The tradition of Puri's Jagannath Rath Yatra is over 400 years old.
The festival begins only after the Puri King sweeps the road with a golden broom.
The three chariots are named Nandighosha, Taladhwaja, and Devadalana.
– The chariots are made of a special type of neem tree wood, and the wood collection starts on Basant Panchami.
Up to 1,400 carpenters build the three chariots each year.
The canopies for the chariots are made of 1,200 meters of cloth by a team of 15 tailors.
– The horses in the chariots are all white, except for the black horses in Balabhadra's chariot, which are named Tribra, Ghoda, Dirghasharma, and Swarnanabha.
– The horses in Subhadra's chariot, Devdolna, are red and named Rachika, Machika, Jita, and Aparajita.
– The deities are carried to the Temple of Gundicha, Lord Jagannath's maternal aunt, where they stay for nine days. The return event is called "Bahuda Ratha Yatra".
Over 10 lakh devotees attend the Ratha Yatra at Puri.