| Rathayatra of Guptipara | |
|---|---|
 Rath (Chariot) of Guptipara on the day of Ultorath | |
| Founded | 1740 |
| Founded By | Swami Madhusudananda |
| Place | Guptipara,Hooghly District,West Bengal,India |
| Organizer | Shree Shree Brindavan Chandra Jiu Math |
| Height | 36 feet |
| Base | 34 feet X 34 feet |
| Wheels | 16 |
| Style | Nabaratna |
Guptipara Rathayatra has been celebrated inGuptipara inHooghly District ofWest Bengal since the 1730s. The chariot is anabaratna-style wooden temple, where the presiding deity in the chariot is that of Brindaban Chandra jiu. The Guptipara Rathayatra is second only to the Puri Rathayatra in terms of the distance covered. One of the unique events of Guptipara Rathayatra is thebhandara loot, which is held a day before thepurnayatra or theulto 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]
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 another source Swami Madhusudanananda of Shree Shree Vrindavan Chandra Jiu Math started therathayatra in the year 1740.[2] In 1858, one lakh devotees participated in thebhandara loot, according to Swami Govindananda Puri of Shree Shree Vrindavan Chandra Jiu Math. In 1873, Swami Prithananda, thedandiswami of Shree Shree Vrindavana Chandra Jiu was run over during therathyatra in an accident.[2] Following that incident, the number ofshikharas of theratha was reduced from thirteen to nine.[2] Every year devotees from the districts ofBurdwan,Nadia,Howrah andNorth 24 Parganas visit Guptipara to see the rathayatra.[3]
The presentratha or the chariot is a wooden Nabaratna temple[4] having nineshikharas. The framework of theratha is made ofShorea robustahardwood.[2] Theratha has a square base measuring 34 feet by 34 feet.[5] It is four storied, having a height of 36 feet.[5] Theratha is fitted with 16 wheels made fromVachellia nilotica hardwood.[2] It has four ropes in the front, each 300 feet long which are used for pulling theratha forward. There is one more rope at the back which acts as a brake. One of the front ropes is reserved for women.
The presentratha is the same chariot that was being used in the first year of therathayatra. It is nearly 280 years old.[5] During the entire year theratha is kept inside a giant metallic cage. Weeks before the festival it is brought out and prepared for the festival. As of 2012, the chariot was in a dilapidated condition.[6] The Guptipara Shree Shree Vrindavan Chandra Jiu Math have been providing patch work to the current structure every year as a stop gap solution. They have approached the district administration and the Archaeological Survey of India for repair.[6]
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.[7]
Thembhandara loot event is held on the day before thempurnayatra or theulto rath.[7] According to Binay Ghosh, this event is a folk event and has nothing to do with the scriptures.[8] On that day the worship of the deity is held behind closed doors atmashir bari or Jagannath's aunt's place. After the worship, huge quantities ofprasada is offered to the deity. Theprasada consists ofkhichuri made ofGobindo bhog rice,labra a mixed vegetable dish, apaneer dish,brinjal andpumpkin fries,payesh,malpoa, khir, chhana, other sweets and fruits.[5] Themprasada is kept in more than 400malsas or earthen bowls in an adjacent store room.[5] Eachmalsa contains nearly five kilograms ofprasada. The devotees begin to gather outside the store room from mid day. According to Binay Ghosh, the majority of the devotees in these event are the localGops, some of whom rehearse for the event from the morning.[8] The priest opens all the three door of the store room at 5 pm and the devotees rush inside the store to loot theprasada. Many of the locals do not cook at home that night and even on the following day.[5][9]
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