Festival Calendar

Jagannath Rath Yatra 2017

The chariot festival of Puri on Ashadha Shukla Dvitiya.

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Jagannath Rath Yatra 2017 date
Sunday, 25 June 2017
Tithi: Ashadha Shukla Dvitiya
Tithi window: 04:26 AM, Sunday, 25 June 2017 → 01:09 AM, Monday, 26 June 2017

Muhurat & timings

Kashi/IST · astronomically computed
  • Sankalp (sunrise)05:09
  • Sunset18:51
  • Fasting window (tithi)04:26 → 2017-06-26 · 01:09
  • Parana (tithi ends)01:092017-06-26

Festival days follow the classical attribution rules — udaya (sunrise), pradosha (evening), nishita (midnight), madhyahna or aparahna vyapini as each festival prescribes — computed for Kashi/Varanasi (IST). Regional observance can differ by a day in some years.

Read the Jagannath Rath Yatra puja vidhi, vrat rules and katha

Jagannath Rath Yatra — Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrated?

On the Dvitiya of the Shukla Paksha of Ashadha, at the start of the monsoon — the second day of the bright fortnight. For this year's date, see the date shown above.

Which deities ride in the Rath Yatra?

Three: Jagannath (a form of Krishna or Vishnu), his elder brother Balabhadra, and their sister Subhadra. Each has a distinct chariot — Nandighosa, Taladhwaja and Darpadalana — built anew every year.

Why is pulling the chariot considered auspicious?

On this day the deities leave the sanctum and come out to the people, and anyone of any standing may pull the ropes and have their darshan in the open. Drawing the chariot, especially Jagannath's Nandighosa, is held to be a great blessing.

Where do the deities travel during the Rath Yatra?

From the Jagannath temple in Puri to the Gundicha temple, held to be their aunt's home or birthplace, where they stay some days before the return journey, the Bahuda Yatra.