Sacred Journey

Sacred Journey : It is a journey of the Trinity(Jagannath,Balabhadra and Subhadra). The Trinity after getting recovered from the indisposition starts thier journey to aunt' place situated a little away from the main Jagannath temple called Gundicha ghar.The journey from the Sacctum sanctorum of the Jagannath temple to Gundicha ghar or the birth place of Jagannath and his siblings is popularly known as Ratha Yatra or the world famous Chariot festival.Jagannath and his siblings perform this journey on three chariots made of wood brought from a sared forest on a cart made on the same wood. This is only sacred space in the world where the Trinity are worshiped like living beings. Since they are living beings they fall ill, take medicines , visit their relatives and do whatever activities the normal human do.After a ten day stay is a return journey to the main temple from the Gundicha temple. Philosophically the both the chariot and the journey have their symbolism. Kathaupanishad says that the Chariot represents the human Body, the horses are the Senses, the rein held by the charioteer is Mind. The Charioteer is the atman or soul it self. Similarly the Journey is the motion of life , the action or the movement of all living beings. During the ten days at his birth place(Gundicha) he manifests himself the dasavatatara roopa or the ten incarceration (Matsya, Kurma, varaha, Nrisimha,Parsuram, Rama, Balarama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki. Besides, Gundicha temple being the siblings birth place treated as Vrindban or the place of his Leela especially the Rasa in the celestial garden with his shakti Radha. In fact this is the only place where the living deity Jagannath performs his childhood exploits what he had performed at Vrindavan.