During the Rath Yatra, when the Lord of the Universe steps out of his abode with his siblings for a nine-day sojourn, the Holy City sees a steady influx of devotees. It seems as if the entire world wants to be there when Lord Jagannath mingles with the masses. All they want is to have a glimpse of the Trinity and pull the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings. This vibrant festival is a deeply sensorial experience for most, with people from across the world chanting, singing and dancing in unison, while waiting for the chariots to emerge from the Srimandir. Participation in the Rath Yatra is considered a pious act, so people jostle to be able to pull and push the chariots. In the process, many get injured while some become unconscious affected by the rush. That is where some 300 plus volunteers of the India Society for Social Welfare, Action & Research (ISSWAR) from Cuttack play a major role, leaving no stone unturned to look after sick devotees.
Every year, the volunteers of ISSWAR leave for Puri on the eve of Rath Yatra, not just to be part of the grand event but to provide ambulance and stretcher services, first-aid, and drinking water to any pilgrim or tourist who feels unwell. Interestingly, the key role is played by senior citizens who are retired professionals in the 60-plus age group. Under the guidance of seniors, youth chip in to ensure safety of pilgrims coming from afar to be part of the extravaganza. As they serve the tourists and devotees, who are in Puri for the Yatra, they feel they serve not only the Lord but also humanity. Sunday POST catches up with the volunteers in Cuttack.
How it all began
Doctor Bikash Kumar Prasad, vice president of ISSWAR, recalling the inception of the organisation, says, “We were young then. Tusarkant Singh, Ram Bihari Sahoo, Saroj Bihari Pati, Bhim Sethy and I were busy playing cards one summer vacation. He often noticed us merrymaking and one day advised us that instead of wasting time in playing stupid games, usethetime for the well-being of society. Without a second thought, we decided to follow his advice. On July 7, 1997, around 22-23 youths under Ray’s guidance went to cleanSishu Bhawan, the state’s premier pediatric hospital. That apart, we organisedblood donation, cancer awareness and eye care camps at Mahidaspur. We changed the look Sati Chaunra.
“He also realised that cataract is responsible for blindness and that the burden of blindness is more in remote rural communities. That’s why, under the supervision of Ray, we visited Badamba, Narsinghpur, Athagarh, Nischintakoili and Salepur and other rural belts of the district and identified people requiring cataract surgery. We admitted the patients to city hospital and SCB Medical College and Hospital and bore their medicine expenses. We also cleaned the premises of the Income Tax colony at Tulasipur which was filled with garbage. Though our Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a few years back, Ray had been thinking along the same lines even as early as 1997. In the same year, the idea of helping devotees who cometo have a glimpse of Trinity struck him. We decided to erect a camp to help devotees. That is how we started under the supervision of Ray. Hedied one and half years after the formation of the organisation, but we still feel his presence,”Bikashrecollects.
After Ray’s death, Rajkishore Jena took over as president of ISSWAR. It became the first volunteer group which tried to speed up rescue operations and help in the rehabilitation of cyclone-affected people at Ersama. Besides, the organization also works for the well-being of differently-abled kids. It holds annual sports events for special kids and felicitates them on the concluding day.
Role of ISSWAR in Rath Yatra
In 1997, a group of 13 members left for Puri on the eve of Rath Yatra to assist devotees. They set up a camp in front of Allahabad Bank and attended to sick people. The following year, they erected their camp onthe veranda of Emar Mutt and attended to sick people with the help of doctors, pharmacists and nurses who volunteered. The main objective of the volunteers is to help the lakhs of tourists and devotees who come for the Rath Yatra. They undertake different tasks such as spraying water on the crowd, distributing ORS sachets and glucose among devotees, managing the crowd, providing stretcher service, and cleaning various corners of the Badadanda to make sure that people enjoy the grand festival and take back good memories. That apart, they provide cold steam therapy to patients who fall sick due to suffocation. They also provide 200 hand-fans to devotees feeling suffocated. During Nabakalebara of the Trinity, ISSWAR played a pivotal role in regulating crowdsand assisting sick people with the help of 300 volunteers, three doctors and six pharmacists. Apart from Rath Yatra day, they provide firstaid service to devotees on SunaBesha (golden attire of Trinity). One day before Rath Yatra, around 300 volunteers go from Cuttack to Puri in two buses and are trained again after reaching there. They return to Cuttack after the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his siblings are pulled to their destination.
Bikash explains the process of selecting volunteers.“We select volunteers who truly want to serve society andthen provide them special firstaid training before the commencement of Rath Yatra. We host two workshops for the purpose. Age does not matter. But the volunteermust have the desire to do something for society. We start by asking them to get their names registered with us. Then we advise them to be careful about their own safety first. We train them in carrying injured devotees on a stretcher without hurting others.”
Secretary Tusarkant Singh says, “As the day advances, the Rath Yatra crowd swells, and by mid-morning the whole place is filled with people packed like sardines, on the road, balconies, rooftops, boundary walls, and even on the few trees nearby. You will find a flurry of activities on Grand Road. Devotees swing to the chants of ‘Hare Krishna’, while male Odissi dancers seem to be lost in their divine dance. A number of youngsters can be seen carrying miniature chariots atop their heads while some try to perform acrobatics. Everyone is out to draw attention, or perhaps, it is their way of displaying devotion. Priests can be found making their way to the chariots with heaps of garlands and large mounds of tulsi leaves packed in fresh banana leaves. Pickpocketshave a field day too. While large groups of police personnel try to contain the swelling crowds and herd them towards barricades, our volunteers can be seen distributing water pouches, distributing sarbat (lemon juice), helping elderly citizens to have darshan of the Trinity and so on. We provide medical aid as well, so that no unfortunate incident takes place and people who have come from afar to attend the grand event do not feel helpless.”
Regarding funding, he says, “Our volunteers contribute for the cause according to their capacity. No one is forced to donate money. That apart, some well-wishers donate funds too.”
So many memories
Tusarkant says, “Eight years ago, I spotted eight women,possibly 80 plus,trying their best to have a glimpse of Lord Jagannath. They were literally crying. I helped them go around the three chariots and have a hassle-free darshan of the Lord. Even after having darshan, they did not want to return. After a while, I found three of them lying under the wheel of Lord Jagannath’s chariot, waiting for it to move. They wanted to die under the wheels to get moksha. With great difficulty, I convinced them to get up and move away from there. It really surprised me to see their fervent devotion.”
Bikash adds, “A few years back when Jagannath’sRath started rolling, a person informed me that an elderly woman was lying unconscious. When I reached the spot, I found her in a miserable condition. She was vomiting constantly. I made her liein a lateral position, then took her to recovery position. Had I been a minute late, it would have been difficult to save her life. She was sent to hospital immediately and her condition soon became stable. People often take firstaid service lightly without knowing its importance.”
Recalling another interestingincident, he says, “A ‘daitapati’ (priest) got injured during pahandi. Our people went to take him on a stretcher but failed as the stretcher got bent. Finally, our young volunteers had to carry him on their shoulders and take him to camp. We were surprised to see that the ‘daitapati’ was least concerned about his injured leg but very particular about the gifts in gold ornaments and money that he was carrying with him. While we were attending to him, he asked us to call his children so that he could give them the gifts he had received from devotees.”
Ram Bihari Behera, the coordinator of ISWAAR and former superintendent of Orissa High Court, says, “A woman with a heart problem, who had come to see the Suna Besha of Lord Jagannath and his siblings, lost consciousness due to suffocation. It was not possible to take her on a stretcher due to the heavy rush. After first aid, we realised that taking her to the hospital was the need of the hour. Our volunteers had to take her to hospital on their shoulders. The following day, we found her roaming on Grand Road. When asked about her health, she said, ‘I got a new lease of life because of you all. Lord Jagannath sent you to save me.’ Such words from devotees boost our morale. In another incident, TusarBabu had to carry an oxygen cylinder on his shoulder to save another lady’s life. Without Jagannath’s blessings, we would not get courage to manage things in the heavy rush.”
Bhima Sethy, retired head cashier of Allahabad Bank, says, “A young boy from West Bengal got separated from his grandparents in the rush. We were able to findhim. Everyone is busy pulling Jagannath’s chariot, so they may not pay heed to the announcements. After waiting till 8 pm, we took him with us. He spent five days at my house till his parents came to Cuttack to take him back. He is still in touch with my son and they are good friends. His parents always express their gratitude to us.”
Another core member of ISSWAR Prafulla Kumar Sethy, a former banker of SBI, says, “All of uswill die one day. People will not remember our physical appearance, but they will remember our good deeds. Serving humanity, according to me, is the best deed a human being can do.”
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP