Odapada: The Ekagharia village in this block of Dhenkanal district has been able to forge a tie with Puri Srimandir by supplying basil leaves for Lord Jagannath and His siblings every week.
This binds them in a sense of devotion and has forged unity among the villagers. The villagers have been supplying the leaves every week to Srimandir from the basil plants they have grown on a large patch of land.
Villagers pluck the basil leaves and carry the stock themselves to Srimandir. The villagers have grown over 1,000 basil plants for the Lord in their village which is also known as Saran Srikhetra.
The basil leaves for the Trinity on the day of Rath Yatra are sent from the village of devotee Dasia Bauri, while it is delivered from Saran Srikhetra on the day of Bahuda Yatra.
The reason behind naming the village Saran Srikhetra is interesting. According to legend, Bhaktakabi Dinakrushna Das, noted for his unflinching devotion to the Lord, was banished from Srikhetra after he was afflicted with leprosy.
He wandered here and there and arrived at Tentulidiha near the Brahmani riverbank. Dinakrushna built a hut and stayed there reciting the name of the Lord. During his stay, he wrote many poems and hymns in praise of the Lord.
The place later came to be known as Ekagharia as Dinakrushna was staying there alone after he was banished from Srikehtra. Soon, a human settlement grew up in the area and Ekagharia was made a revenue village by the government.
The village soon came to be known as Saran Srikehtra as it gave shelter to Dinakrushna. A poem describes the reason behind the unique name of the village, ‘Saran Deichhi Boli Dina Bhakata, Sethipain Namatara Saran Srikhetra.’
This uniqueness of the village binds the villagers in a sense of devotion and brotherhood. They have started constructing a Jagannath temple in the village with an outlay of Rs 7 crore. They are lending all help and also helping in collecting donations for the temple construction.
An air of devotion and spirituality can be felt surrounding the village. The gurgling Brahmani and the gentle breeze of a mango orchard near the temple site give a distinct identity to the village.
Chintal Baba, the priest of the local Jagannath temple, said delivering basil leaves to Srimandir started when he first saw a dream in April, 2016.
Later, he collected leaves and went to Puri to deliver them at the Srimandir. There he happened to meet a Brahmin who helped him deliver the basil leaves at Nilachal Upavan inside the temple.
Since then, it has become regular for the villagers to deliver basil leaves, but Chintal Baba never saw the Brahmin again.
Devotee Sunita Behera said it is the blessings of Lord Jagannath that the basil plants planted by her and other villagers are being offered to the Trinity.
PNN