There is hardly an Odia who hasn’t been part of the Rath Yatra festivities in Puri. One of the oldest festivals of the state, Rath Yatra brings together young and old, rich and poor, famous and the common people, who join in the elaborate procession that begins from the Jagannath Temple, Puri. Sunday POST spoke to a few celebrities from the Odia film industry on their childhood memories of Rath Yatra.
Prominent actor and theatre director Prasanna Mishra says, “I completed my graduation from SCS College in Puri. During my college days, I witnessed the Rath Yatra from ground zero on several occasions. Being a devotee of Lord Jagannath, I would eagerly wait to participate in the grand fair and climb atop the Lord’s chariot. It is a different kind of feeling when you climb the chariot. You feel like you are a member of his family.”
Prasanna says that Rath Yatra is both a spiritual and fun-filled affair for him. “It is a divine feeling which cannot be expressed in words. When I was a child, once during the procession, the Lord’s idol stopped at Charamala Phita (wooden flight of stairs to the chariot) while being taken out in pahandi. Despite rigorous efforts by the servitors, the idol could not be moved. Everyone started panicking. The then King of Puri rushed to the spot and started praying with folded hands to the Lord not to get angry and started apologising for any mistake that he or the servitors had made. A few moments later, the servitors succeeded in carrying the idol to the Rath,” he adds.
Veteran actor Ajit Das says, “For me as a child, the Rath Yatra was a grand affair. I would always look forward to being part of the annual extravaganza. I am from Karanjia. There used to be a single chariot in which Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Balabhadra and Subhadra, would be carried to Mausi Maa temple in a procession. I would make sure to climb the chariot every year. Baripada hosts the second biggest car festival after Puri. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to attend the grand fair in Puri because it is 140 km from my hometown. However, for me, Rath Yatra at Karanjia was the best. I still remember the tribal dance performed by locals once the chariot started rolling. People would dance without a break. We would often have competitions among our friends as to who would be the first to climb atop the chariot.”
Actress Sivani Sangita of Sister Sridevi fame says, “People love to decorate their homes during Diwali. But I love to decorate my house ahead of Rath Yatra. When I was a kid, I used to wake up early in the morning and pluck flowers from our garden to make three large garlands and worship Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Maa Subhadra in our house. Due to my hectic shooting schedule and pressure of academics, I rarely manage to wake up early in the morning these days. However, I always make garlands for the deities. We decorate the idols and offer a special prasad platter. My father is a devotee of the Lord and he makes it a point to visit Puri every year on Rath Yatra. Once he couldn’t make it to Puri owing to some family emergency. I still remember how he cried when he got a glimpse of the Lord on television.”
Actress Bhoomika Dash, known for films like Love Story 2 and Hero No 1, says, “I had gone to Puri to see the Rath Yatra for the first time when I was five years old. I couldn’t sleep the night before out of excitement. The next day, I watched the Rath Yatra but when I saw the mad rush, I got quite nervous thinking that I might get lost in the crowd. My wish of touching the holy rope and pulling the chariot remained unfulfilled. Since then, I have never asked my parents to go to Puri especially on Rath Yatra. Instead, I love watching the event with the live commentary on television.”
Avisekh Rath who has five films lined up for release says, “I am from Biraharekrushnapur near Puri. As a kid, I used to take part in the Rath Yatra that was organised in our locality. We used to have lots of fun. I would enjoy decorating the rath. Along with my friends, I used to pull the rath through the lanes and by-lanes of our locality. Although I have not taken part in Rath Yatra at Bada Danda, I make sure to get a glimpse of Lord Jagannath after his chariot reaches Mausi Maa temple. I share a strange relationship with Rath Yatra. In fact, I too fall sick at the same time the Lord falls sick after Snana Yatra. Besides, Rath Yatra brings me a lot of prosperity every year. I also made my debut in films a few days after Rath Yatra.”
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP