Puri: The worldwide spread of coronavirus has thrown a pall of uncertainty over organisation of this year’s Rath Yatra, one of the biggest religious congregations, in the world.
However, the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has initiated the process for construction of chariots as per the schedule while the state government is yet to give any clarification on the organisation of the mega festival.
Many servitors, religious scholars and intellectuals, meanwhile, have opined that the state government and the SJTA may organise Rath Yatra without any gathering of devotees on the Grand Road.
In this context, many researchers and servitors have remembered the Kalabethia Seva of Srimandir. There were intense discussions that the temple authorities may revive Kalabethia Seva during this year’s Rath Yatra.
According to heritage expert Surendra Kumar Mishra, Kalabethia Seva, a special service performed by a group of labour-class people during the annual Rath Yatra, had been discontinued several decades ago.
According to Mishra, a group of labour-class people, popularly known as Kalabethia, were helping Srimandir authorities in pulling chariots during Rath Yatra. The Gajapati royals of Puri had provided landed properties to the families of Kalabethia.
“During the monarchy and even during pre-independence era, it was not easy on the part of the temple and devotees to pull the chariots on the muddy Grand Road. The chariots were often getting stuck in the mud and sand. The Kalabethias were basically pulling the chariots during Gundicha Yatra and Bahuda Yatra,” Mishra said.
According to him, the Kalabethia Seva of Srimandir was gradually discontinued in the wake of improvement of the condition of the Grand Road in the post-independence era. “Once Badadanda turned into a tarred road, Srimandir authorities and devotees were able to pull the chariots without any difficulty. As a result, the Kalabethia Seva of Srimandir was discontinued. Even today, Kalabethia families are residing in Kakatpur, Nimapara, Konark, Delang, Kanas and Brahmagiri areas of Puri district,” Mishra said.
Senior Daitapati servitor Binayak Das Mahapatra, meanwhile, opined that the annual Rath Yatra can be organised on the Grand Road even without any gathering of devotees in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. “We hope that the situation will improve and the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath will be organised in a grand way. If the situation remains grim, the mega festival can be organised without any congregation of devotees. In that case, Kalabethias can be called to help in the pulling of the chariots,” Das Mahapatra added.
Prasanna Jena, a resident of Kapileshwarpur village of Puri, said his ancestors were performing the Kalabethia Seva during Rath Yatra. “Kalabethia Seva was discontinued soon after the state government took control over the management of Srimandir. If the SJTA calls us to serve Lord Jagannath in this year’s Rath Yatra, we would be very happy. It would be a proud moment for all of us,” Jena added.
