Baripada: Jagannath Sahu is a science teacher by profession, but entertaining people with magic is his passion.
A resident of Kheruna in Mayurbhanj district, Sahu after completing BSc and BEd began his teaching career September 22, 1991. He is currently posted as district science inspector-in-charge at the office of the district education officer.
However, he is known more as a magician to locals than a teacher. “The secret behind magic is science,” Sahu says and adds that people should know that.
He also trains teachers in magic. For his excellent magic skills, Sahu has been honoured and awarded at Mayurbhanj Pustak Mela, FM University, Simant Engineering College, National Children’s Science Congress, the office of the district education officer and a state-level science exhibition.
He has been doing magic shows free of charge with an intention to remove blind beliefs among people living in hilly remote pockets of this district. However, Sahu’s ambition to become an engineer has remained unfulfilled.
“I used to study well. After my schooling, I dreamt of becoming an engineer and was admitted to Cuttack-based Bhubanananda Engineering College. At that time, I was not keeping well and had to drop my studies and came back to the village. Then I completed BSc,” Sahu said.
He recalled an incident which inspired him to start doing magic. “One day, I was returning home to pick up a bus after college hours were over in Baripada. The bus fare from Baripada to Saraskana was Rs 2. I had Rs 5 with me. I came to the old bus stand area where a magician was selling ‘Tabiz’ (amulets) for Rs 2 each. I bought an amulet and handed him over Rs 5, but the magician did not return Rs 3 to me,” he said.
Sahu added that as he had no money with him, he had to walk back to the house of his elder uncle at Bhanjapur. That night he spent hours sleepless and thought of doing magic as a means to remove blind faith among the people.
Whenever there was any magic show, he used to watch it keenly and learnt the art. Back home, he used to practise the skills and gradually learnt all the tricks of the trade. Sahu is trying to bust the blind faith surrounding magic.
PNN