PURI YATRA - JULY 13, 2010

PURI YATRA - JULY 13, 2010

Taking out the Lord in chariot, singing his divine name, is an effective form of sadhana and worship bringing in harmony and fraternity in society. Pulling the chariots around the temple garbha mandira though found in many of the temples, taking out side the temple for a distance of 4 k.ms is unique in Puri JagannathYatra. It is said seeing the Lord seated in chariot makes one free from entangling again in the cycle of birth and death.


Millions of people throng to this small coastal town to touch the 50 metre long rope and to have the glimpse of the Lord seated in the Rath.


The 13.5 m height chariot of Lord Jagannath with 16 wheels comes lost.


The 13.2 m height chariot of Lord Balabhadra with 14 wheels comes in the middle.


The 12.9 m height chariot of Mother Subhadra with 12 wheels comes in front or sometimes in between the chariots of her two brothers.



Every year these three wooden chariots are made out of sal wood and at the end of Rath Yatra these chariots are dismantled and the pieces of wood are given to devotees as prasad. Only a particular family of carpenter is given the task of making these 3 chariots. The work starts on Akshaya Tritiya Day which normally falls 3 months ahead of Rath Yatra Day.


Mother Sarada Devi along with her companions had darshan of Lord Jagannath in 1888. Even now, in the Mahalaxmi shrine of the temple, a small plaque about mother’s visit is kept and devotees of Sri Ramakrishna during their visit to this temple spend few moments in this Mahalaxmi shrine for japam and dhyanam.


Though one’s scientific temper may doubt the annual recurring of events like the three deities taking bath with 108 pitchers of water and as a result becoming ill for 15 days and then coming out on Rath Yatra occasion, the devotional fervour that is generated during this event can never be under estimated.


Does this Rath yatra signify the philosophy that our body itself is the chariot? Each and every one is pulling out his own chariot in the world. Since the Lord is seated on the chariot, we are supposed to be careful in pulling out the chariot lest it will disturb His travel. When the journey is over and the chariot is dismantled, we take up new chariot and continue the travel again. When we are tired in pulling the chariot, we turn back to the Lord, pleading for complete rest. This turning back towards the Lord seeing his permission to us free is what is expected out of us. Unless and until it happens we will be busy in our travels enjoying some times and suffering some times forgetting the travel is not meant for us but to the One who is seated inside.



by,

Swami Nishthatmananda
Ramakrishna Mission

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Yoga Mudras for Life

Image
YOGA - HAND & FINGER POSTURES Mudra is the science of hand and finger postures. It can help to cure bodily ailments in a wonderful manner. It affects the body's energetic sysytem and the flow of prana (life energy) within it. It actually helps in balancing the five elements ( panch-tattvas ) in the human system to their optimal levels. A mudrā [muːˈdrɑː](Sanskrit: मुद्रा, lit. "seal") is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. A mudrā is a spiritual gesture and an energetic seal of authenticity employed in the iconography and spiritual practice of Indian religions and traditions of Dharma. In yoga, mudrās are used in conjunction with pranayama (yogic breathing excercises), generally while seated in Vajrasana pose, to stimulate different parts of the body involved with breathing and to affect the flow of prana in the body. A brain research paper publishe...
Read more

Phalaharini Kali Puja

Image
An event in Dakshineswar Bhavatarini Kali temple that took place at 9 p.m. on May 25, 1873. During the years 1862 and 1863, Sri Ramakrishna did his tantric sadhana. He had vision of various Devi’s forms. Although all those forms of Hers were of extraordinary beauty, he said later that they were not worth comparison in that respect with that of Sri Rajarajeswari, otherwise called Shodasi. He said about His vision of Shodasi, “I saw in a vision the beauty of the person of Shodasi which melted, and spread all around illumining the quarters.” That form of Devi he chose to worship, after a gap of 10 years, in the person of his own wife Sri Sarada Devi. It was May 25, 1873, on a new-moon day, the holy occasion for the worship of the Phalaharini Kalika Devi. It was 9 p.m. Master had got everything prepared for the mystery-worship of the Devi privately in his room. Holy Mother was sitting on a wooden seat decorated with Alimpana, facing north to the right of the Master, who was s...
Read more

Sadasiva Brahmendra

Image
The Adhisthaanam (holy resting place) of Shri Sadashiva Brahmendra, an enlightened saint who lived about 350 years ago and composed many scholarly treatises on philosophy and also devotional songs on Rama, Krishna etc. Sadasiva Brahmendra was a great saint and composer of Carnatic music and an Advaita philosopher who lived near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu during the 18th century. He composed mainly in Sanskrit. Only a few of his compositions have survived but they are recognised as great compositions of Carnatic Music. Early life Sadasiva Brahmendra was born to a great pandit named Moksha Somasundara Avadhani. He prayed to Rama and Krishna while his wife Parvathi prayed to Shiva. As a result their son was named Siva Rama Krishna. Right from his birth, he proved himself different from other people. He had vairagya which reached its zenith in his youth but as typical parents, his parents assumed that he would behave perfectly normal after he was united in wedlock. He tried to ...
Read more