The annual chariot festival of the Gods also called Rath yatra is the high point of all the Festivals celebrated in Puri and has been attracting lakhs of devotees and pilgrims since time immemorial. To see the Lord on the Chariot on the Rath yatra day is to secure salvation from the cycles of birth and death.
Sitting in the comfort of our hotel rooms we could see on the television screen the details of all the rituals that have to take place before the actual commencement of the Rath Yatra. In a traditional ceremonial manner, the idol of Lord Balabhadra is brought from the temple and placed on to the Chariot as he is the elder in the family. Then idols of Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath are placed in their respective chariots. The small Deities of Lord Rama and Krishna are placed on the Balabhadra chariot and Madanmohan Deity is placed on Lord Jagannath chariot.
While bringing the Deities of Balabhadra and Lord Jagannath out of the temple they are made to swing forward and backward in a manner called “Pahandi”. As the Deities are extremely heavy they need many strong men to move them.
All Deities are then refreshed and offered fresh garlands. In this day and age, even when royalty is abolished in India, the erstwhile King of Puri, arrives in a Palanquin in the midst of the teeming crowds. He sweeps in front of the chariots with a golden handled whisk broom-stick and sprinkles the ground with fragrant waters.
The whole city had a festive ambience. We got into our taxi, but realized that the main roads were blocked to vehicle entry. We managed to visit the famous golden beach of Puri and a local handicraft exhibition centre.
After 3 p.m. we saw on the television that the chariot procession had begun. We had heard so many stories of women getting abused, or people getting hurt or injured during the stampede like situation of the Rath Yatra. However being so close to the venue, this was probably the only chance I would get to witness the spiritual experience and to see all the action happening live instead of on the television.
In spite of all the talk to the contrary, I was very intentional that I wanted to get a chance to pull the sacred ropes that were attached to the chariot! No more TV for me. Armed with my devotion, my faithful camera and my blackberry phone I set out alone for my tryst with the Lord. I decided to walk 5 kms to the Grand Road, the place where the procession takes place!
In the midst of the light showers, there was a magical energy in the streets. Having grown up in Mumbai, I was not daunted by the huge crowds. It felt as if I was in VT station during the peak hour rush. Devotees were singing hymns and chanting religious slogans. The whole ambience was electrifying to the senses.
And suddenly I saw the 3 chariots one behind the other. Three different sizes of chariots are made for this Rathayatra which begins from the Lord Jagannath Temple. Except the vessels of Kalasa, which are on top of the chariots, the side Deities, the Charioteers and Horses, the rest of the whole chariots are made new every year in accordance to the strict ancient specifications. Nearly around one thousands of Devotees are needed to pull these chariots with the help of four ropes which are tied to each chariot and has no steering system on it.
The crowds started getting intense. The first Chariot of Balabhadra called TALADVAJA was approaching towards me. The height of this chariot is 44ft (13.2mts), and consists of fourteen wheels. The fabric colour of the roof is Red and Green. Tala fruit is placed on top of the chariot. Small deities of Lord RAMA AND KRISHNA take their seats in the Balabhadra chariot.
The sounds of the gongs and the bells were intense. The people seemed to be mesmerized by the sight of the majestically moving chariot. Suddenly the huge crowds had to move to the sides to make way for the huge chariot. As the crowds ran helter-skelter to the sides I was thankful that I was tall and big-built. I was able to haul myself to a slightly raised platform and watched speechless as people fell down and almost got crushed all around me.
Even as the fainted people were being taken on stretchers by volunteers, there was no diminishing in the enthusiasm of the devotees. All that mattered was the faith in the Lord. I had just learnt to upload the picture from my blackberry to facebook and that is exactly what I did as I stood in the midst of the teeming crowds! Every moving chariot picture was captured and uploaded immediately into my facebook account!
Once the first chariot passed the crowds again got onto the main roads. I joined a group of foreigners who were from the ISCKON cult and I happily sang devotional Krishna songs with them. There were many other smaller versions of idols that were carried individually by devotees. It suddenly struck me how safe I felt even though I was physically not accompanied by any known person next to me. People were not bothered about me; they were only bothered about the Lord!
I stood at the side of the medical centre of the Art of Living trust. I had a place to run to and was ready for the next stampede like situation when the second chariot would come. The second Chariot of Lady Subhadra is called PADMADHVAJA. It is 43ft (12.9mts) in height and consists of twelve wheels. The fabric of roof is in Red and Black colour. There are side deities on each of the chariot as SUDARSHANA is seated by the side of Lady Subhadra in her chariot. The chariot was pulled magnificently by the Devotees by catching the ropes tied to the chariots.
By now I was energized and ready to walk towards the third Chariot of the Lord Jagannath which is called NANDIGHOSH, This Chariot is of Lord Jagannath, it is 45ft (13.71mts) high and having sixteen wheels. The fabric of the roof is in Red and Yellow colour. A wheel is placed on the top of the chariot. A small deity of MADANMOHANA also sits in the Lord Jagannath’s chariot. As this chariot passed by, I was thrilled and ready for the movement and the excitement and stampede like situation that happened around it.
Just before the last chariot passed me by I spoke with a local bystander about how I actually wanted to pull the ropes and he said this was nearly impossible…he could never do that after coming for so many years. He said that the military presence and the stampede like situation make it very difficult to get near the chariots…
After the third chariot just passed by, I suddenly decided to get to the centre of the road which was comparatively empty. I was surprised to see people holding thick ropes and they told me it was from the chariot! I couldn’t believe this. There were 2 ropes also coming from the back of the chariot to the front. I quickly joined in pulling the back rope, and soon I went under the back rope to catch another rope that was attached to the front of the chariot! This was the moment I had dreamed of. I was also next to the huge wheels of the moving chariot of Lord Jagannath! I even managed to touch the holy chariot as it was moving with the Lords idol!
The military police asked me to get away, instead I asked him to click a photo of me pulling the precious ropes of the holy chariot! I couldn’t believe the miracle that just happened! One moment I was talking about the impossibility of the situation with a resigned bystander and the next moment I was actually doing the impossible…anything can be accomplished when there is faith in the Lord!
A military police protected me and asked me to stay within the cordoning ropes area…I was walking freely next to the chariot and there was almost a riot like situation on the other side of the cordon.
Suddenly the movement of the chariots was halted. It was sunset. The three chariots stood on the Grand road just a few metres away from each other. I bowed my head in gratitude by prostrating on the street which was fortunate to have the chariots pass on it!
Before I realized it, I found myself behind the Subhadra Rath. The priests were carrying people up on to the chariot for a small fee. I quickly gave a note and hauled myself up the almost 2 storeyed high chariot taking the help of 2 extended arms. This was a moment of bliss…actually on top of the chariot….this is a sure guaranteed belief that I would never be free from the cycle of rebirths, no Shobha would be reborn ever again after me on this earth!
I was able to bow in humility and actually hold onto the covered idol of Goddess Subhadra on her chariot. I could sense the transfer of energy through the cloth. She is Shakti mata, she has given me shakti, I now have the strength to contribute in my own way towards mankind. Standing on the chariot, looking at the lakhs of people below on the streets, I felt a strange sense of peace and solitude…yes solitude…I cherished this moment alone with the Goddess. I just stared at the cloth covered idol and the thousands of arms of devotees around her who were trying to snatch some kind of blessings from her. There were hardly any women on the chariot, yet I felt so secure. Some of the boisterous crowd members were behaving as if they had come for a picnic on the chariot. Were they even grateful for this lifetime opportunity of standing on the chariot with the idol a few feet away?
No I should not think about the people. I should keenly think only of the God and Goddess. How I am just a puppet in their hands! How powerful they are! How they could easily do or undo things and events in our life. How uncertain I am about the details of my future. Yet how certain I am that my Goddess will fully take care of me…and of these devotees around her…and of the millions of other devotees around the world!
The seeming crowds and the confusion around me did not seem to matter. I stood there between the heavens above and the earth below. I just stood there staring into nothing. I just stood there getting choked at the spirituality of the experience. I just stood there on the chariot for almost an hour. I just stood. It was just me and my Goddess!
Even my 70 year old mother was able to walk 5 kms and watch the passing Balabhadra chariot from afar. I joined her and again we came back, walking together in the festive ambience to touch the chariots of Lord Jagannath and Subhadra. With all her health issues, 2 stents in her heart, her knee pain, joint pain and back pain notwithstanding, she also got a miraculous power be on her feet for over 5 hours. There was free Prasad being given to all the devotees. We gratefully made our way walking 5 kms again, back to our hotel!
Another non-forgettable day of witnessing the spiritual power of this holy place Puri!
So which Indian place made you smile today?
Please share your experiences at indian places that made you smile!
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