This festival is held annually in mid-summer according to an ancient Indian legend. According to the legend, the Indian god Jagannath and his brother and sister will ride on huge chariots, departing from the temple in Puri to the countryside. Jagannath is one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the supreme god of Hinduism. The festival has attracted the attention of tens of thousands of Hindus around the world.
The festival begins with the Ratha Prathistha ritual in the morning. This is a sacred prayer ritual performed by devotees to pay their respects to their supreme deity. However, the most exciting part is the festival, when giant chariots are pulled in the afternoon.
The Jagannath chariot has 18 wheels and is over 10 meters high, the other two are slightly shorter and have only 16 and 14 wheels. All three chariots are made of wood and decorated with many bright colors. They are renewed every 12 years. After the parade, the three chariots are returned to the Jagannath temple in Puri.
Indian artisans spent a lot of time and effort to complete these chariots. The chariots were decorated with colorful textiles, painted in colors appropriate to religious beliefs, and decorated with meticulous, elaborate motifs. Up to 12,000 meters of fabric were needed to cover the chariots.
Sitting on the chariots are Indian actors dressed in traditional costumes and playing the roles of gods. They throw flower garlands as gifts from the gods to the large number of devotees waiting below. This 9-day event attracts not only the attention of Indians but also tourists and many photographers who want to "hunt" for unique cultural moments.
