Guptipara Rathayatra
| Rathayatra of Guptipara | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1739 |
| Place | Guptipara, Hooghly District, West Bengal, India |
| Height | 36 feet |
| Base | 34 feet X 34 feet |
| Wheels | 16 |
| Style | Nabaratna |
The Rathayatra of Guptipara is an old rathayatra of Bengal, being celebrated since the 1730s. The chariot is a nabaratna-style wooden temple, where the presiding deity in the chariot is that of Radharaman Jiu. The Guptipara Rathayatra covers the second longest distance, the first being the Puri Rathayatra. One of the unique events of Guptipara Rathayatra is the bhandara looth, which is held a day before the ulto rath. A month long fair is held in Guptipara on the occasion of the festival. Every year thousands of devotees take part in the festival.[1]
History
The year when the rathayatra started is not clear. According to some sources, the rathayatra is more than 400 years old. According to other sources, the rathayatra started somewhere between 1735 and 1740. According to Swami Govindananda Puri of Guptipara Shree Shree Vrindavan Chandra Jiu Math, there is a recorded account of one lakh devotees participating in the bhandara loot in 1858.
Chariot
The present ratha or the chariot is a 36 feet high nabaratna-style wooden temple built on a square base measuring 34 feet by 34 feet, fitted with 16 wheels. It has four ropes in the front, each 300 feet long, for pulling the ratha forward and one at the back to act as a brake. One of the front ropes is reserved for women.
Festival
The procession starts from Guptipara Shree Shree Vrindavan Chandra Jiu Math and proceeds towards Gundicha house in Gosainganj Barabazar, about 1.5 km away. The distance covered is said to be the second longest among the rathayatras held in India.
See also
References
- ↑ "২৭৬ তম রথযাত্রা পালন গুপ্তিপাড়ায়". Eenadu India (in Bengali). 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.