Miniatures Leave Mark in Millennium City

Miniatures Leave Mark in Millennium City

A melting point of history and religion, Cuttack is certainly unique when it comes to keeping up with tradition or setting a trend for the rest of Odisha.

Like during Dussehra and Bali Yatra, the Rath Yatra celebrations in Cuttack too draw devotees from across the state to the city known for its communal harmony.

A lesser known fact is the city’s contribution to the towering chariots of the three sibling deities of Puri Srimandir. The first log used for constructing the Puri chariots is sliced in Cuttack.

But what really makes the car festival here different is the cultural significance of the miniature chariots dotting the city. Though small chariots are also the norm in several parts of Odisha, the chariots here are decorated and even constructed by the children and several youth associations in Cuttack. They build small chariots ranging from 5 to 10 feet in height with construction beginning barely a few weeks prior to the Rath Yatra festival.

It is indeed a spectacle to watch the mini chariots roll across city streets amidst chants of “Hari Bol” and the sounds of conches and cymbals. The atmosphere reverberates with spirituality when tiny tots irrespective of religion or creed pull along their chariots. It is the sense of belongingness that ties the people of several religions in a single thread in Cuttack.

On the contrary, this communal harmony is not visible during rituals and festivals observed in other parts of the state. Many old timers say that Cuttack is known for its brotherhood and the city gets agog with activities during the festivals of every faith.

“This year too, we have built a chariot by collecting money from the members of our locality. We certainly look forward to celebrating Rath Yatra, which also marks the beginning of important festivals like Dussehra and Bali Yatra in the city,” says Umesh Sahoo, a student.

For the residents, Rath Yatra is a time for reunion as their friends and relatives,who stay outside, ensure to come to Cuttack for the celebrations every year.

Bhikari Das, a senior member of the Cuttack Mahanagar Shanti Committee, informs that both elderly and young people work in tandem to keep the tradition of Rath Yatra alive in the city. “Rath Yatra in the Millennium City is observed in a grand manner at three places — Baldevjew Temple at Ranihat, Jagannath Temple at Chandni Chowk and Patitapabana Temple at Dolamundai,” says. However, there are several old Jagannath temples in Cuttack where Rath Yatra is not observed.

Jagannath Temple, Chandni Chowk

The Jagannath temple at Chandni Chowk was built in 1996 and the temple administration has been hosting the annual Rath Yatra festival since 2000.

Earlier, the three deities from the temple were taken on a nine-day sojourn to Gundicha temple (Belleview). However, the main Gundicha temple was razed by the revenue department in 2013 and now the deities are carried to a temporary structure at Kafla outpost.

The specialty of the Chandni Chowk Rath Yatra is that women devotees pull the chariot of Devi Subhadra.

Patitapabana Temple, Dolamundai

The Rath Yatra at Dolamundai dates back to 1962. At that time, the festival was celebrated with a single chariot. The tradition of three chariots began only after the construction of the temple in 1982.

The Suna Besha ritual at Dolamundai is one of the major attractions as the deities are decked up with gold ornaments weighing over 20 kg.

Like the rituals, the colours and articles used for the chariots are the same as in Puri.All the women devotees, who pull the Darpadalan chariot, wear sacred yellow saris, which is another added attraction of the festivities here.

Baldevjew Temple, Ranihat

The Baldevjew temple at Ranihat is the latest participant of the Rath Yatra tradition in Cuttack. The temple first started to observe the festival in 2015. Notwithstanding its late entry, the celebrations at the temple towers over others with the deities being carried on a 20-ft high chariot.

Baleswar Temple, Police Reserve Lines

Few people in Odisha know that the personnel of Commissionerate Police in Cuttack have been observing Rath Yatra for the past three years. The rituals are conducted at Baleswar temple inside Police Reserve Lines in the city. The temple was established in 1837 during the Bihar-Odisha administration period.

A 16-ft high chariot rolled out by the officials of the Cuttack Urban Police District (Commissionerate Police) is a treat to watch. The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cuttack conducts the Chhera Panhara rituals here.

Security and Support

With several temples and organisations set to observe Rath Yatra with much fanfare, officials of the district administration and Commissionerate Police are on their toes to extend support as well as to provide security during the nine-day festival.

This time, over 17 police platoons have been deployed for the smooth conduct of the festival. On its part, the district administration has ensured that all arrangements from roads to electricity and drinking water facilities are in place at least three days ahead of the festival.

This apart, various managing committees have moved to ensure that no polythene bags are used to distribute bhog on the day of Rath Yatra, drawing applause from the public.