Jagannath Rath Yatra 2026: Every year, on the second day of Shukla Paksha of Ashadha month, the holy festival of his Rath Yatra is considered at Lord Jagannath Ji Temple in Puri, Odisha. This year, this holy festival will last from July 16th to July 24th. It’s not just a religious festival, but a wonderful confluence of faith, tradition and devotion. During this time, Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra ji is taken out, lakhs of devotees reach Puri to be a part of it and have darshan of their Lord. Bathing Purnima festival is celebrated on full moon day of Jyeshtha month before Rath Yatra.
During this time Jagannath ji, Balabhadra ji and Subhrada ji are given special baths (abhisheka) with water from 108 sacred jars. Believed God gets sick and rests 15 days after. Temple doors shut during this time and God gets special medicinal treatment. They’re offered special indulgences prepared with decoctions, medicines and herbs. Bathing full moon has been celebrated this year and God is sick at the moment, but do you know God is sick not because of bathing, but because of the love of his devotee. Let’s know this interesting story.
According to legend…
There’s a legend behind Jagannath ji falling ill every year. According to this story, there used to be a great devotee of Lord Jagannath. His name was Madhav Das. Madhav Das had long been gripped by an illness. He prayed to his adored. He asked Lord Jagannath to relieve his sufferings. God told him on this he still had 15 days of illness left because of his past birth deeds.
God took upon himself the disease of devotee Madhav Das
Lord Jagannath told his devotee that he would be able to get relief from illness only after 15 days, but seeing his devotee’s suffering, God’s heart melted. Believed God took Madhav Das’s last 15 days sickness upon himself after this. Madhav Das became healthy as a result. Since then, tradition of Lord Jagannath being ill for 15 days since Snan Purnima.
This story of Lord Jagannath is not just a religious belief, but a story of unbreakable love between God and devotee. Which shows that God stands to take upon himself the sorrows and sufferings of his true devotee.
