The Business Of Rath Yatra

The Business Of Rath Yatra

Jagannath is probably the only God in the Hindu pantheon who is considered to be more human than God. Odias often address him with a ‘Tu’ which is an informal term of endearment for people who are close to us. The elders treat him like a child and the young ones think of him as a friend. He is an integral part of the Odia identity and the Rath Yatra is the biggest event on the Odia calendar. Nobody else in Odisha comes close to his fame. The mythology and folklore of Jagannath is so rich and exhaustive that it is called the ‘Jagannath Culture’ and it has become an intrinsic part of every Odia’s life and the Odia identity. The big eyed Lord of the Universe brings together people from all walks of life. Even though the Jagannath Temple at Puri is off-limits for non-Hindus, he is endeared by people of all religions. The Rath Yatra is the time of the year when everyone gets to see their favourite God in person outside the temple. Due to the restrictions imposed because of the pandemic, the Rath Yatra in 2020 and 2021 was observed sans devotees. But this time, after a long wait of two years, the devotees are back. My City Links ventured into the bylanes of Puri to feel the fervour and feel the pulse of the Jagannath Culture. It was exhilarating. 

Even though devotees are allowed to participate in the grand festival of Jagannath this year, the rising number of cases of COVID 19 in the country as well as the state has raised concerns among the administrative officials. This year it is expected that more than 10 lakh devotees will arrive in the temple town from around the country and abroad. A few days before the festival, the Director of Health Service, Bijay Mohapatra said, “We are expecting a large congregation during the festival this year. Masks are mandatory in Puri during the festival. Health camps will be set up at the railway station, bus stand and Grand Road (Bada Danda). People with symptoms should avoid visiting Puri, and caution should be maintained to check the spread of the virus. The state government has set up Covid Care Centers in Puri, and arranged for oxygen and ICU beds to meet with any eventuality.”

Faith, Tradition And Devotees

Religion is an interesting thing; people will risk everything to spend a few moments with their God. For septagenerain Shantaben of Ahmedabad the rising cases of COVID 19 doesn’t matter even though she lost 6 members of her family to the deadly virus during 2020 and the second wave in 2021. This year she is visiting Puri with her youngest son, daughter-in-law and her grandchildren. When asked about covid fears she said, “I am here to see the Lord. In the winter of my life I am not scared of death. I have seen enough life and now I just want to be with Lord Jagannath.” 

For the residents of Puri, who are generally nonchalant about things, everything happens according to the Lord’s will. Even though they are not happy about the last two year’s Rath Yatra being conducted without devotees, they don’t rue it and instead are looking forward to it this year. For Rajendra Mohanty, a resident of Puri, it is business as usual. “This year both the Lord and the devotees are ready to celebrate together. One can feel the electrifying atmosphere already. People from all over the country have already started arriving and are ready to revel in the festivities. I hope everyone gets to see the beautiful sight of Jagannath and his siblings rise from the ratna singhasana (bejewelled throne) and come out of the temple to meet the devotees.” 

As Badadanda buzzes with the excitement of people arriving from all over the country, the Maharanas are busy at work in the Ratha Khala erecting the three giant chariots. They say that the raths will be completed ahead of schedule this year. Manoj Kumar Maharana, a generational painter of different parts of the raths Nandighosha and Darpadalana feels his work is his duty. “One gets to do this seva only if they are blessed.” He shared some interesting insights about the raths and said, “There are many parts of the raths that are used year after year. Only the basic structure of the raths are made out of fresh wood every year. The ornamental decorations around the chariots are replaced every 12 years. So every part of the rath is not new.”

Many mathas are engaged in different rituals of the Lord throughout the year. One of the mathas that plays a significant role during the anasara (isolation period) of the three deities is the Odia Matha. The Odia Matha plays an important role during the isolation period of the three deities as they fall sick after the Snana Purnima revelry. Their daily dose of healthy food of four meals of ‘chakata’ and ‘panaa’ twice a day comes from the Odia Matha. The special chakata has desi kadali (local variety of banana), sara (cream), khua and chachi (traditionally refined sugar). Sara, lahuni and chechi make the special panna that the three Gods have in order to recover from their ailment. 

Bansidhar Goswami, Maharaj, Odia Matha, explained that on the fifth day of anasara, a special oil that has been buried under the ground since the Hera Panchami of the previous year is taken out a day before Snana Purinma and is worshiped for the next few days. After receiving a message from Sri Mandira, a special consignment of the oil is sent for the sibling deities which is put on them. The special concoction is made up of sesame oil and of flowers available during the pre-monsoons. It is made with 24 ingredients that includes various shrubs, herbs and flowers. The concoction relieves the pain of the siblings and dispels the pungent smell coming from their bodies because of being in wet and humid conditions and clothes for four days. They start feeling better on the fifth day and are shifted from a sleeping position to a seating posture.

The elaborate rituals of the siblings is what makes them more human-like and endearing to the devotees. It becomes easier to relate to someone who belongs to the same plane of existence. 

It doesn’t matter whether you are the public or somebody on duty. For Rath Yatra 2022, 180 platoons of police along with a thousand officers have been deployed in the pilgrim town of Puri. Even when you are on duty, sometimes the sheer scale of things and the emotional union of devotees with the Lord makes your heart welled up. Talking on the condition of anonymity, a member of the Odisha Armed Police said that he has been on Rath Yatra duty at least 7-8 times over the last decade. “After a gap of two years, this year there is an expectation of high turnout of people. One of the benefits of this uniform is that we get to reach where other people find it difficult sometimes. Because of our duty we are able to see the Lord closely when he comes out of the temple. There are thousands of people in the police force but only the lucky ones get to be posted on Rath Yatra duty. What we are doing is not just Lord Jagannath’s seva but indirectly it is his devotee’s seva,” he shared with a smile. 

The Lord of the Universe is not just so by name, but also by his followers from all walks of life across the world. Many find solace in those big and round eyes. Jean-luc, a professor of literature from Paris, France has been visiting Puri every year for the past 23 years. He came to know about Jagannath when he was in his 40s and came across a student who was from Puri. As he learned about Jagannath, it fascinated him and he wanted to find out more about this God who is treated like a human. He visited Puri for the first time in 1999 during Rath Yatra and was awestruck with what he saw. “It was a powerful moment in my life. I was enamoured by this round-eyed Lord of the universe. There was something in the air. The sounds, the food, the colours, everything was so intense and filled with emotion. I have been a devotee since then.” Today, Jean teaches about Jagannath back in Paris. He has dedicated his life to Jagannath. “Meeting the Lord for the first time was love at first sight,” he declared. 

Similarly, for Charlotte of Vancouver, Canada, life was at the lowest when she came across Jagannath. When her mother passed away a few years ago, she was crestfallen. She felt there is no point in living. That is when a friend introduced her to Jagannath. Over the years she has learned to accept her mother’s demise as she found out that even the Lord of the Universe also dies. Originally, she had planned to visit Puri in 2020 but the pandemic spoiled her plans. This year she has reached Puri and is excited to meet the one she had longed for so long. She shared, “I am as excited as anyone here. I am waiting for the day of Rath Yatra. I have seen videos on YouTube but to be actually here is surreal. Watching the chariots being made and learning more about Jagannath is an amazing experience. Here, he is everywhere. There is no place where you won’t find him. I am ready to see him in all his glory.”

Time For Business 

Rath Yatra being the grandest event of Puri, means it’s time for big business. Apart from celebration, devotion and faith, it is also about raking in some moolah from devotees who will shell out any amount of money to have a piece of memory of Puri during Rath Yatra. Businesses in the pilgrim town know this fact very well and try to capitalise on this during the nine days of celebration. Every business, from hotels to car and bike rentals, restaurants to road side eateries, trinket shops on the grand road to those on the beaches, khaja shops to souvenir shops, waits for this time of the year. 

Sudarshan Sahoo sells flutes and colourful windmills made from bamboo and paper at Badadanda. For him the 9 days of Rath Yatra means making an earning for the next few months until the winters start when tourists start arriving at the beach town again. His entire family is preparing for the upcoming festivities by preparing his ware in bulk. Originally he is from Nayagarh but he and his family shifted to Puri 17 years ago. “This town has helped us earn a decent living,” he shared. “My family has two more shops at the beach where we sell conchs and shells and other decor items. Both my son and daughter look after those two shops. Rath Yatra is a big time for us. Thanks to Lord Jagannath’s blessings we make a good earning during this time. The last three years have been a disaster for everyone due to the cyclone Fani and the pandemic. This year our hopes are high,” he added.

For the hotel and restaurant industry this is a big time as they come up with attractive offers and menus to cater to the needs of the devotees. Panthanivas, which is a lodging and dining facility, operated by the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) has planned a special package tour from Bhubaneswar and Puri. The package will provide a special view of the Rath Yatra proceedings at the Grand restaurant which is located on the grand road. It will provide pickup and drop service from the Panthanivas at Bhubaneswar and will include breakfast, lunch and snacks. With an overwhelming demand this year all the 120 available seats have been booked weeks ahead of Rath Yatra. 

The Panthanivas will have a special buffet lunch for the guests during Rath Yatra that will include typical vegetarian Odia fare. “We have made arrangements which are organised by the I&PR department for our guests from the media. We will have a special lunch for the sevayats at Bhakta Niwas. Similarly at Bagadia Dharamshala we will have lunch arrangements for the general public,” shared Chandrakant Dash, Manager, Panthaniwas Puri.

“Generally, on the day of Rath Yatra and the day after we are fully sold out. We have people from all over the country and even abroad. Then the crowd returns for Bahuda Jatra and Suna Besha,” Subodh Chandra Mishra, Administrative and Liasioning Officer, Pramod Convention and Beach Resort Puri. Talking about the apprehensions regarding the Agnipath and Agniveer protests in which several trains were vandalised and set on fire across the country, Subodh said, “We don’t worry about such protests. Rath Yatra is about the meeting of the devotees with the Lord and if he wills then you will reach Srikhetra no matter what obstacles arise on your path. We are already booked and the guests will start arriving soon.”

Being a native of Puri and a devotee of Jagannath, Subodh shed some light on the prevailing feelings of the residents of Puri about the last two years’ devoteeless Rath Yatra and said, “The last two years’ Rath Yatra was held without any devotees. But the people of Puri and Odisha wished that even if they are not able to venture out, Jagannath and his siblings’ visit to their mother’s house must not stop and that is what happened. This year, after a long wait, Lord Jagannath is finally going to meet his devotees who will be here from all over the world.”

Pink House, a lodging facility famous with the backpacker community, especially from foreign countries, has a niche customer base. It’s idyllic location on the Chakra Tirtha Road (CT Road), far away from the maddening crowds of the Puri Beach, is perfect for those looking for peace and calm; the hippies, travellers and artists. Unlike other hotels and resorts, the ones who cater to niche customers have seen a decline in revenue. The changes in India’s visa policy have affected the backpacker travellers, feels Pradipta Dash, Manager, Pink House. “We have seen a steady decline of backpackers over the past few years. Even before Fani in 2019, we had started seeing the decline. So this Rath Yatra it will be business as usual for us. We don’t have high expectations.”

Honey Bee, a bakery and pizzeria, known for its continental breakfasts and pancakes, caters to the foreign crowd and the young masses from Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Debabrata Tripathy, Owner and Founder of Honey Bee, said, “Many people in Puri depend on the festival because a long off-season comes after that. There is high expectation from this year’s Rath Yatra but because of the Agniveer protests there has been a little apprehension on everyone’s mind. My own people who were supposed to reach here from Delhi and Mumbai had to cancel their tickets. We don’t have a crowd that increases exponentially during the Rath Yatra but other businesses do well during this time. Luckily, for me, there are some government officials who get posted here at this time and they visit Honey Bee regularly.”

Tripathy meets a lot of people from around the world and since the opening of Honey Bee he has had some memorable encounters, “On the first day, when we started, a German gentleman visited Honey Bee. He stayed in Puri for almost 18 years. Unfortunately, he passed away last year. He was suffering from cancer when he came here. He was a big Jagannath devotee. Every morning he would come here and have his glass of milk with honey and bread.” Although Tripathy doesn’t believe in ritualistic worship, he is a big devotee of Jagannath. 

Nrusingha Sweets has been a go-to place for Khaja lovers for decades. “I have been at Nrusingha Sweets for years. Our business increases exponentially during Rath Yatra. We have a name since we have been around for almost 80 years. Out of all the sweets and desserts, khaja is the favourite one of the Lord. Khaja along with Khira Sagara and Rasabali are the favourites of the Lord and we feel proud that we make the favourite dessert of the Lord,” shared the Manager of the shop. 

Over the years, a lot of change has happened in the way Rath Yatra is conducted. Owing to the safety and security of the pilgrims and devotees, thousands of police and other paramilitary forces are deployed in Puri and movement of vehicles is regulated around Badadanda. Puri becomes an impenetrable fort. This affects some people, especially the auto wallas and rickshaw wallas. When asked if he is looking forward to an increase in income, Sridhar said, “Everyone makes hay during this time while we auto wallas suffer as all the roads to Badadanda are closed. We just sit at home and watch TV.” 

At the same time, they make good earnings while ferrying people from the railway station and the bus terminal. “Even though we don’t make much on the day of the Rath Yatra, the next few days are good. As people pour into Puri from all corners of the country, it provides us an opportunity to make some money,” shared Nilakantha Das, another auto walla. As the festivities go on for over a week, it is a well-known fact that the auto wallas jack up prices for unaware customers who are willing to pay anything. 

Not just the auto wallas but also the many lodges and hotels on Badadanda and the Puri beach jack up prices to as much as 5 times during this time. Nilachakra Hotel, a dingy lodging facility on the grand road sells rooms for as much as Rs 5000 during Rath Yatra. At other times of the year their room rent is Rs 1000. Similarly, Jagannath Hotel brings out a special menu with special prices during the festival. When asked about it, the owner said, “Please don’t be surprised. This is how things are everywhere. Every tourist destination does that. When the airlines do it, nobody complains but when we do it, it is considered bad. Why?”

Rath Yatra Is Back

Irrespective of business being down over the past few years, hopes are high this year. The people of Puri are happy to be able to attend the festival without restrictions. As things are starting to look up after the havoc of the pandemic over the last two years, businesses all over the pilgrim town are ready to make a comeback. 

Haladhar Das Mohapatra, Badagrahi of Lord Balabhadra, wishes health and happiness to everyone on the occasion of Rath Yatra. “After two years of suffering, the world is finally returning back to normal. Lord Jagannath has blessed everyone who has survived the wrath of COVID 19 and he will fulfill everyone’s wishes. As Puri comes back to normal, this year there will be celebration and the three sibling deities will get to meet their beloved devotees,” he wished.