RATH YATRA

                 RATH YATRA.....VACATION OF GODS...
RATH YATRA IS ALSO KNOWN AS CHARIOT FESTIVAL OR RATHJATRA IT SAID THAT THE LORD KRISHNA WENT TO HIS MATERNAL UNCLE(MAMA) HOME ONCE IN A YEAR  THOUGH IT IS CELEBRATED WITH A LARGE PROCESSION...
IT IS THE MAIN FESTIVAL CELEBRATED IN THE JAGANNATH PURI IN ODISHA...
JAGANNATH IS ANOTHER NAME FOR LORD KRISHNA THIS FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED ON LARGE SCALE LAKHS OF DEVOTEES ARE PRESENT TO WITNESS THE CHARIOTS OF LORDS
IT ATTRACTS OVER A MILLION OF PILGRIMS  IN PROCESSION EACH YEAR.
IT IS PARTICULARLY A ODIA FESTIVAL IN WHICH DEITIES OF LORD KRISHNA, SUBHDRA(SISTER), BALBHADRA(BROTHER) ON A RATH.
THIS FESTIVAL IS ALSO CELEBRATED WITH GREAT ACCENT IN AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT THOUGH IS ALSO VERY POPULAR PEOPLE NOT ONLY OF AHMEDABAD BUT DIFFERENT CITIES OF GUJARAT CAME TO WITNESS THE JATRA OF LORDS.
THE JATRA IS CONDUCTED WITH LOT OF POLICE PROTECTION TO PREVENT THE REGIONAL RIOTS AND UNNECESSARY PROBLEM DURING THE JATRA...
THIS YEAR I ASLO WITNESSED THE JATRA OF LORDS IN AHMEDABAD ON 4TH OF JULY THURSDAY THERE WAS LOT OF PEOPLE WAITING FOR THE CHARIOTS TO PASS BY THE ROUTE.
THE WHOLE ROUTE OF RATH YATRA IS DECORATED WITH LIGHTS AND FLOWER
MANY ORGANISATIONS MAKE THE PANDAL FOR THE SEVA FOR THE PEOPLE PULLING THE RATH OF THE GOD AND OTHER PEOPLE...
IN AHMEDABAD THE YATRA STARTS FROM THE JAGGANATH TEMPLE AT JAMALPUR TO SARASPUR...
I WITNESSED THE YATRA AT ASTODIA  WITH MY BROTHER LIVING IN AHMEDABAD IT WAS A GREAT DAY WITH LITTLE MOIST AND SLOW RAIN THE RATHS ARRIVED WITH THE CHANTS OF JAI RANCHOD MAKAHN CHOR AND VOLUNTEERS PULLING THE  CHARIOTS...
BEFORE THE RATHS THERE ARE THE DECORATED TRUCKS AND THE AKHADA GROUPS SHOWING THEIR SKILLS...