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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2008/07/13/stories/2008071352410300.htm)
Other States
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Orissa
Many witness Bahuda Jatra in Puri
Sib Kumar Das
Police did not take chances in the light of the recent stampede
Photo PTI
Religious fervour: Devotees pull the chariots of Lord Balabhadra at Bahuda Yatra, the return journey of the Lord to the temple, in Puri on Saturday. —
PURI: There is no place for panic where faith prevails. The death of six persons in a stampede on ‘Srigundicha’ day of the ‘rath yatra’ on July 4 has no impact on the devotees who thronged to Puri to witness ‘Bahuda Jatra’. The ‘jatra’ is the return journey of the deities of Sri Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarsan on their three chariots from Gundicha temple to Srimandir or the main temple.
The large open space near Gundicha temple called ‘Saradhabali’ was again jam-packed by lakhs of devotees. In the light of the recent tragedy, the police and the administration were extra cautious. The cordon around the chariots was more tight. Police teams were positioned at strategic points to avoid stampede.
VIPs, however, had their secure and comfortable points to witness the ‘jatra’. But for common man, faith seemed to be the shield of protection.
‘Faith matters’
Over 70-year-old Kamini Rath of Koraput said that she had no fear though she heard of the stampede. She witnessed the ‘Srigundicha’ and was here again to witness the ‘Bahuda Jatra’. “The desire to see the rath yatra of the Lord makes all pain and problems disappear from the minds,” she said.
Rangadhar Panda, a reporter of a news channel, who was an eyewitness to the stampede, felt that the calmness exhibited by the crowd in Puri was surely noteworthy. Despite the stampede and death of people, the ‘rath yatra’ was not disrupted.
“Even people just a few metres away from the place of stampede were unfazed as they were engrossed in witnessing the rituals,” Mr. Panda said.
Loknath Dasmahapatra, a servitor of the Jagannath temple, said that equanimity in the minds of devotees even in the most unruly situation comes from faith.
Jatra celebrated
KORAPUT: Sarat Chandra Sahu, OIC of the town police station at Koraput was the uncle of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra , even though for a single day today.
As a matter of tradition of the Bahuda Jatra at Koraput, the OIC of the town police station gets a rare opportunity to serve the three Lords as their uncle every year during their return journey from Sri Gundicha temple to the main temple. While this was an example of participation of the district administration and more specifically of the police in the festivals and traditions of the public, the tenure of any policeman as the OIC at Koraput remains memorable for this very reason, Mr. Sahu said. The police couple observed fasting for the day before offering new clothes and fruits apart from various sweets on behalf of the people of the region before the Gods on the chariot. The offering after being served on the chariot was distributed among the people. The joy of getting pieces of sweets and fruits that were offered on the chariot by pulling from each other’s hands gives more pleasure and adds special memories to remember Bahuda Jatra at Sabara Srikhetra, Bidyadhar C!
houdhury, a local resident said. Adding one more specialty to this year’s Bahuda Jatra at Koraput , Gangadhar Nanda , eminent historian and writer from Jeypore donated scores of rare books and a life size photograph of Vikram Dev Verma , Maharaja of Jeypore kingdom to the temple library which was received by Krushna Chandra Panigrahy, secretary of the temple in front of the chariot .
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