With Rath Yatra round the corner, Rashmi Rekha Das chats up celebrities of the Oriya film industry on their childhood memories of the grand fest
Renowned music director, actor and film director Srikant Gautam says when he was a child there was no television. Besides, communication facility was also very poor. Bus was the only mode of transport. “Except radio, we did not have other sources which could provide information regarding Rath Yatra,” he says. Gautam and his siblings used to follow radio commentary to get details about the extravaganza. “My mother, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath, used to complete her household chores and prepare lunch early just to listen to the commentary aired by All India Radio. We all sat silent and listened to the rituals patiently. The whole schedule of Rath Yatra was a mystery when I was a kid. When I entered college I thronged Puri to witness the fest. It was a goose bump-raising experience for me when I touched the divine rope and pulled the chariot for the first time. I never had such feelings earlier what I realised that day,” he adds.
India’s Best Cine Star Ki Khoj fame Prakruti Mishra used to celebrate Rath Yatra at her granny’s house during childhood. She used to pull the rath made by her grandparents and it made her happy. She never missed a chance to visit her granny’s house during Rath Yatra. This year, she has to celebrate Rath Yatra in Mumbai as she is currently busy shooting there.
Hari Mohapatra, the standout comedian of Oriya filmdom, says, “During my childhood, radio was the sole means of information. Thus catching a glimpse of the deities during Rath Yatra was a dream for me. I got to know about the tidbits of the grand fest through radio. I witnessed the Car festival first time after entering the industry. Ten years back during Rath Yatra, I was in the holy city for shooting of ‘Geeti Katha’, a television programme. I was playing the role of a beggar and sitting among some real beggars. Devotees who had come for the ‘darshan’ of the Trinity did not even recognise me and gave alms. The story did not end here. People even caught me thinking me a pickpocket and later released me after identifying me,” he says.
Newbie of Oriya filmdom Babli says being a resident of Baripada, which hosts the second most popular Rath Yatra of Orissa after Puri, she pulls the ropes of the chariots every year. “During my schooldays I used to wait for Rath Yatra eagerly throughout the year as schools remained closed during the grand festival. I used to have loads of time for merrymaking. I was never afraid of the crowd. So I did not miss a single chance to pull the chariots. Rath Yatra brings happiness to me always and this year I hope to pull Lord Jagannath’s chariot in Puri and leave the rest to God. May this Rath Yatra bring lots of happiness and joy to our state,” quips Babli.
Manoj Mishra known for his negative roles in Oriya movies says he along with his schoolmates used to prepare a rath and pull it at their locality in Sambalpur. Though they never missed a chance to pull Lord Jagannath’s chariot what they forgot was to touch the ropes during Bahuda Yatra. “During my childhood, Rath Yatra and Sital Sasthi were celebrated with fanfare. My mom used to prepare cakes (traditional and popular delicacies of Orissa), buy new dresses for me and my siblings,” says Mishra. Mishra, who is a strong believer in God, says he has pulled chariots of Jagannath in Sambalpur, Mumbai and Ahmadabad, but he has never gone to Puri to witness the grand fair. “After television started giving live telecast of Rath Yatra, I decided not to go to Puri due to the heavy rush,” he adds.
For Bolangir lad Satyanjeet Purohit, a newcomer to Oriya filmdom, Rath Yatra is all about amusement. “As witnessing Rath Yatra in Puri was almost a dream for me and my family members, papa never forgot to take me to Rath Yatra held at our locality. He used to carry me in his shoulder and told me to look at the eyes of Lord Jagannath. As a kid, I did not have much idea about Rath Yatra. But I used to visit the fair to fetch balloons and toys,” he says.
