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Three decorated Rath Yatra chariots in Puri with devotees pulling ropes

Jagannath Rathyatra

Lord Jagannath

This year
Thu, 16 Jul 2026
in 40 days
Major festival Major
Jagannath Rathyatra 2026 falls on Thursday, 16 July 2026, the second day of the bright half (Shukla Dvitiya) of the month of Ashadha. On this day the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are brought out of the Puri temple and pulled on three huge chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for about a week before returning. Because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar, the Gregorian date shifts each year, usually falling in late June or July.

When it falls

The date shifts because it tracks the moon, not the Gregorian calendar.

2024 Jul 7
Sun
2025 Jun 27
Fri
2026 Jul 16
Thu
2027 Jul 5
Mon
2028 Jun 24
Sat
2029 Jul 13
Fri

Calculated for India (IST) using precise Panchang astronomy. Dates can shift by a day at locations far to the east or west.

Significance & story

Rathyatra means "chariot journey." For most of the year Lord Jagannath — a form of Krishna (Vishnu) — stays within the great temple at Puri, in Odisha. On this one day he, his elder brother Balabhadra and their sister Subhadra are carried out and placed on three enormous wooden chariots, which thousands of devotees pull by hand through the main street. The idea at the heart of the day is simple and unusual: instead of people coming to the deity, the deity comes out to the people. Anyone can see and serve him, regardless of who they are.

The journey is to the Gundicha Temple, a short distance away, often described as the deity's garden house or the home of his aunt. Jagannath stays there for about a week before the return procession, known as Bahuda Yatra, brings the chariots back. The deities and the chariots are made and rebuilt in wood — fresh chariots are constructed each year — which ties the festival to craft, season and renewal rather than to a fixed permanent image.

The build-up matters as much as the day itself. The deities are bathed in the Snana Yatra ceremony shortly before, after which they are kept out of public view for a period of recovery (Anavasara) and then revealed again. Rathyatra is the moment they emerge. It sits in the same bright fortnight of Ashadha that leads into Devshayani Ekadashi, the day Vishnu is said to begin his long rest, so the season carries a strong Vaishnava current.

Rituals & observance

How Jagannath Rathyatra is kept:

  • Three chariots are built fresh each year and lined up before the temple: Nandighosa for Jagannath, Taladhwaja for Balabhadra and Darpadalana (also called Devadalana) for Subhadra, each a different colour and height.
  • Before the pulling begins, the Chhera Pahara is performed — the deities' chariots are swept with a gold-handled broom and sprinkled with water and sandalwood, a gesture that the highest and the humblest stand equal before the Lord.
  • Devotees take hold of long ropes and pull the chariots by hand along the route to the Gundicha Temple; taking part in the pulling, or even touching the rope, is considered a great blessing.
  • The deities stay at the Gundicha Temple for roughly a week, where they are worshipped, before the return procession (Bahuda Yatra) brings them back toward the main temple.
  • Beyond Puri, communities and temples hold their own chariot processions on the same day, pulling smaller raths through local streets with kirtan and offerings.

Regional variations

Puri, Odisha
The original and largest celebration. The three chariots are rebuilt in wood each year, the king of Puri performs the Chhera Pahara sweeping ritual, and the deities travel to the Gundicha Temple before the Bahuda Yatra return.
West Bengal
Widely observed, with major chariot processions including the long-running ISKCON Rath Yatra in Kolkata and the historic procession at Mahesh near Serampore, one of the oldest outside Puri.
Gujarat
Ahmedabad holds one of India's largest Rath Yatras outside Puri, with the deities of the old Jagannath temple pulled through the city on chariots accompanied by elephants and akhada groups.
How this date is determined

Observed on the Dwitiya tithi of Ashadha (Shukla paksha), reckoned by sunrise (udaya tithi). Should the tithi fall across two days, tradition keeps the earlier day (purva-viddha).

Dates are computed to astronomical precision (NASA/JPL ephemeris), in line with traditional panchang.

Frequently asked

What date is Jagannath Rathyatra in 2026?
Jagannath Rathyatra 2026 is on Thursday, 16 July 2026, the second day of the bright half (Shukla Dvitiya) of the month of Ashadha.
Why does the date of Rathyatra change every year?
It follows the Hindu lunar calendar, falling on Ashadha Shukla Dvitiya. Because the lunar months do not line up with the Gregorian year, the date drifts each year, usually landing in late June or July.
What is the Rath Yatra actually about?
It is the one day when Lord Jagannath, along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, leaves the Puri temple and is pulled on chariots through the streets to the Gundicha Temple. The meaning is that the deity comes out to be seen and served by everyone, not only by those who can enter the temple.
Why are there three chariots?
Each deity has their own chariot: Nandighosa for Jagannath, Taladhwaja for Balabhadra, and Darpadalana for Subhadra. They differ in colour, height and the number of wheels, and new ones are built from wood every year.
Is Rathyatra only celebrated in Puri?
Puri in Odisha is the best-known and largest celebration, but Rath Yatra is observed wherever there are Jagannath temples and Vaishnava communities, in India and abroad, with their own chariot processions on the same lunar day.

Plan around it

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