How to Identify the Ratha or Chariot of Lord Jagannath in Puri Rath Yatra

In Puri Rath Yatra, there are three chariots (Ratha) that are pulled from Puri Jagannath Temple through the Bada Danda, the grand road, to Gundicha Mandir. The three chariots belong to Lord Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra. But how do the devotees know which one belongs to Jagannath.

The easiest way to identify the Rath, or Chariot, of Lord Jagannath is by color of the covering of the chariot. The chariot of Jagannath has a yellow and red color canopy and it is also the largest of the chariots.

Jagannatha’s chariot is known as Nandighosh and it has 16 wheels. It also prominently displays the Sudarshana Chakra emblem.

The guardian deity of the chariot is Garuda and the charioteer is known as Daruka.

The flag on the chariot is known as Trailokyamohini.

The rope that is used to pull is known as Shankahchuda.

Along with Jagannath, the chariot also has the idols of Hanuman, Rama, Lakshman, Narayan, Krishna, Govardhan Dharana, Chintamani, Raghav and Narasimha.

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