Puri Jagannatha Ratha Yatra(Nabakalebar) 2015 Festival Dates.

Sri Jagannatha Ratha Yatra, Puri, Odisha:

Puri Jagannatha Ratha Yatra is the festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannath being celebrated every year on the Second Day of Shukla Paksha of Aashada Masam (Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya) at Puri, the temple town in Odisha State on the east coast of India. 

The Ratha Yatra of Jagannatha is populary known as Car Festival. It is also known as Gundica Yatra. Gundica was the name of the queen of Indradyumna, the legendry builder of the first temple and hence the name Gundica Yatra for the Car festival.

Puri Jagannatha Car Festival 2015 Beginning and Ending Dates:

This is a nine day festival starts from 2nd day of bright fornight of Ashadha and ends on Ashadha Shukla Dasami every year. This year 2015, Puri Jagannath Ratha Yatra(Car Festival) is known as 'Nabakalebar Ratha Yatra 2015'.  

Because.... the Lunar Month of Ashada(June/July) is followed by another Lunar Month of Aashada[Adhika Masa(extra month)] in this 2015 calendar year. This combination usually occurs for every 12 to 19 years. In the past, this festival was celebrated in the years 1950, 1969, 1977 and 1996. Last Nabakalebar festival was celebrated in 1996.

The first day of the festival is celebrated 'RATHA YATRA FESTIVAL' and falls on July 18, 2015(Saturday) in this year 2015.

During this period, on the first day, the deities (Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra Devi) are taken to the Gudicha Temple located at a distance of 3km from the main temple in three beautifully decorated new Chariots, made for each of three deities.

On the last day(ninth day), the deities are brought back to the main temple on the same chariots. Thus the deities spend Seven Days in Gudicha Temple. The return journey is called Bahuda Yatra. Jagannatha Rath Yatra completes with the Bahuda Yatra.

Significance and Importance of Chariots:

On the day of Akshaya Trutiya (falls on 3rd day of Vaishaka Shukla Masam[April/May]), construction of the Chariot begins at Ratha Khala(Grand Road), Puri. It is a tradition to construct three new chariots for each deity of the temple and after completion of the yatra all the three chariots are dismantled.

The Chariots are made up of Logs of Wood. These wood are brought from the forest of Dasapalli located at  a distance of about 200km from Puri city.

The special names of these three chariots are as follows...

1) The Lord Jagannatha Chariot is known as - 'Nandighosa',

2) The Lord Balabhadra Chariot is known as - 'Taladhvaja' and 

3) The Goddess Subhadra Chariot is called as - 'Devadalana'. 

The colour of the fabrics used to decorate the chariots are yellow, green and black respectively, mixed with red. During the starting of the car festival, the order of movement of the chariots from the temple gate towards the Gundica temple are (a) Balabhadra, (b) Subhadra and lastly, (c) Jagannatha.

Puri Jagannatha Temple RATHA YATRA FESTIVAL Dates 2015:

Name of the Festival	Festival Date & Day
Akshyaya Trutiya, Traditionally, the Construction of New Chariots begins on this holy day.	April 21, 2015 (Tuesday)
Nrusingha Janma (Sri Narasimha Swamy Jayanthi)	May 2, 2015 (Saturday)
Debasnana Purnima	July 2, 2015 (Thursday)
Sri Gundicha  (Rath Yatra 2015 - staring day)	July 18, 2015 (Saturday)
Hera Panchami	July 22, 2015 (Wednesday)
Dakhina Moda	July 23, 2015 (Thursday)
Sandhya Darshan	July 25, 2015 (Saturday)
Bahuda Yatra (Puri Rath Yatra 2015 Closing Date)	July 26, 2015 (Sunday)
Suna Besha	July 27, 2015 (Monday)
Adharapana or Adhara Niti	July 28, 2015 (Tuesday)
Neeladri Bije	July 30, 2015 (Thursday)