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Rathayatra is a huge festival for Lord Krishna and His devotees. Everyone
chants Hare Krishna and dances in ecstacy as Krishna in His most
merciful form of Jagannatha is pulled along on the huge Rathcart. At the
end of the procession, there is a big gathering of devotees with feasting,
stalls and spiritual entertainment.
Rathayatra has been held for hundreds of years at Jagannatha Puri in Orissa,
on India's East coast. There, millions of pilgrims come to the festival,
and a new cart is built each year. The original inner meaning of Rathayatra
is very beautiful. In His time on this Earth, Krishna grew up in Vrindavana,
and had great loving friendships there with all the residents, including
the cowherd boys and gopis. When Krishna grew up, he became a King. One
time, the residents of Vrindavana came to see him, but they could not relate
Krishna the king to the mischevious cowherd boy they all knew and loved.
They therefore kidnapped Him, and tried to bring Him back to Vrindavana
on a cart. Being with Krishna like this, they felt simultaneous loving emotions
of closeness and separation.
Jagannatha is a special very merciful form of Krishna who loves festivals! There are two causes for his unique appearance.
First is the story of how Krishna appeared to King Indradyuma and ordered him to carve a deity from a log he would find washed up on the sea shore. King Indradruma found an old brahmin carpenter to carve the deity, but the carpenter insisted that he not be disturbed while he was carving the deity. The king waited anxiously outside his room, but after some time, all sound stopped. Indradyumna worried what had happened, and opened the doors - to find a half-finished deity and the carpenter gone!
The second reason for Lord Jagannatha's appearance is the story of how Krishna was evesdropping on the gopis as they spoke amongst themselves of His pastimes, and how much they loved him. As Krishna listened, His hairs stood on end, His arms retracted, His eyes grew larger and larger, and He smiled broadly in ecstacy. That is why Jagannatha looks as He does.
The festival is only possible by the selfless assistance of many volunteers. Please see the Voluntary Service section.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact
us. 
(c) International Society for Krishna Consciousness 2004
Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada