ratha

Ratha (Proto-Indo-Iranian: ''*Hrátʰas'', Vedic Sanskrit: रथ, ; Avestan: ''raθa'') is the Indo-Iranian term for a spoked-wheel chariot. The term has been used since antiquity for both fast chariots and other wheeled vehicles pulled by animals or humans, in particular the large temple cars or processional carts still used in Indian religious processions to carry images of a deity.

Harappan Civilisation

The Indus Valley Civilization sites of Daimabad and Harappa in the Indian subcontinent, there is evidence for the use of terracotta model carts as early as 3500 BC during the Ravi Phase. There is evidence of wheeled vehicles (especially miniature models) in the Indus Valley Civilization, but not of chariots. According to Kenoyer,

The earliest Copper-Bronze Age carts remains that have been found at Sinauli have been dated to 1900 BCE, which were interpreted by some as horse-pulled "chariots", predating the arrival of the horse-centred Indo-Aryans. Others object, noting that solid wheels belong to carts, not chariots. The late Harappan site of Pirak, Pakistan, has to date offered the earliest evidence of true horses in South Asia, from c. 1700 BC.

Indo-Aryans

Proto-Indo-Iranians

Horse-drawn chariots, as well as its cult and associated rituals, were spread by the Indo-Iranians, and horses and horse-drawn chariots were introduced in India by the Indo-Aryans.

The earliest evidence for chariots in southern Central Asia (on the Oxus river) dates to the Achaemenid period (apart from chariots harnessed by oxen, as seen on petroglyphs). No Andronovian chariot burial has been found south of the Oxus.

Textual evidence

Chariots figure prominently in the Rigveda, evidencing their presence in India in the 2nd millennium BCE. Notably, the Rigveda differentiates between the ''Ratha'' (chariot) and the ''Anas'' (often translated as "cart"). Rigvedic chariots are described as made of the wood of salmali (''Bombax ceiba''; RV 10.85.20), Khadira and Simsapa (RV 3.53.19) trees. While the number of wheels varies, chariot measurements for each configuration are found in the Shulba Sutras.

Chariots also feature prominently in later texts, including the other Vedas, the Puranas and the great epics of the ''Ramayana'' and ''Mahabharata''. Indeed, most Hindu deities are portrayed as riding them. Among Rigvedic deities, notably Ushas "Dawn" rides in a chariot, as well as Agni in his function as a messenger between gods and men. In RV 6.61.13, the Sarasvati River is described as being wide and speedy like a chariot.

Remains

There are a few depictions of chariots among the petroglyphs in the sandstone of the Vindhya Range. Two depictions of chariots are found in Morhana Pahar, Mirzapur . One shows a team of two horses, with the head of a single driver visible. The other one is drawn by four horses, has six-spoked wheels, and shows a driver standing up in a large chariot box. This chariot is being attacked, with a figure wielding a shield and a mace standing at its path, and another figure armed with a bow and arrow threatening its right flank. It has been suggested (Sparreboom 1985:87) that the drawings record a story, most probably dating to the early centuries BC, from some center in the area of the Ganges–Yamuna plain into the territory of still neolithic hunting tribes. The drawings would then be a representation of foreign technology, comparable to the Arnhem Land Aboriginal rock paintings depicting Westerners. The very realistic chariots carved into the Sanchi stupas are dated to roughly the 1st century BCE.

In Hindu temple festivals

Ratha or Rath also means a large, often very large, wheeled cart made of wood, on which the murti of a deity is carried in religious processions, some of which are very important festivals. The Ratha may be pulled by devotees with rope, or pulled by horses or elephants. Rathas are used mostly by the Hindu temples of South India for Rathoutsava ( Temple car festival). During the festival, the temple deities are driven through the streets, accompanied by the chanting of mantra, shloka or bhajan.

Ratha Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the Indian state of Odisha during the months of June or July.

File:Rath Yatra Puri 2007 11071 crop.jpg, The Rath Jatra in the Grand Avenue at the Jagannath Temple, Puri, 2007.
Image:tiruvannaikkaval4.jpg , The Towering Rajagopuram with one of the Temple Rathas
File:Thear 2.jpg , The Great Thear (ஆழித் தேர்) of Sri Thyagarajaswami, Tiruvarur
File:Rath Yatra Puri 07-11027.jpg , The Rath Yatra in Puri in modern times showing the three chariots of the deities with the Temple in the background
File:Nellaiappar Temple Golden Car Nov 2 2009.jpg , Picture of Tirunelveli Nellaiappar Temple Golden Ratha
File:Decorated chariot, Udupi, India.jpg, Temple car (decorated), Sri Krishna temple, Udupi, Karnataka, India
Image:JagannathRathYatra.JPG , ISKCON Rath Yatra at Thiruvananthapuram, India.
File:Tiruvarur temple car festival 2010.jpg, Tiruvarur The largest Temple Ratha car in Tamil Nadu
File:Srivilliputhur_Skyline.jpg , Srivilliputtur Andal Ther - 2nd largest Temple Rath in Tamil Nadu
File:505th Car Festival of Tirunelveli Nellaiappar Temple.jpg , Tirunelveli Nellaiappar Temple Car - 3rd largest Temple Ratha in Tamil Nadu
File:Scattered Temple.jpg , Temple Ratha in Colombo, Sri Lanka
File:Temple car.jpg , Temple Ratha in Chennai, India
Image:Rath Yatra.jpg , Rath Yatra festival in New York City organized by ISKCON
Image:makingofchariot.jpg , Construction of ratha
Image:Banashankari Car.jpg, Banashankari Amma Temple's wooden Ratha, Badami, Karnataka
File:MundkurRatha.JPG, Decorated Ratha, Mundkur, Udupi District, Karnataka.
File:Rato Machhindranath Chariot 01, Nepal.jpg, Rato Machhindranath Jatra at Lalitpur, Nepal
File:Jagadishpur Hat Ratha Yatra 2022.jpg, Chariot of Jagadishpur, in West Bengal.

Rathas buildings

In some Hindu temples, there are shrines or buildings named rathas because they have the shape of a huge chariot or because they contain a divinity as does a temple chariot.

The most known are the '' Pancha Rathas'' (=5 rathas) in Mahabalipuram, although not with the shape of a chariot.

Another example is the Jaga mohan of the Konark Sun Temple

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