The Bangla Calendar: The Rathyatra Tales

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.