This pilgrimage is also mentioned in religious texts like Skanda Purana, Padma Purana and Purushottam Mahatmya. The main purpose of the Rath Yatra is believed to be that devotees who are unable to visit the temple throughout the year also get the opportunity to have darshan of the Lord.

Nath leaves the city

According to religious beliefs, Lord Krishna promised that he would appear in three special forms with the Sudarshana Chakra in Jagannath Puri on the seashore and would reside forever on Niladri Mountain. People from all over the world will be able to see this form of his. The glory of Lord Jagannath and the special importance of the Rath Yatra are associated with this belief.

This is the external purpose of the Rath Yatra, but there is a deep spiritual meaning behind it. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explained the secret of the Jagannath Rath Yatra by linking it with devotion and love. According to him, the Jagannath temple is a symbol of Dwarka or Kurukshetra, while the Gudicha temple is considered to be a symbol of Vrindavan.

Rath Yatra and the secret of Krishna-Gopis' love

Shri Krishna lived in Vrindavan from his childhood till the age of about 11. There he delighted the people of Vraja with his sweet pastimes. After that he went to Mathura with Akruraji (Odhavji) and killed Kansa and freed his parents Vasudeva and Devakiji.

When Jarasandha started attacking Mathura repeatedly, Lord Krishna took the people of Mathura to Dwarka for their safety. The people of Vraja were very saddened by the loss of Lord Krishna.

Many years later, on the occasion of a solar eclipse, Shri Krishna and the people of Vraja were reunited in Kurukshetra. The gopis felt relieved to meet Shri Krishna, but they did not experience the same loving feelings as they did in Vrindavan when they saw Shri Krishna in his royal attire.

Our mind is Vrindavan.

Then Shri Radhaji said that our mind is Vrindavan and you should sit on our heart-shaped chariot and return to that Vrindavan, where your loving pastimes with us took place. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had expressed this same sentiment during the Jagannath Rath Yatra.

The form of Shri Jagannath manifested in love

Once in Dwarka, Mother Rohini was describing the Vraj Leelas of Shri Krishna. The queens of Dwarka were listening to this story with great amazement. Mother Rohini became overwhelmed with emotion while talking about the Vraj with love.

On the other hand, Shri Krishna, who was standing at the gate, also became engrossed in the sweet pastimes of Vraj. His heart melted remembering the sincere love of the people of Vraj. Along with him, Balaramji and Subhadraji also became engrossed in this feeling of love.

It is said that tears started flowing from the eyes of all three, their hands and feet shrank, and their form gradually became like the divine images of Shri Jagannath, Shri Baldev, and Shri Subhadra.

This event demonstrates the unwavering love and power of devotion of the Lord towards his devotees. The Jagannath Rath Yatra is not just a religious festival, but is considered a symbol of love, union and dedication between the Lord and the devotee.