Jagannath Rath Yatra 2025, also known as the Chariot Festival or Shree Gundicha Yatra, is one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals in India. Held annually in Puri, Odisha, the festival is observed on the Dwitiya Tithi (second day) of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase) of the lunar month, considered highly auspicious due to the increasing moonlight.
Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra 2025: Date and timings
This year, the grand Rath Yatra will take place on Friday, June 27, 2025.
As per Drik Panchang, the sacred timings for the occasion are:
- Dwitiya Tithi Begins: 1:24 PM on June 26, 2025
- Dwitiya Tithi Ends: 11:19 AM on June 27, 2025
Devotees from across the globe are expected to witness and participate in the iconic chariot procession.
Nine-Day Jagannath Rath Yatra 2025: Schedule
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Here’s the complete calendar for the 2025 Jagannath Rath Yatra celebrations:
The celebration begins with Rath Yatra and concludes with Niladri Bijay on July 5, marking the divine return of the deities to the Jagannath Temple.
ISKCON Rath Yatra 2025 in Prayagraj
The ISKCON Rath Yatra in Prayagraj will be held on Sunday, June 29, 2025. The chariot procession, organised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), will begin at 4:00 PM from Hira Halwai Crossing. It will pass through Subhash Chauraha and Hanuman Mandir, ending at KP Ground.
ISKCON Prayagraj President Achyuta Mohan Das explained that the Sunday event allows more devotees to participate and seek Lord Jagannath’s blessings.
ISKCON Rath Yatra 2025: Spiritual significance
The roots of the Jagannath Rath Yatra stretch back to between the 12th and 16th centuries. While one legend links the Yatra to Lord Krishna’s visit to his maternal aunt’s home, another attributes its origin to King Indradyumna, the legendary builder of the Jagannath Temple.
The festival gained widespread recognition during the reign of the Gajapati dynasty of Odisha and has grown into a cultural and religious spectacle that represents devotion, unity, and tradition.
The central event features Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra travelling nearly 3 kilometres in grand wooden chariots from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for nine days.
Jagannath Rath Yatra Rituals
The Jagannath Rath Yatra follows a sequence of age-old rituals steeped in devotion. It begins with Rath Snana, where the deities are ceremonially bathed with 108 pots of holy water, signifying spiritual purification. This is followed by Rath Pratistha, in which priests sanctify the newly crafted chariots through the chanting of Vedic mantras.
The main event, Rath Yatra, sees thousands of devotees pulling the grand chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple, where the deities stay for nine days. Their return, called the Bahuda Yatra, brings them back to the Jagannath Temple.
The festival concludes with Niladri Vijaya, as the chariots are dismantled, marking the end of the divine journey and the promise of its return.
