Bhubaneswar: While Rath Yatra is celebrated on land across the country, a unique tradition unfolds on the tranquil waters of Chilika Lake in Odisha. At Kankan Sikhari, regarded as one of Lord Jagannath’s sacred pastime sites, devotees celebrate an extraordinary boat Rath Yatra, attracting thousands of pilgrims every year.
Following the rituals observed at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, the deities—Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra—are ceremonially placed on a specially prepared floating chariot. The chariot is created by tying together three boats named Nandighosh, Taladhwaja and Darpadalana, symbolising the three traditional Rath Yatra chariots.
Once the deities are enthroned, the vast blue expanse of Chilika transforms into the ceremonial Badadanda, or Grand Road, as the floating chariot glides across the lake instead of being pulled by ropes. Devotees believe that faith and devotion, rather than physical force, carry the Lord on this sacred journey.
The procession circles the small island of Kankan Sikhari before returning to the temple. The atmosphere reverberates with sounds of bells, conches, cymbals, mridangas, and devotional hymns, while chants of ‘Jay Jagannath’, ‘Haribol’ and traditional ululations fill the air.
The rare water-based Rath Yatra in Chilika remains one of Odisha’s most distinctive religious traditions, drawing large crowds eager to witness the unique celebration.
“In earlier times, there were six chariots. The six chariots were required for the Lord to travel from Jagannath Temple to Mausi Maa Temple. In between, there was a river called Malini. The Lord would take a boat ride in that river, and on the other side, three more chariots would be ready and waiting for Him to travel to Mausi Maa Temple,” manager of the shrine, Sushant Kumar Sahu, said.
“Perhaps the Lord is fulfilling that desire of His here at Kankan Sikhari, which is an island. We are worshipping the wheel of the Lord’s Nandighosh chariot here. We have dismantled and brought His chariot’s wheel here. So, how can we roll the chariot? That is why we are conducting this Rath Yatra in the water,” Sahu added.