Chandan Yatra

Chandan Yatra also known as Gandhalepana Yatra is one of the longest Hindu festivals celebrated at the Jagannatha temple of Puri, Odisha. Chandana Yatra is a 21-day festival celebrated in two parts Bahara Chandana and Bhitara Chandana. Chandana yatra in Sanskrit means Sandalwood Voyage.

Chandan Yatra is celebrated during the start of the summer season and is celebrated for 21 days. According to the Hindu calendar, this great festival starts on Akshaya Tritiya of Vaishakha month and ends on the full moon day.

People celebrate the Chandan Yatra festival with great enthusiasm and devotion. Devotees from all over the world participate in kirtans, and bhajans organized in the temple. The temple is decorated beautifully with flowers and lights. The fragrance of sandalwood paste is everywhere in the temple premises.

In this great festival deities of Lord Jagannath along with Lord Balaram and Goddess Subhadra are taken on a boat ride to the Narendra Tirtha Lake. The boats are decorated with flowers and lights, and devotees sing and dance to the tunes of kirtans.

The Chandan Yatra festival is not just a simple journey. It is a spiritual journey for people and a way to leave behind their worries and immerse themselves in the love of God.

History of Chandan Yatra

The story behind this great festival is very interesting and is related to Lord Krishna. Once Lord Krishna asks his devotee Madhavendra Puri to put Chandan over the God Gopal. This Malaya Chandan was to be brought from Odisha and it was to give relief to God from the extreme heat of April, and May month as the sandalwood has a cooling effect and also smells good.

Devotees apply sandalwood paste over the body of Lord Jagannath. The festival is celebrated in two parts in Puri,the Bahara Chandan and the Bhitara Chandan. Both are celebrated for 21 days each.

The most famous festival of Odisha is Ratha Yatra but the building of the Ratha for Ratha Yatra begins from Akshay Tritiya, the day when the Chandan Yatra begins.

Why Chandan yatra is Celebrated

Chandan Yatra is celebrated every year to relieve the gods from the extreme heat of summer. May/June month is considered the hottest month in India (Vaisakha/Jyeshtha according to the Hindu calendar). During this month the temperature is high and the heat is unbearable. To keep god cool from the heat, people decide to apply Chandan (sandalwood paste) to Lord because Sandalwood paste has a cooling effect, and it also smells good which makes the environment fresh.

The month of Vaishakha is very hot and dry in India and to relieve god from extreme heat the deities are covered with Sandalwood paste. During this festival, Devotees from all over the world gather in Puri to participate in the great Chandan yatra. Lots of kirtans, bhajans, and yajnas are held during this festival. The temple is decorated with flowers and lights and the atmosphere is filled with the fragrance of sandalwood paste and incense sticks.

Who started Chandan Yatra

Madhavendra Puri, a devotee of Lord Krishna started the Chandana Yatra to relieve the Lord from the extreme heat of May, and June by applying Chandana which keeps them cool.

Highlights of Chandan Yatra

Chandana Yatra is a 42-day festival celebrated in two parts Bahara Chandana and Bhitara Chandana.

During Bahara Chandana,  the deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, and Goddess Subhadra with five shillings are taken for the playful trip to Narendra Tirtha Lake.

The two boats named Bhadra and Nanda carry the deities around the Narendra Tirtha and their numerous rituals take place.

Jagannatha, Balaram, and Subhadra and their five siblings are placed on gorgeous boats and taken around the tank for a cruise in the evening.

After the completion of the Bahara Chandan, the Bhitara Chandan festival begins.

During the Bhitara Chandana, the deity is brought back to its original place inside the Temple complex.

One of the main attractions of this yatra is the boat festival where the deities are taken on a boat ride on the Yamuna river.

The boats are fully decorated with flowers and lights to look attractive.

The great festival of Chandan Yatra is not just a journey but a spiritual journey for the people and a great way to leave behind our worries and immerse ourselves in the love of God.

Chandan Yatra 2023

In 2022, the Chandan Yatra festival was celebrated on 22nd April 2023.

Chandan Yatra 2022

In 2023, the Chandan Yatra festival was celebrated on 3rd May 2022.

Next Chandan Yatra festival    

In 2024, the Chandan Yatra festival will be celebrated on 23rd May 2024.

How to Reach Puri

Chandan yatra is a famous festival of Puri, which takes place in Jagannath Temple of Puri for 42 days.

Puri is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Puri is also known as Sri Jagannatha Dhama because of Jagannath Temple located in the city. It is considered a Char Dham pilgrimage site for Hindus.

Puri is located at a distance of 64 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, which has great air, rail, and road connectivity. Reaching Puri is easy as Puri itself is connected by Rail and road from major parts of India.

By Rail -Puri is a major railway junction. There are many direct trains available from many major cities in India, including Bhubaneswar, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad for Puri, one of the four dhams.

By Road– Puri is connected with neighbouring cities with well-constructed roads.

By Air -Puri doesn’t have an airport, but the Bhubaneswar Airport, which is about 53 km away from Puri helps in connecting the city to other cities of the country. Biju Patnaik International Airport of Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport to Puri. Flights to all major cities are available from this airport and one can use a cab, Local bus, or auto rickshaw from the airport to visit Puri which is 64 km away.

FAQs- Frequently Asked Questions