PURI: It has been two months since the severe cyclonic storm ravaged through the heart of Odisha but for artistes of the famous Raghurajpur craft heritage village, the age-old tradition of embellishing the Rath continues undeterred.
The cyclonic storm Fani which stuck the pilgrimage city May 3 did not spare the heritage village of Raghurajpur and wreaked havoc and destruction in the art village. While much of their works were destroyed, villagers lamented that Fani damaged their necessary working tools and equipment.
However, despite the continuous challenges artistes from the village contributed their bit to the coveted Jagannath Rath Yatra by going out in numbers. Required for their intricate artworks and fine decorations, about 30 to 40 villagers spent about a month here beautifying the Rath.
“I have been contributing to the Rath Yatra for the past 30 years. Our work demands painting the Rath with traditional artwork and make it aesthetically pleasing. We are still battling to restore normalcy in our houses but serving Lord Jagannath has never stopped us from anything,” said 55-year-old artisan Sudam Sahoo.
Sahoo, just like many others from his village, admits that he is driven not only by the devotion but also financial gains.
Paid on the criteria of skills and type of work, the artistes are given Rs 300 to Rs 800 on a daily basis. However, villagers complained that the wages were ‘not enough to compensate for Fani losses.’
“You see, I had three of my paintings destroyed in Fani. Those would have fetched me something in between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000. My roof was destroyed and it would cost me Rs 8,000 for its repairs. I felt that the government should have increased the daily wages by a minimum Rs 500. It would have certainly done a world of good for us,” said Devendra Swain, an artiste here.
Despite the financial crisis, Devendra gleefully accepts the fate by Lord Jagannath and is “content in serving his God.” Echoing Devendra’s thoughts, Sasi Kant who went with his farther to assist and learn the art-making involved in the Rath Yatra, says that the festival has helped him escape the hardships “for the time being.”
“Although I have attended the Rath Yatra many times, this is the first time when I am involved in beautifying the Rath. I learned a lot from it and also realised how skilful one has to be. Initially, I wasn’t interested in joining my father as I had to help in repair works at home but the time spent here has helped me relax for a while,” Kant concluded.
AVIRAL MISHRA, OP
