Khurda: Everyone knows how holy basil (Tulsi) is dear to Lord Jagannath. It is believed that those who offer holy basil to the Lord during worship, get their wishes fulfilled.
A couple from Gada Khurda area in Khurda district has been sending holy basils to the Lords in Puri for last 14 years without fail.
It had been a routine for Prafulla Sahoo and his wife Soudamini to visit Puri on every Ekadashi (the eleventh day of each of the two lunar phases which occur in a Hindu calendar month) to have a darshan of Lord Jagannath.
Remembering a day in 2006, Prafulla says they were moving around the Koilli Baikuntha inside Puri Jagannath temple when they noticed some servitors weaving loose flowers into garlands for the Lords.
“We could not hold back our desire to weave garlands and sought their permission if we could join them. However, they turned down our proposal. That said, realising our love to do something for the Lords, they informed us that there was always a shortage of flowers and tulsi for the Lords’ daily rituals and asked us to provide flowers and tulsi instead,” Prafulla says.
“After having darshan of the Lords at the temple, we returned home and the same night, I had the opportunity to see the Lord in my dream,” narrates Prafulla.
The very next morning, Prafulla collected tulsi in a bag and sent it to the temple in a Puri bound bus named Shreekshetra Tulsi. Thereafter, he says he developed a small garden of tulsi on the premises of Gadakhurda mutt and started sending tulsi to the Jagannath Temple every day without fail.
Later, Prafulla’s friends Sisir Parida, Binayak Dalasingray and several other women from many families joined him.
The women with all devotion and dedication collect tulsi from early in the morning of Ekadasi. During this time, Bhagavat recital, Nama Sankirtan, Vishnu Sahashranam and devotional songs are recited. Then they take the tulsi to Puri.
Even during this coronavirus pandemic, we have not faced any difficulties in taking the Lord’s favourite to his abode, Prafulla says.
PNN
