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Baripada ‘Rath Yatra’ unique in several ways

BHUBANESWAR: All roads did not lead to Puri on Friday for the famous Rath Yatra (Car Festival). A few led to far off towns like Koraput, Keonjhar, Kendrapara, Baripada, Soro and Nilagiri. And even non-descript villages like Marada and Gosaninuagaon in Ganjam district.

Baripada’s 433-year-old yatra has attracted international attention for its feminist tradition. For the past 33 years, pulling the chariot of Lord Jagannath’s sister Subhadra has been the exclusive domain of women – a tradition that was initiated when the nation and the state had women as prime minister and chief minister.

But, Baripada’s fete is not restricted to this focus on feminity.

Its uniqueness lies in completion of the chariots’ procession in three days unlike the single-day event at Puri. Here, the deities would ascend upon the chariots on the day of the yatra but would wait for the next day to begin their journey. While chariots of Balabhadra and Subhadra would be pulled on Saturday, Jagannath’s Nandighosh would roll on Sunday.

Neighbouring Nilgiri, the erstwhile princely state that was ruled by Bhanja kings of Mayurbhanj, follows a similar tradition. Here the car festival and the return car festival spread over three days each like at Baripada.

Respect for tribals is best seen in the festivals being hosted at the tribal population dominated district headquarters town of Keonjhar and at Koraput town. The Juangas and Bhuyans, both primitive tribes, have been an integral part of the festival management in this 347-year-old festival. They provide the sacred ropes for pulling the chariot and act as its pilots as well. And it has been mandatory to have a Paraja tribal leader perform the ‘chhera pahnara’ (sacred ritual of sweeping the chariot) in Koraput; a very distinguished service that the King of Puri performs at Puri festival.

Unlike at Puri, in Kendrapara and Keonjhar, the yatra belongs to Lord Balabhadra, elder brother of Lord Jagannath. He is the presiding deity at these temples and hence the festivals are focussed on Him.

Puri priests might be protesting the proposal to pull the chariots at night. But in Balasore district’s Soro town, it has been a long drawn tradition to pull the chariot only after the sunset. The chariot here starts moving only after the wheels of the chariots stop at Puri in the evening.

The temple at Marada in Ganjam district once housed the three deities of Puri when they were shifted to safer places to save them from attack of the invaders. Yet, devotees at this empty temple celebrate the Rath Yatra with utmost enthusiasm. And at Gosaninuagoan village of the district, women have followed suit of the Baripada tradition. They have initiated the custom of pulling Subhadra’s chariot exclusively by women.

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