Shree Jagannath Utsav Samiti (Tank 2)
Thousands of devotees thronged the streets and filled the air with devotion and excitement as they congregated for the 32nd year of the Rathyatra organised by Shree Jagannath Utsav Samiti.
The procession had started from CB 54, near Tank 2, and the streets along which the chariots rolled were adorned with colourful decorations and flags. The procession commenced at around 4pm after rituals conducted by priests.
Among the devotees was little Kaju. Aged all of 22 months, he had come to visit his uncle in Salt Lake. He pulled his little rath while stealing a glance at the huge chariot passing by. “Kaju takes great delight in pulling his elder brother's rath. But this year he is more interested in pulling the huge chariot,” said his mother. She eventually took him to touch the rope of the big chariot but receded immediately because of the crowd.
“Jai Baba Jagannath,” exclaimed a 78-year-old lady, bent over with age. She needed a walking stick to keep her balance but her spirits were high as she had managed to get prasad from the chariot passing by.
Archana Chandra of BA Block has been visiting this procession for 30 years. “The Bidhannagar Bhagawat Samaj, which previously organised the grand procession on Rath Yatra, now has got divided into two factions. One of them is this. The other holds the rath at the Central Park fairground. I wait every year to witness the procession,” the 83-yearold said.
There were a dozen pit stops along the way to serve refreshments to keep the devotees hydrated in the humid weather. As the chariots rolled along First Avenue, residents peeped out of their windows to take in the sights and sounds of the procession.
The participation of dance groups added to the exuberance. Sumangal Dance Square came from Beleghata to perform on the auspicious occasion while another troupe came all the way from Purulia. There were dhakis too from Midnapore. The procession reached the Kalyan Jewellers island near City Centre and returned to CB Block after four hours 20 minutes.
The atmosphere in the area near CB 54, where the deities are staying for the next seven days, was festive. Amal Saha, an ice cream vendor, had parked his cart near by. “This year, my sales are robust thanks to the hot weather,” smiled the man who usually does business near Salt Lake Point School. Some vendors sold phuchka and some others papad, a staple on rath yatra. People were spotted happily munching on the crispy treat, selling at Rs 5 apiece.Sanjay Poddar, an organiser, said 21 saplings were given out this year as a message for afforestation. “We expected about 15 thousand people this time and made arrangements accordingly. An ambulance and security personnel were part of the procession,” he said.
Traffic did get disrupted and some commuters had to pay extra for their autos to take detours but most people looked longingly out of their windows and folded their hands in devotion at the sight of the raths.
Cultural programmes will take place in the evenings at the venue until Ultarath. In the mornings, there will be spiritual discourses while prasad will be offered in the afternoons to 2,500 people.
Esha Barman
Naam sankirtan at the start of the procession (left);Women carry hand fans with Jagannath motif Debasmita Bhattacharjee
Bidhan Nagar Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat Samaj (Central Park)
In the 34th edition of Bidhan Nagar Sri Chaitanya Bhagabat Samaj's Rathyatra, the deities rolled out on the chariot from Central Park
The inauguration ceremony was performed by Swami Chidruhananda, head of Balaram Mandir, Ramkrishna Math, and present on the dais were minister and MLA Sujit Bose, mayor Krishna Chakraborty, chairman of the corporation Sabyasachi Dutta and mayor-in-council member Rajesh Chirimar.
"Generally we worship deities in temples but lord Jagannath comes out on the streets to bless his devotees on this day,” said Chakraborty. She, along with Bose, performed the “pahind vidhi” or the ritual of sweeping the street before the chariot begins to roll.
Hundreds of devotees queued up to pull the chariot, chanting “Jai Jagannath” in unison. People of all ages could be seen taking part. Bithika Gope was with her five-year-old daughter. “We have come from Sukantanagar. I came last year as well. It's an amazing atmosphere here and I wanted to give my daughter a feel of this holy festival,” she said.
Apart from the heavily decked-up chariot, the procession was accompanied by dhakis and chhau dancers. “We have been planning this festival for the past three months and with the Lord's blessings, this year's procession too will be successful,” said Arijit Poddar, joint secretary of the committee.
As the chariot progressed, onlookers gathered on balconies and terraces of houses to catch a glimpse of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra. People on the streets rushed to touch the holy rope too. At various stops along the route, packets of prasad were distributed among the onlookers.
The procession traversed Central Park till Vidyasagar Island from where it took a U-turn to return. It took three and a half hours.
“I was involved in the route discussion meetings for the procession. We did not expect any hassles and are relieved that the procession went off smoothly,” said Surojit Biswas, who was a part of the police team on duty for the festival.
As soon as the chariot returned, devotees gathered to collect prasad and holy flowers that were being distributed. “Our Rathyatra is one of the oldest in Salt Lake. Besides the yatra, we also aim to provide a platform for lesser-known artists like the chhau dancers,” said general secretary of the group, Kumar Sankar Sadhu.
The chariot will stay at the fairground till Ultarath on June 28. The deities will then reside at BA 20 till next year.
A Rath-er mela is also on at the ground, till June 30. Timings are 4pm to 9pm.
Hiya Paul
The chariot rolls from Central Park on Tuesday Debasmita Bhattacharjee
Bidhannagar Ramakrishna Vivekananda Kendra
The procession here may not have been as grand as the others but the devotion of those drawing the chariot was as pure as could be.
The chariot at Bidhannagar Ramakrishna Vivekananda Kendra was pulled by members as well as students and teachers of the school on the in DD Block premises. Deputy mayor Anita Mondal was present too.
Many onlookers joined the procession and accepted the prasad that was distributed. Residents also came out to their balconies and terraces to catch a glimpse of the deities.
“My daughters study in upper nursery here and we love the ambience of this centre. It’s nice to be part of this festival”, said Nandita Biswas, mother of Aditi and Adrija. The trio also helped decorate the chariot with garlands.
Assistant teacher Sampa Biswas and former teacher Sulekha Chakraborty were seen helping out. “Coming here gives us the sacred feel of the Jagannath temple in Puri,” added acting principal, Susmita Mukherjee. Sameer Kumar Banerjee, assistant secretary, recalled how during the Covid years the deities were carried out in cars instead of open chariots.
“We have been organising the Rathyatra for the last 20 years,” said Chanchal De, secretary of the centre. “Our chariot is a three-tier metallic structure. The bottom tier usually contains prasad for distribution while Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra are placed on the top tier. In the middle tier reside idols of Ramakrishna, Sarada Maa and Swami Vivekananda. Our chariot may not be as flamboyant as others, but we believe in honesty and purity.”
Hiya Paul
Volunteers distribute refreshments along the way (left); Arati under way before the start of the procession Debasmita Bhattacharjee
IA MARKET
Not just residents, even vendors pull a rath on the streets in Salt Lake. Bidhannagar IA Market Traders’ Association pulled their chariot around IA and HA blocks, besides the stadium and Purbachal. “This was our sixth year of celebrating Rathyatra,” said Rishiraj Ghosh, president of the association. It all started thanks to an elderly security guard of the market. “He was an Oriya and during Rathyatra would pull a toy rath around the market and offer papad to all shopkeepers. We loved his devotion and eventually got our own chariot built,” says Ghosh.
The chariot left the temple in the market and the assigned “mashir bari” is the space near the aquarium at gate 3. “We serve bhog for lunch until Ultarath, and the vendors almost compete with one another for the chance to sponsor it,” he added.
