Why Women Alone Pull Subhadra’s Chariot In Odisha's Jagannath Yatra

Rath Yatra, one of Odisha's grandest religious festivals, celebrates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra from the Jagannath temple to their aunt's temple (Gundicha Temple). In Odisha and across India, it's a moment of divine spectacle, towering chariots, chants in the air, and thousands of hands pulling ropes in spiritual unison. But in parts of Odisha, women alone are given the honour of pulling Devi Subhadra's chariot.

When the Rope Is in Her Hands 

In cities like Baripada and Berhampur, only women are allowed to pull the chariot of Goddess Subhadra. While Jagannath and Balabhadra's chariots are led by men, Subhadra's is gently guided by the hands of women, mothers, daughters, workers, students, and grandmothers.

In 1975, Baripada initiated this tradition after a devotee was injured in the overwhelming crowd. To prevent chaos, it was decided that Subhadra's chariot would be pulled by women only. But over time, this practical step evolved into something more powerful, a spiritual space exclusively held by women.

As reported by OMMCOM News, one participant said: "It feels powerful to be part of something our grandmothers were never allowed to do."

Subhadra, unlike her brothers, is the only goddess in the trio, and allowing women to lead her journey feels fitting. In The Print's report on the Berhampur Rath Yatra, an elderly woman says, "Subhadra is us. We walk with her, we carry her."

This simple line holds a deeper truth. In a country where women are often pushed to the margins of ritual spaces, here they lead, with ropes in hand and purpose in their steps. This isn't about headlines or modern activism. It's not loud. Women pull Subhadra's chariot not as a symbol but as participants, as caretakers of tradition.

There's something healing in watching generations of women step forward, not to demand space, but to occupy it, naturally, reverently. Children watch their mothers take charge. Teenagers look ahead, knowing this ritual awaits them too. It's not about challenging faith, it's about growing with it.

What the Chariot Represents Today 

Pulling Subhadra's chariot is an act of community, of shared rhythm and shared strength. But it is also layered; it's about women pulling a goddess forward, in more ways than one. It's about generations of women who watched from behind barriers, now standing in the heart of the movement. 

Even today, traditions like this face skepticism, questions like "Why only women?" or "Why not men too?" But perhaps the answer lies in letting some spaces remain sacred to the ones who've had fewer. Faith, after all, isn't weakened by inclusion. It's strengthened by shared belonging.

As one young woman said in The Print, "We don't pull the rope for equality. We do it because it feels right."