Shakti Prasad Sahoo who is just 18 years of age has built an 18-ft chariot for the divine triumvirate and despite being severely constrained for funds organises Rath Yatra every year with impeccable devotion
The lord and his devotees are inseparable. Lord Jagannath showers His blessings equally on all devotees and feels intensely for them. He cannot sit silent on the ‘ratna simhasan’ when His devotees are in trouble. The lord appears before all His devotees who face great hardships and there are countless stories of devout souls attaining divine bliss.
The Lord has said:
Naaham testhami Vaikunthe
Yogina hridayena cha mad bhaktan
Yatra dhyaante tatra tisthami, Narada.
(“Oh Narada, I do not reside in Vaikunth nor even in a saint’s heart; I reside where devotees worship me”.)
This is true of Lord Jagannath. Every devotee ardently praying for His blessings know the lord is kind and generous. Jagannath culture is a unique unifying system that assimilates and incorporates the influences of different religious creeds and sects. Jagannath is the fountainhead of a consciousness and cannot be confined within the limits of a traditional theological order. Where else one can find a Hindu deity having a Muslim disciple – Bhakta Salabega – as one of His greatest devotees? People offer prayers by chanting Salabega’s devotional poetry. And pilgrims who fail to enter the temple remember Bhakta Dasia Bauri – one from the lower castes.
Lord Jagannath has influenced the life of the Oriya people from the earliest times to the present day. Orissa has produced many devout admirers of the supreme lord and every devotee of the lord shares a unique bond with Him. As does Shakti Prasad Sahoo, a resident of Old Town in Bhubaneswar, the guiding motto of whose life is the lord’s service.
When Shakti was just five years old, he told his parents to fetch him a chariot so he could worship the Trinity on the chariot. When his demand was not fulfilled, Shakti constructed a rath with the help of his friend Shanu. Shakti is 18 years of age now and worships Lord Jagannath and His siblings on the 18-ft chariot he has made. The first chariot he devised was just two-ft high but he has, over the years, built chariots of varying sizes.
“Chants of ‘Jai Jagannath’ fill the air as kids and youngsters celebrate Rath Yatra joyously. Even before the elderly assemble on street corners to witness the annual journey of the lord, kids and youngsters led by me start pulling the decorated rath with the idols of Lords Jagannath and Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra on them towards Trinath temple adjacent to Rameswar temple on Rath Yatra day. By god’s grace we have been organising the festival for the past three years,” says Shakti.
Sahu is someone who cannot control his tears when he sees tears in the eyes of others. He is of amiable disposition and a very charitable person. He is benevolent and his heart bleeds for the poor and those in distress. He is a truthful, divine soul and Jagannath is his entire universe.
“Every part of our lives is connected to the lord. Jagannath is a humanised deity who brushes His teeth, takes bath everyday and changes his clothes umpteen times. He falls ill after an extended bath on his birthday, celebrated as Snanayatra, visits His aunt Gundicha along with His siblings, loves jewellery and enjoys gourmet meals. He really lives in style. I like everything about the Lord and that’s why I am fascinated by Him. Oriyas share a special bond with Lord Jagannath and therefore take the liberty of lying in his name. We believe that Lord Jagannath will bail us out of all tricky situations, even if we have been a trifle naughty. But my bond with the Lord is pure. I have not demanded anything from Him because He knows what I require and what time. I cannot say how I much I love him. I cannot share many emotions with others, even with my family, but feel free in His presence. He is my friend, my guide and everything,” says Sahu.
“My parents and relatives have advised me many times to stop organising Rath Yatra every year due to financial crisis. But I have never paid heed. In 2013, I did not have enough money to organise the festival. I was feeling restless thinking how I would arrange funds and organise the fest. Some good Samaritans, unknown to me, came to my help and Rath Yatra was held with gaiety. I must say that this is a miracle of the lord Himself. We follow all rituals including Suna Besha. Ajay Bisoi performs the ‘chhenra panhara’ ritual every year. We offer ‘prasad’ to the Trinity and conduct ‘alati’ twice a day during the lord’s nine-day stay at the Trinath temple. We organise a feast after Rath Yatra and provide free food to the poor.”
Sahu had once met with an accident and while his co-passengers sustained severe injuries, he escaped unscathed. “I was in an auto-rickshaw on my way to buy a Ganesh idol ahead of Ganesh chaturthi which overturned. I escaped unhurt while the other passengers were severely injured. Lord Jagannath had come to my rescue,” says Sahu with a gleam in his eyes.
Rashmi Rekha Das
