RATHAYATRA

car festival of India, observed by taking an image of the deity in a procession through the streets, thus affording darshan (auspicious viewing) of the deity to worshipers who, because of caste or sectarian restrictions, are not admitted to the sanctuary. The most famous Rathayatra festival is that of Krishna worshiped as Jagannatha, which takes place at Puri in Orissa and at Shrirampur in West Bengal, but similar festivals for other deities are observed in many parts of south and east India and Nepal. The images are taken out in procession in elaborately carved wooden chariots, which are often extremely large and heavy, requiring hundreds of worshipers to pull them. See also Jagannatha.