Puri
used to construct total 6 chariots, two for Jagannath, two for Subhadra
and two for Balabhadra. But now a days, only 3 chariots are pulled
through the streets of Puri. Why?
The reason simply lies in town's geography. It is said that, in long past, a big canal, known as Balagundi Nala, existed in the route of Ratha Yatra, between Jagannath temple and Gundicha Temple. It was not possible to pull the huge chariots over the Nala. So, devotees used to pull first 3 chariots from the Jagannath temple to one side of Balagundi. After reaching there, they used to carry the idols in the time of crossing the Nala and place them in another 3 chariots. These 3 chariots were pulled to Gundicha Temple finally.
But in the year of 1282, King Keshari Narasimha of Puri, instructed his people to fill up the Nala with sand and mud. After that, a street was made over it. Since then, Puri is constructing only 3 chariots for Jagannath's Ratha Yatra festival.
The reason simply lies in town's geography. It is said that, in long past, a big canal, known as Balagundi Nala, existed in the route of Ratha Yatra, between Jagannath temple and Gundicha Temple. It was not possible to pull the huge chariots over the Nala. So, devotees used to pull first 3 chariots from the Jagannath temple to one side of Balagundi. After reaching there, they used to carry the idols in the time of crossing the Nala and place them in another 3 chariots. These 3 chariots were pulled to Gundicha Temple finally.
But in the year of 1282, King Keshari Narasimha of Puri, instructed his people to fill up the Nala with sand and mud. After that, a street was made over it. Since then, Puri is constructing only 3 chariots for Jagannath's Ratha Yatra festival.
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