Significance of Chariots Of Rath Yatra – Nandighosha, Padmadhwaja, Taladhwaja

In Jagannath Rath Yatra, we all crave for beautiful and huge cars. But, none of us can compete with Lord Jagannath in this case. He and his brother and sister are lucky enough to have a new car every year which is as high as the sky. He proudly comes out of the Temple ones a year and travels to his aunt’s home. Many skilled workers, architects, and engineers flock together to produce these three magnificent chariots known as the Ratha’s.

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Each year in Jagannath Temple Puri, three enormous chariots are built anew for Lord Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhardra. Over 1,000 logs are brought from the Dasapalla and Ranpur forests, and more than 100 carpenters work for two months constructing the three chariots. A local mill provides nearly 2,000 meters of cloth each year, and the chariots are radiantly draped in color. Very strong coconut fiber ropes, 8 inches in diameter, are used by the devotees to pull the chariots along the parade route. The nails, brackets and fixtures are all made locally, and the smiths work for a month on them. The ratha’s main structure (above the wheels) contains eighteen pillars and roofs. Each chariot holds nine parswadevatas (subsidiary deities), two dwarapalas (door keepers), one Sarathi (charioteer) and one presiding deity of the crest banner (dhwaja devata), and all are made of wood. The most interesting part of these chariots is that each of them has certain specific characteristics. Let’s have a look at the three different chariots and their details!

Lord Jagannath’s Chariot: Nandighosha

You can identify the Chariot of Lord Jagannath by its color. The chariot of Jagannath has a yellow and red color canopy and it is also the largest of the chariots. The Chariot has 4 horses and the color of the horses is White. The height of the Chariot is 45 feet and it has 16 wheels. It also prominently displays the Sudarshana Chakra emblem. The guardian deity of the chariot is Garuda and the charioteer is known as Daruka. The flag on the chariot is known as Trailokyamohini. The rope that is used to pull the Chariot is known as Shankahchuda. Along with Jagannath, the chariot also has the idols of Varaha, Govardhana, Krushna, Nrusimgha, Rama, Narayana, Trivikrama, Hanuman, and Rudra. The face of the Chariot is known as Nandi Mukha and the weapons are Sankha & Chakra.

Lord Balabhadra’s Chariot: Taladhwaja

You can identify the Chariot of Lord Balabhadra by its color. The chariot of Balabhadra has a green and red color canopy and it is the second largest of the chariots. The Chariot has 4 horses and the color of the horses is Black. The height of the Chariot is 44 feet and it has 14 wheels. The guardian deity of the chariot is Vasudev and the charioteer is known as Matali. Gate Keepers of the Chariot are Nanda & Sunanda. The flag on the chariot is known as Unnani. The rope that is used to pull the Chariot is known as Basuki.

I have a keen interest in Religion and Mythology. My favorite past time is to research and find out all the dark and weird secrets our ancestors had. I also work for a religious and spiritualism promoting website www.rgyan.com