PURI: Sheer indiscipline, delays and irregularities in the conduct of rituals tarnished the glorious history of Rath Yatra celebrations in 1880.
There were glitches in the construction of the chariots (Rath) which delayed the commencement of the annual event by four days. On the day of Yatra (July 10) itself, the rituals were delayed by two hours thanks to the unruly Sevayats of the day.
Although new logs were available for the chariots; the previous year’s frames were utilised. As the wheels, axle and chasis were in a tottering condition, the motor vehicle inspector declined to issue a “total safety” certificates to the chariots.
Ultimately, the holy siblings of Srimandir – Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra – were taken to their respective chariots by the British officials as the Sevayats had boycotted the temple vidhis.
In the melee and heavy downpour, the idols remained stranded atop the Raths for four days and the Yatra commenced in the evening of July 14. Fifty torches were lit up to conduct the pulling ceremony in a clandestine manner at night.
Consequently, the Taladhwaja Rath of Lord Balabhadra was ordered to park midway by the police just after it had crossed the Mausi Maa temple. The next day when the chariot of Subhadra reached Taladhwaja, the pulling ceremony was stopped altogether thereby creating commotion much to the chagrin of devotees.
The vexed devotees approached the magistrate regarding the irregularities, but the officer shrugged it off and did not attach importance to their pleas. Later, buckling under pressure, the government issued a telegraphic order to the concerned authorities for resumption of the ceremony following which the police and magistrate responded promptly.
The British officials rode on horse back to the Grand Road and helped resume pulling of the 45 feet-high Nandighosh chariot which reached Mausi Maa temple by evening.
Since the bureaucrats had already dilly-dallied the ceremony the devotees who had thronged the pilgrim town after travelling miles across the state to witness the annual event became restless.
The remaining two chariots were also pulled to the Saradhabali destination the very night using 50 torches made available by the Gajapati Queen at the behest of the British officials.
Ultimately, the chariots reached Gundicha temple at around 8pm. The next day, the Nandighosh chariot reached Gundicha temple at around 11 am and the Pahandi procession concluded by 3 pm.
Religious sentiments were already hurt, but the situation exacerbated when the temple Mahants Narayan Das and Tarakanta Bidyasagar along with some Sevayats tried to transport the deities to Gundicha temple in small four-wheeled vehicles.
The chariots were not reversed southwards till the Bahuda Yatra (July 24), thus delaying the process of Niladribjiaya ritual until July 31, twenty days behind schedule.
Meanwhile, the unavailability of Mahaprasad at the main temple added to the woes of the devotees who depended entirely on the holy bhog.
Despite these irregularities, much to everyone’s surprise, there were no casualties or injuries during the Rath rituals.
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