Chandan Yatra, Orissa

Chandan Yatra, Orissa is another eminent Orissa festival that has a strong religious character. The 21 day long festival is celebrated with pomp and grandeur at the premises of the Jagannath Temple in Puri. The gala festival commences during the month of April or Baisakh in the Indian calendar.

The festival celebrations of the Chandan Yatra mark the culmination of the year long celebrations of the religious ceremonies that are conducted within the sacrosanct premises of the Jagannath Temple. The festal activities surrounding the sacred Chandan Yatra starts from the observance of the auspicious "Akshyaya Trutiya" and is followed by three weeks of festal fervor. The festival is celebrated at that time of the year when the state of Orissa faces the sweltering summer heat and the mercury soars to unbearable heights. The scorching heat prompts the people to make use of sandal paste (chandan) and plenty of water to keep themselves cool.

An interesting feature of Hinduism that deals with idol worship is the fact that the deities are fashioned after human beings and their idiosyncrasies. Consequently, during this festival the deities like their human counterparts are placed on colorful and embellished boats called 'chapas' and then are made to float on the water's surface after which they are once retreat to the confines of the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine.

The festival is also celebrated in the capital city of Bhubaneswar where the idol of the Lord Lingaraja is worshiped by the devotees. The festive celebrations of the Chandan Yatra attracts swarms of pilgrims as well as the hoi polloi to the east Indian state of Orissa.