The Rathyatra Tales - IV

The stage all set for the chariots

The Rathas arrive..
 

Around 4.30pm, suddenly the cries magnified. The first ratha carrying Balabhadra had been sighted. The crowd which had grown calm had suddenly woken up hysterical and frantic.twelve feet in height. Gigantic and magnificent it was a glorious sight for all of us. Richly decorated in the Pipli art, it was not gaudy but immensely beautiful.

People perched up on chair

People shoved and hit each other as they surged forward to acquire a better view of the chariot and the deity. Resplendent in green, yellow and red, the chariot was more than

A monkey climbing up for a better view

They reminded me of the Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata except that this one was mobile and throbbing with life. Yes, they were full of life! The servitudes whom we commonly refer to as the Pandas or the Daitapatis filled the Rathas from every angle. No matter how hard one tries to count them, you simply can’t get your numbers right! Tall or short, they stood out from all angles, their round bellies sticking out from the Ratha; long, heavy chains made of pure gold hung from their neck, arms laden with heavy gold armlets they were a spectacle indeed! This is a special day when the Daitapatis deck up in all their treasures and flaunt them publicly. They can put any newly married bride to shame. While all the Daitapatis filled the Ratha, two of them sat perched precariously on the wooden horses as sarathees or charioteers.I wondered how inconvenient it is for them to sit on those horses for hours, holding to the wooden caricatures with one hand while with the other they mimicked the act of riding a horse.

Entry of Balabhadra

Isn't it beautiful?

The chariot came into view with a huge burst of sound. We had been hearing a faint music for quite some time. But as the chariots drew closer they increased in their intensity. Huge kashor, ghonta, shonkho, banshee, khortal were the various musical accompaniments that the Pandas carried with them. They brandished them in the same way they flaunted their jewellery. The rhythm was in sync with the way their huge, rotund bellies glistening with sweat swayed.

In one word the show was full of opulence and grandeur!

In the midst of all this I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to catch a glimpse of the deity. The magnificence of the ratha, the burst of music, the glitter of gold, the shrieks and cries emanating from the crowd, the stench of sweat had overwhelmed me. Finally I raised my hands just the way I have seen the Odiyas do at the local Jagannath Mandir and cried my heart out ‘Jai Balaram’!

The ratha carrying Balabhadra marched ahead at an erratic pace. Despite the huge manpower and ropes which stretch till two kilometers, the ratha cannot be pulled at one go. The sun, the humidity, the chaos and the exertion ensures that the ratha moves only a few metres before the rope pullers decide to stop and regain their stamina.

Ratha carrying Subhadra

Soon the ratha carrying Subhadra came into view. Another beautifully decorated ratha! The crowd seemed to be thinner as many had followed Balabhadra. Some had decided to sit down and gather their energy before the Lord Jagannath arrived. It made me wonder whether Ma Subhadra is a lesser deity in the eyes of the public. Well I don’t really care as it was a good opportunity for us to touch the ratha and get blessed. My four year old perched on his father’s shoulders; we managed to penetrate the crowd. I could see the police beating all those who had ventured close enough to the ratha. I cowered on seeing the danda. But he probably realized that we were not one of those trouble-makers and allowed us to touch the rope. We touched it not once but twice! We touched the holy rope, tried to tug at it, got some prasad and flowers from the generous Daitapati. I was shaken out of my bliss as I got pushed and jostled around by the surging crowd. Thrown into the mud, I tried my best to get up only to find myself sinking into it further. The husband was also caught in the crowd, shooing off people as if they were flies, meanwhile holding on to the child on his shoulder. A kind-hearted man finally sighted me, pulled me out of the muck, lifted me and planted me on the footpath. I turned around to thank him but by then he had vanished in the crowd.

A closer glimpse of the ratha

By the time I cleaned my face and washed off the mud from my ruined kurta, Lord Jagannath had finally arrived in another gigantic chariot. The Daitapatis were seen flourishing their gold and musical instruments - all symbols of health and prosperity. This time, unlike the other rathas, the Lord could be seen clearly. I raised my hands towards him and prayed with the Kashor, ghonta, ululu playing in the background.

It was already 6pm and the Lord doesn’t travel after sunset. The ratha was grounded in front of us while the Daitapatis threw flowers and prasad around.

Around 7pm we realized that the crowd was thickening as people lined up in queues for a darshan atop the ratha. Sorry we had no guts for that. The devotees were in frenzy. I could see pilgrims chanting, men singing, women shedding copious tears, women shrieking and tearing their hair, some youths gyrating and eyeing women they could grab. No, we couldn’t risk ourselves further. It had gotten pitch dark except for the tiny diyas that lit the rathas.

The sarathees

Surrounded and shielded from all sides by my husband’s colleagues we groped our way through the dark alleys and hitched a ride back to our hotel.Later that night my husband’s colleagues had gone up the ratha after waiting in the queue for three hours and after paying the servitudes Rs 1000/-.

On retrospect I think that we wouldn’t have been able to witness this grand sight if we were not a part of the huge group of fifty families, if we did not have our friends protecting and guiding us from all sides and if we did not have the opportunity to view this scene from the three-storied house.

 

Some tips for you in case you plan a trip on Rathyatra: 

·        <Reach the night before Rathyatra

·         <Stay somewhere close to the Grand road so that if you need to walk you can manage the distance.

·         <Stay away from the beach. It’s not a sight you would wish to remember. It’s littered and the stench is overpowering.

·         <No point staying in the hotels on the beach. Too much noise, traffic, procession and ‘chengra’s. and yes too high a tariff.

·         <Get the timings of the Rathyatra so that you can plan your day. You should proceed for the Grand Road three hours prior to it.

·         <Unless you have a place where you can dump your backpack don’t carry much. 

·         <Dress in comfortable clothes. Women in salwar-kurta or a loose top and jeans. No dupatta please. You can get strangled by your own dupatta. Tie your hair securely or it may get pulled. Do not wear danglers or your ears will be in danger. In case it rains there will be mud everywhere. So take care while selecting your footwear.

·         <Be very careful with kids. So many announcements about children getting lost, mothers crying for their child. Their cries still haunt me.

       <Grab water packets when you get them. They come in handy, instead of carrying heavy bottles. Carry enough snacks to last you through the event. There are numerous shops lining the pavement on both sides. <Reach early, select a nice shop on the first floor with a balcony, have a word with the dealer and plan to sit there for hours. Carry an umbrella. 

·         <With senior citizens be careful and chalk out an exit plan in case the ratha gets suck after sunset. The local shopkeepers are very helpful. Talk to them and they will help you out

·         <The servitudes charge a lot of money for a darshan on the ratha and much more for touching the deity. Keep in mind that there are many pick-pocketers around.

 Good luck people! Get in touch if there is more you wish to know! I can always find out more for you!

The Rathyatra Tales - III

The day of Rathyatra

Getting ready!

I have heard so many tales about Rathyatra. But experiencing the city during this event and the festival is an emotion which is very personal and special. 

Every year an auspicious time is fixed for the chariots to begin their journey towards the Gundicha Mandir. This year the local dailies and the loudspeakers announced the time as 3.30 pm. 

We woke up pretty early to see people walking on foot, bags on their head towards their destination. We couldn’t decide the time when we should start for our destination. We did not want to be there very early as keeping a child engaged till 3.30 would be a tough struggle and neither did we want to reach late. Well, my husband’s colleagues who were scattered around the city kept on giving us updates about the traffic, crowd and the blockage of roads. Around 12 pm, after a heavy brunch we decided it was time we started for our destination. Any further delay would mean getting caught in the unruly mob or lack of transport which would mean walking all the way. 

The Rathyatra Walk

The ride which should ideally cost Rs 50/- was Rs 150/-. We were told that ‘this is one day when we charge more than double. This is the day when we get the opportunity to earn lot of money’. Such an honest and straight reply! Can one really argue or haggle with him? 

We boarded the auto but after some five minutes were stopped by some cops. Seems we couldn’t go beyond the check post. But the auto driver turned out to be no novice. He had had his story ready for them and had given us a well-rehearsed script when we boarded. We simply had to state that we had checked in a hotel around the corner and can’t walk as the child was unwell. Now who doesn’t sympathize with such a family!! So we covered some more kilometers in the auto. The driver was adept. He could make out any kind of check post or gathering of cops from far, such was his familiarity with the roads and by-lanes. The moment he would spot one, he would take the next lane, explore some short cut and land us at the next check post. This went on till we reached a point from where there were no more short cuts, no hidden lanes to take us beyond this hurdle. The auto driver had earned his fare!

The walk from that point towards our destination was around 30 minutes.

 The walk towards the temple. Can you see the temple?

We could see the Jagannath temple at the other end of the road. The crowd gradually thickened as we progressed towards the temple and the child had to be put on his father’s shoulders. 

Dahi vada-the local delicacy

Camps had been set up at every point. Little boy scouts looking striking in their blue uniform, Dahivada lassi makers, nimbu paani makers could be seen making brisk business. The weather seemed to collude with them as the discomfort index rose high. We walked with the sun shining down on us, sweat running like tiny streams down our body. I could feel my kurta wet and clinging to my body. My backpack stuffed with water, snacks, emergency medicines and a change for the boy was getting heavy and my shoulders ached. But there was a rhythm in the air which kept us moving and the tired boy swaying! 

The tired scouts

The scouts stood at every camp helping out with directions, information and distributing water packets to all. Every shop along the pavement distributed water to all passersby.

Do you see the red ratha shaped Airtel ?

And then all of a sudden the sky darkened. The bright sun gave in to thick Nimbus clouds which threatened to pour any moment. Not willing to get drenched we took shelter in a shop. The skies opened up and it poured for nearly two hours making it impossible for us to venture further. The elders in my family have always maintained that it has to rain on the day of Monosha Puja, Bipodtarini Puja, Janmashtami, Ambubachi and yes Rathyatra. But for the last few years, this particular festival has seen no rain. Hence the heavy and steady rainfall was interpreted by many around as a divine blessing. Around 2 pm, the heavy downpour gave way to a light drizzle and we stepped out of our shelter.

Our destination was a huge three-storied house which belongs to an employee in my husband’s organization. It’s situated mid way to the temple. The huge, sprawling terrace offers the best view of the festival. We found around fifty families camped on the terrace. 

A view of the pandemonium

Keertaniyas on their way

ISKCON devotees

It was 2.30pm and the wait had finally begun as phone calls came in updating us about the activities in the temple. The wide road leading to the temple had by then become hidden in a swarming mass of devotees, processions and vendors. The road was engulfed in a frenzy of myriad activities. Keertaniyas singing ‘hari naam’ moved towards the temple. ISKCON devotees sang and danced to Krishna bhajans accompanied by their dhol and kortaal. People clad in various fancy costumes of Gods and Goddesses made their way to the temple. Sanyasis carried huge, triangular green mounds on their heads, precariously balancing them as they made their way through the crowd. I later came to know that those mounds comprised of holy basil leaves and flowers for the deity. Pilgrims from various sects, clad in a wide array of colors (yellow, white, saffron, red, green) sang all along the way.

Code Red: another group of devotees

 A human rainbow indeed!

Spot the triangular mound

Opposite the building where we were camped, was the Akshaya Patra Foundation (known for their work with children). They were distributing free meals to all. These meals are cooked in huge, steel containers in the ‘dum’ style. Serpentine queues amalgamated at the counter where the meals were given. 

The Mobile Kiosks

Mobile push carts selling Khaaja (the famous Puri Goja) could be seen everywhere. Tiny kiosks also sold Tanka Torain (a traditional fermented drink from rice cooked in the temple kitchen).

The water sprinklers

The cries of the people, the keertan and the chants of the sanyasis were steady background music to the scene enfolding below, broken intermittently by the shrieks of the ambulance.
Many devotees collapse due to the heat, humidity, exhaustion and dehydration, hence the ambulances and their mournful wails are a common and welcome sight. The huge sprinkler trucks maneuvered its way through the teeming masses sprinkling generous amounts of water cooling the earth and quenching thirst of a few lakhs of people.

Long queues for the free meals

Akshaya Patra Foundation distributing free meals