Ratha Yatra Festival, Puri, Orissa

The Ratha Yatra Festival is an important Hindu festival and is celebrated with great pomp and grandeur in the holy city of Puri in Orissa. In this festival, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram and Goddess Subhadra are taken to visit their aunt at the Mausi Maa Temple and their birthplace, the Gundicha Temple, from their abode, the Jagannath Temple. The three deities are taken on a procession upon beautifully decorated, towering chariots called Ratha. Hence the name Ratha Yatra (yatra - journey). Lakhs and lakhs of people gather in Puri at the end of June or in July to take part in this blessed event. © istock/ Arijeet Banerjee