavas comments here

Nrisinhadev

Hanuman carrying Ram

Mohini-Murti?

a cute little person watching there

another one

and another one

this is a nice one

Simha Dvara or Lion Gate is the main gate of Jagannatha mandir (facing East?). Note the Stambha/column in front of it. Just inside this gate is a mural/icon of Jagannatha called Sarva Jana ki Jagannatha (everybody's Jagannatha) which can be see by persons like us, mllechas who have to stand outside and are not allowed entrance.

Keshava

These hammers are used at many Rathotsavas to apply and remove wooden chocks to the wheels to the wheels to when the Rathas are stopped and started.

Keshava

The offering of coconuts is very typical at temples and especially Ratha festivals. Here we see some people have the Panda offer the coconut for them. Others offer it themselves. The other tradtion at Ratha festivals is as seen in one of the clips, people offer the cocnuts in arati (in circles) fashion and then break the coconut on the ground in front of the cart. This is said to be good luck. The idea is that it may be fated that something breaks at the time of the festival. So people think that if something is fated to break let it be the cocnut and not the wheel of the chariot. That is why they break the coconuts in front at the beginning of the route. This is a universal custom in South India spanning all traditions.

Keshava

Notice the elephant offering pranams above the astabhuja (8 armed) Visnu. This is a depiction of Gajendra Moksha.

Keshava

Astabhuja nrtya Ganesha, dancing on his musika vahana, swinging a snake (I have never seen a snane like that before, with leopard colorings?). Very cool!

Keshava

PS Note that Ganesha here has his trunk to the left (illam puri), he also holds japa mala, musala (a type of club), an ankusa (elephant control crook), a staff?, and a bowl of modaka laddus. In his formost right hand can be seen his broken tusk which he used to write down the sastras. Proving that Ganesha is right handed. He also has a third eye in the middle of his forehead like his dad (Siva) and wears tripundra three lined tilaka.

Keshava

Narasimha with 22 arms. Also Cool! Note that He also has three eyes, and that Hiranya is Green colored (a typical demoniac color) and has fangs. He is holding a short sword and small shield. The emblem on the shield reminds one of the cresent moon symbol of Islam (I wonder if that is intentional?) The strangest thing about this image is that Nrsimha seems to have some items in his foremost hands. This is strange because He is supposed to have killed the demon without using weapons (with just his claws).

Keshava

Sri Rama on Hanumanta Vahana.

Note that both Rama and Hanuman wear Ramanandi or Ramanuji tilaka. Rama has an arrow at the ready. Also if one looks closely we see a faint sarced thread on Hanuman just like on Sri Rama. I guess that if monkeys can be brahmins this gives us some hope also.

Keshava

Unidentified Goddess.

It's hard to see exactly who this Goddess is? The items in the upper arms are partially obscured. Her lower left hand is in abhaya (no fear) mudra usual for Laksmi, whereas the lower right has a japa mala usual for Sarasvati. Seems like a figure in the upper left and maybe a cakra or chamara in the upper right. Too dificult to tell. If chakra then it's Mohini. If chamara who knows? Figure in the upper hand is something you would expect from Shiva or Devi. So this might be an amalgamated Goddess with several traits common to several deities. Notice also the Lion in the lower left corner. This if a vahana/ carrier image would indicate Durga/Devi.

My bet would be on a combined Durga/Laksmi/Sarasvati.

Keshava

Notice the hairstyles of the different female figures. All hair is tied up in buns. This is a typical ancient haristyle which can be seen in much of the iconography in South India.

Also the style of dress. The first two female figures are definitely wearing Saris in an interesting style. Note that there are no front pleats. This is common with some of the longer (nine yard) varieties used by the brahmin ladies of South. However there is not enough detail to tell exactly the style. Also there is definitely cholis indicated which is a modern touch.

The third female image does not seem to be waring a sari at all. This is probably the image of a devidasi of which the Jagannatha Temple is famous.

Keshava

Thanks for sharing these

Jaya Jagannath!

I really enjoy this thread "Sacred Views". Thank you so much Navadip and keshava for all your effort. I liked the way keshava gave all the details.

I wonder if I will be fortunate enough to visit Shridham Puri during Rathayatra Festival!

Rathayatra Festival ki jay!