Khurda: The weavers of Routapada in Begunia block of Khurda district have created an identity for themselves by supplying cotton and silk garments for Rath Yatra and other rituals of Srimandir deities.
The families of weaver Gopinath Das and a few of his relatives have been supplying cotton and silk garments for Srimandir deities for last
27 years.
This year too, Gopinath and his relatives have started supplying garments for Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and other subsidiary deities of Srimandir ahead of the Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra in Puri, sources said.
“My father Madhusudan Das had got an opportunity to weave clothes for Srimandir deities in 1993. Since then, my family and a few of our relatives have been supplying cotton and silk garments for Lord Jagannath and his siblings. We had prepared garments for the deities during the Nabakalebara rituals in 1996 and 2015. We had also supplied clothes during the Nagarjuna Besha of the Trinity last year,” said Gopinath.
The second wave of Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns have created hindrances in getting raw materials. Despite the obstacles, the weavers of Routapada have managed to continue their service to Lord Jagannath. “With the blessings of the Lord, we have started delivering garments to Srimandir amid the pandemic. We will complete the task within a few days,” Gopinath said.
The weavers usually start weaving clothes for Srimandir deities on the occasion of Akshaya Trutiya ever year. The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri invariably sends a complete list of garments required for Snana Yatra, Rath Yatra and other rituals, sources said.
The weavers of Routapada have made garments like Cheheli Pata, Geetagovinda Pata, Khandua Pata and Gamuchha for this year’s Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra, scheduled to be held June 24 and July 12 respectively.
“We usually weave around 30 varieties of cotton and silk clothes including Netaphuta, Boirani, Patani, Tanakhosa, Malamala, Srimukha Ota and Gadiphuta for Lord Jagannath and other deities of Srimandir. Around 25 weavers’ families of Routapada have been providing service to the Lord,” Gopinath said.
Gopinath’s nephew Kartikeswar Patra, a differently-abled, is also weaving clothes for Srimandir deities.
“I had started serving the Lord around 20 years ago after finishing my school education. I had never visited Srimandir in Puri but I always feel the presence of Lord Jagannath near me while weaving Geetagovinda Pata. I will continue this service till the last breath,” said Kartikeswar.
Gopinath’s mother Aseli, an octogenarian woman, braves the age constraints to help her family in weaving the clothes. “My mother has engaged herself to the service of Lord Jagannath for last 27 years,” revealed Gopinath.