ODISSI

The RATHYATHRA festival celebrated annually with much pomp and splendour is the high point of all the festivals, attracting lakhs of devotees and pilgrims from time immemorial.To see the LORD on the chariot on the RATHYATHRA day is to secure salvation from the cycles of birth and death.Thus the grandeur of JAGANNATH PURI must be vivid to anyone from the above description.Early Maharis performed mainly nritta(pure dance) and abhinaya(interpretation of poetry) based on mantras and slokas.Later Maharis performed dance sequences based on the lyrics of Jaidev's "GITAGOVINDA".