Puri Rath Yatra UNESCO ICH Nomination Sought by Odisha
Why in the news
Odisha’s Chief Minister wants the Union Government to put forward the Puri Rath Yatra for inscription as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
Key facts
- Timing: Shukla Paksha of Ashadha (June-July).
- Deities leave the 12th-century Jagannath Temple in the Pahandi Bije procession, mount chariots on the Bada Danda and are pulled by devotees to the Gundicha Temple.
- Chariots are newly built every year using Phassi and Dhausa timber, traditionally from ex-princely Dasapalla by the Mahanadi.
- Builders: hereditary guilds led by Maharana carpenters, working to the Shilpa Shastras.
Chariots
| Chariot | Deity |
|---|---|
| Nandighosha | Lord Jagannath |
| Taladhwaja | Lord Balabhadra |
| Darpadalana | Goddess Subhadra |
Antiquity
- Mentioned in the Brahma, Padma and Skanda Puranas and the Kapila Samhita.
- European travellers noted it from the 13th century; detailed accounts date from the 17th.
Exam angle
- Likely UPSC Prelims items: chariot-deity pairs, Ashadha timing, Gundicha and Mausi Maa temples.
- Contrast the 2003 ICH Convention with the 1972 World Heritage Convention; know India’s ICH elements.
- Mains angle: heritage safeguarding sustains craft communities and livelihoods, not just a festival.