manish kumar, post news network, Baligaon, July 16: With the grand Rath Yatra barely a few days away, villagers of Baligaon are waiting with baited breath to celebrate one of the grandest Hindu festivals of the country in style, more so because the legendary devotee of Lord Jagannath, Dasia Bauri, lived in their village. The villagers vow to take part in the Rath Yatra to pay their tribute to the Lord, besides observing the traditional rituals of the village.
Rabindra Das Nayak, priest of the famous Dasia Bauri peetha in the village feels privileged to be born in the village. He said, “I am proud that I am born in this holy village, where the great devotee of Lord Jagannath was born. In this village we have an idol of Dasia Bauri worshipping his Lord just outside the temple of the Lord. This peetha has now become a centre of worship for many devotees who adore the great devotee.”
Similar thoughts were expressed by the 85-year-old Narahari Das, a villager living in Baligaon. He said, “We have tried our best to keep the tradition alive. We believe it is our duty to serve the Lord. So, it has now become a ritual – our village has to serve the Trinity at the Srimandir. Everyday basil leaves and lotus flowers are sent to the Puri temple for worship as a tribute to the dedication of the great devotee.”
“We have very high respect for the great devotee of the Lord. Although the regular ritual of sending flowers and leaves continues, but the villagers also take part in the Rath Yatra en masse every year to pay their tributes to the Lord. We consider it as our utmost duty,” says Lingaraj Panda, another villager from Baligaon.
In the last few years, the temple dedicated to this famous devotee of the Lord Jagannath – Bhakta Dasia – has gained in popularity, mostly because of its location and tranquil ambience. It is barely 33 kms from the state capital and around 3 kms from the NH-203. The village is lined with lush green paddy fields and coconut trees, besides a few shops.
According to ancient texts, Dasia Bauri was born in Baligaon during the 13th century. According to the mythology, he was a great devotee of the Lord Jagannath. It is said that he belonged to a weavers’ community. He used to sell clothes in a nearby village called Praharajpur, which was predominantly a Brahmin village.
Once he came to know that the Brahmins of the Praharajpur village were going to Puri. He asked some of them to donate a coconut to the Lord on his behalf. The people mocked him, but ultimately took his coconut for the Trinity.
Initially, though they forgot everything about the coconut yet when they remembered to offer it to the Trinity near the temple gate, it suddenly disappeared from their hands. The news spread like wild fire and the villagers from the nearby areas started treating Dasia Bauri as one of the greatest bhakta of the Lord Jagannath, a bhakta, who could directly interact with the Lord.