Ratha
/ˈrɑː.t̪ʰə/noun
A ceremonial chariot, especially one used in Hindu religious festivals and processions.
Did you know?The Jagannath Ratha Yatra festival inspired the English word “juggernaut,” originally referring to the supposedly unstoppable procession of the deity Jagannath’s chariot.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ret(h)-
“To run or move by rolling; the reconstructed root associated with wheeled transport.”
Proto-Indo-Iranian
PII
*ratha-
“A wheeled vehicle or chariot.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
rátha-
“Chariot, especially a war chariot or vehicle of a deity.”
Classical Sanskrit
Sanskrit
ratha
“Chariot; a ceremonial or divine vehicle.”
Medieval and Modern India
Indic languages
ratha
“A religious festival chariot, prominently used in processions such as the Ratha Yatra.”
Modern English
English
ratha
“A ceremonial Hindu chariot, used as an English loanword in religious and cultural writing.”