Alone. Puri.

A picture taken during the festival in Puri, Orissa at the end of June. A Kid on his father's shoulder coming to pray in front of the 3 Chariots. One million people came to visit the gods.The Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the four most famous holy pilgrimages of the Hindus. The festival of Rath Yatra celebrated here on the second day of the bright fortnight of Ashada (June-July), is world famous for the enormous crowd of devotees that gathers to witness Lord Jagannath's yearly journey in his huge chariot. Lord Jagannath, with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, goes to his garden house for five days. At the end of the five days, the three siblings are brought back to the Jagannath temple ( A temple where non hindou can't have access) in a procession called the Ultarath.

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Sculptures. Konark

Inside the Sun temple complex in Konark

Sun Temple. Konark

Fishermen. Puri

Fishermen repairing their nets on the beach in Puri

Devotion. Puri

In front of the chariots

From one to the other. Puri

A pilgrim climbing from one Chariot to the other during the Rath Yatra

Climbing the Chariots. Puri

An older pilgrim climbing the chariot during the Rath Yatra

Devotion. Puri

A pilgrim coming to pray in front of the big Chariots during the Rath yatra

Begging. Puri. Orissa

A begger in front of the chariots, during the Rath Yatra

One day's earnings....Bubaneshwar

Brahmin in a temple. Bubaneshwar

Vaital mandir.Bubaneshwar

Shrine. Bubaneshwar

Brahmeswar Temple. Bubaneshwar

Chariot. Puri

Some pilgrims taking a rest under the shade of one of the chariots. In June it can be very hot in Puri, and in Orissa.

Devotion. Puri

A woman gently touching the gods carved on one of the big chariot in Puri.
Same religious festival as in the two previous images.

Temple. Puri

The Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the four most famous holy pilgrimages of the Hindus.
Workers are cleaning up the temple during the ceremonies.

Light. Puri

A kid in Puri underneath one of the 3 bigs chariots used for the religious festival I talked about in previous shots.
He was lighting some candles.

Beauty. Konark

Symbols of Beauty .

Home. Puri

Watching the people going to the Huge Yatra

Working. Puri

Portrait during the Puja. Puri

Beggars. Puri

Beggars during the yatra in Puri.

Selling Dates. Puri

Selling dates under the goddess eyes..

Offerings to the Gods. Puri

Coconuts are often offered to gods.

Preparing Offerings. Puri

Cleaning. Puri

Chicken. Puri

Dishwashing in front of her house in the fisherman village on the beach in Puri

Walking .... Puri

Fishermen. Puri

Some fishermen working on their nets before going fishing in the city of Puri.

Morning walk. Puri

Cooking. Puri

A young woman cooking food for her husband, a fisherman, in the small village, next to the beach in Puri.
She taught herself English, and it was pretty good, I was impressed. I have her name and address somewhere,
but not here... You can see the pot on the fire in her kitchen. A lovely person and a beautiful smile.
Fishermen have a very hard time making a living there.

Colors. Puri

A boy selling colors for the "tilak" of the women.

Smoking. Puri

Two saddhus smoking "ganja" in the shade of the huge chariots in Puri.
On the left, a one legged one with home made crutch.

Holy Cow. Puri

Always amazing to witness the respect a cow, or bull in that case, can get...

Begging. Puri. Orissa

A woman begging for food during the huge Rath Yatra. A famous festivals in Puri.
Beggars usually come to those festivals where they know millions of pilgrims will attend.

Cleanin the Temple. Puri

Alone. Puri

A kid , already praying, alone in the crowd.
Could it be unconscious imitation ?

Coconuts. Puri

Coconuts are often offered to gods.

Colors. Puri

Plenty of colors on the chariots.

Chariots. Puri

Looking for shade in Puri

This man selling souvenirs was shading awway from the sun in front of the chariots in Puri during the festival

Chariots. Puri

Ratha Jatra, the Festival of Chariots of Lord Jagannatha is celebrated every year at Puri, the temple town in Orissa, on the east coast of India. The presiding deities of the main temple, Sri Mandira, Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, with the celestial wheel Sudarshana are taken out from the temple precincts in an elaborate ritual procession to their respective chariots. The huge, colourfully decorated chariots, are drawn by hundreds and thousands of devotees on the bada danda, the grand avenue to the Gundicha temple, some two miles away to the North. After a stay for seven days, the deities return to their abode in Srimandira.

Puja. Puri

A close up of the priest during the Puja in a Krishna temple in Puri

Puja. Puri

A priest doing a Puja in a Krishna temple in Puri

At Sea. Puri

Some fishermen trying to come back to the beach.
A perillous move..
the sea can be extremely dangerous in Puri.

Gods. Puri

A picture taken during the cart festival in Puri, Orissa at the end of June. Huge crowds there... More pictures from Orissa to morrow...

The Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the four most famous holy pilgrimages of the Hindus. The festival of Rath Yatra celebrated here on the second day of the bright fortnight of Ashada (June-July), is world famous for the enormous crowd of devotees that gathers to witness Lord Jagannath's yearly journey in his huge chariot. Lord Jagannath, with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, goes to his garden house for five days. You can see the 3 chariots in the background..

At the end of the five days, the three siblings are brought back to the Jagannath temple ( A temple where non hindou can't have access) in a procession called the Ultarath.

Jagannath Temple. Puri

The Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the four most famous holy pilgrimages of the Hindus.
It's huge..

Chariots. Puri

The chariots and the crowd through the window of the library.