At the temple town
of Puri in Orissa, the image of the Lord Krishna (known as
Jagannath in the State) is taken out with great ceremony in
June-July each year. Images of the god and his brother
Balbhadra and sister Subhadra are placed in giant yellow
chariots or raths, which are then drawn by pilgrims.
The chariots are 45 feet high and have six wheels. The
procession or rath yatra draws huge crowds from all
over the country. An atmosphere of almost hysterical devotion
prevails on this day. In earlier years, devotees were known to
have thrown themselves under the wheels of the rath in
the hope of obtaining instant salvation.
To know the other
fabulous festivals of India better you may visit the following
link:
Other
Indian Festivals
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