The festivals of Orissa have a great peculiarity
in sense of the people's involvement during
the festival time. The religious fervor
in events of all origin and purpose unite
the festivals and fairs in a blissful collage
of dances, music and Jatras that complete
Orissa's calendar year where festivals in
Orissa are concerned.
Populated with many important temples across
its land, Orissa hosts a number of temple
festivals especially related to Lord Jagannath
at Puri including the world famous Rath
Yatra or the Car Festival. Since Orissa
is also constitutes of many tribal communities
especially in its south-western districts,
the festivals in Orissa also include tribal
festivals and fairs that are sometimes intriguing,
sometimes bewildering but always entertaining.
Some of the tribal festivals include Chaita
Parva and Bali Yatra.
Showcasing the mixed folk traditions and
cultural heritage of Orissa, there are many
festivals that are organized in Orissa,
including the Puri Beach Festival, the Konark
Festival and the Kalinga Festival etc. And
then there are religious festivals too,
which also have a unique distinction, such
as Durga Puja, Maha Shiva Ratri, Dussehra,
Diwali etc.
Come with Lets Travel India…as it offers you
an opportunity of a lifetime to explore
the riches of Orissa with its festivals
and fairs.
Lord
Jagannath Rath-Yatra Tour
(9
Nights - 10 Days) Bhubaneshwar
- Cuttack
Also known as Car festival,
this spectacular chariot festival is celebrated
in the month of Asadha, on the second day
of the lunar fortnight that falls during June-July.
Popularly known as Rath Yatra, this festival
is celebrated in the honor of Lord Jagannath
who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord
Vishnu. The car festival or the Rath Yatra
of Puri is the grandest of all the festivals
in Orissa, the land of Lord Jagannath, where
even the dust and sand are believed to be
sacrosanct. It is sacred journey of Lord Jagannath
and his two companion deities - elder brother
Balabhadra and little sister Subhadra. The
triad travels once a year in their newly built
chariots to their material's aunt's house
just 3 kms away and come back.
To see the juggernaut moving in colorful raths,
amidst the mammoth gathering, basking against
the backdrop of the anguished clouds of summer
is a sight for the gods - serene and sublime.
But what has gone behind it is no less interesting.
The origin of the Jagannath cult is old and
obscure enough to give rise to several legends
and theories ranging from the metaphysical
to the mundane.
