Bhubaneswar: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple authorities are geared up to celebrate Rath Yatra festival in the temple city. Five carpenters and painters drawn from Puri are working round-the-clock to complete the work on the three chariots of the deities – Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra – before July 14, the day on which the deities will begin their journey aboard their chariots for Mausima temple here.

The road in front of the temple was a scene of deluge in recent times due to water-logging caused by heavy rainfall and the spectre raised a question mark about the conduct of rath yatra in future. But quick action by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and Bhubaneswar Development Authority helped salvage the situation.

Premananda Das, president of Iskcon Bhubaneswar, said the chariots of the three deities will travel to Gundicha temple in Unit VIII for a nine-day sojourn, on the day of Rath Yatra. “We had talked to the authorities about the problem, but they had assured us of quick action in case it rains,” Das said. Around 90 per cent of chariot work has been completed, he said, adding the temple authorities had built new chariots last year by breaking their 27-year tradition of using old cars.

Bishnu Maharana, one of the carpenters brought from Puri, said the structure of the chariots are designed in the pattern of chariots built at Puri. “Every year, we change a few designs on the chariots, their colour schemes and replace old wood with new ones,’’ said Maharana.

Temple Festival Committee president Upendra Mishra Das said this year’s celebration would be special because new chariots are being prepared and the carpenters are working overtime to complete the task. “Like every year the Yatra will commence at ISKCON temple at Nayapalli and proceed to the Gundicha temple, which is being constructed near the Unit VIII DAV Public School,” Das revealed.

“Although I visit the ISKCON temple very often, getting the darshan of the deities on chariots is something different. Every year, I pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath,” said Ranjan Mohnaty, a resident of Nayapalli.

The city receives a large footfall of tourists at car festival time. The visitors pull the chariots of three deities. The importance of the yatra is second only to the one happening in Puri. This year too, the temple authorities are expecting around 2 lakh devotees for the festival.

The car festival is celebrated in at least 30 places including Patia, VSS Nagar, Jagamara, Dumduma, Baramunda, Sahid Nagar, Laxmisagar, Badagada and Old Town in Bhubaneswar.

 

Arindam Ganguly,OP