Rath Yatra: Rath means chariot and Yatra means procession. Rath Yatra is a procession of chariots held in June or July every year in Puri, Orissa. The city of Puri, one of the holiest places in India, is the location of the famous temple honoring Lord Jagannath. Rath Yatra is held in honor of Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe. Jagat means universe and nath means savior. Jagannath (Jagat + Nath) is another name for Lord Vishnu, the Lord of the universe.

The main event of this festival is the procession of the three huge wooden raths (chariots), each about forty-five feet high with wheels approximately seven feet in diameter. The first chariot carries the image of Lord Jagannath, accompanied by over fifty priests who perform the necessary rites. The other chariots carry the statues of Balbhadra, brother of Jagannath, and Subhadra, sister of Lord Jagannath. Devotees from all over India come to Puri to pull the chariots in the procession. The procession begins from the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri, continues through the city, and culminates in a garden (known as "God's Garden"), where the images are maintained for one week before being returned to the temple.

The image of Lord Jagannath, used for Rath Yatra, is carved out of wood and depicts only the face of Lord. This figure has no hands, legs, or other parts of the body. According to one legend, when Lord Krishna entered into Mahasamadhi (a conscious exit from the physical body) his body was placed on a pyre for cremation. The cremation fire only consumed the legs and the hands of Krishna's physical body. The unconsummated portion of the body was immersed into the waters of the ocean. This unconsummated and immersed portion of Krishna's physical body transformed into a log of wood that floated in the ocean towards the beach at Puri. This wooden log was the original image of Lord Jagannath worshipped in the Jagannath temple at Puri.

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