Festival Description
The famed festival starts in the month of June or July when the raths of Lord Jagannath go along with Devi Subhadra and Brother Balabhadra. They are taken on the main street called Bada Danda. Then the raths are carried to Gundicha shrine, aunt's home where the gods relish a stay for nine days. There the deities are offered sweet pancakes also. The Gajapati king cleans the road with a broom and sprays some sandalwood water. It shows that no devotee is big or small in the Lord Jagannath's eyes.
The custom is held for nine days, in the beginning on the rathyatra the deities are taken to the aunt's place at the Gundicha shrine and lastly all the three deities are transported back to the Puri shrine. The chariots stop at the Mausi Maa shrine on the way back journey where the gods are served Poda Pitha.
If someone has a glimpse of Jagannathji on the rath or touches the rope with which it is being pulled, then it is considered to bestow upon the results of many devout performances for years. When the festival ends the Raths are broken into pieces which are either used in the shrine kitchens or sold to pilgrims as remnants.
