PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

1960 July :: An un-named slum in a small district town of India. Raghunath was shaken out of bed at the first hint of sunrise. No.. he wasn't an early riser but this day was so special. It was the day before the Rath Yatra. He went to the bedroom where his parents were fast asleep. Raghunath poked his father who lazily sat  upright  and sleepily asked  his son what the matter was. "Today we have to buy a new Rath" ... "The shopkeepers wont be selling them before eight so go back to bed " Raghunath dejectledly went back to bed and lay tossing and turning recollecting the year before when he was at Puri holding the rope of the chariot of Lord Jagannath. Raghunath gazed at the old spring wound wall clock purchased from the previous year's Balijatra fair held on the Mahanadi river bank a stones throw from the Barabati Fort where fierce bloody battle was fought by the army of King Ashoka. It had been a full moon night of the month of Kartick. Raghunath's mouth salivated thinking of the delicious "thoka puri" and "chhenar dalna" reeking of garlic.

"Kete debi ?" [ How much should I pay] "Punch tonka dei debe !" [Five rupees] .Raghunath cradled the small wooden chariot in his arms and a broad smile lit up his face. The three storied Rath crafted in a slip-shod manner from cheap packing-box wood already had flowery blue paper gummed on it and a coir-rope string about four feet long was tied to its front end. A red coloured paper flag was fixed on the top of the chariot. It looked holy enough to hold the idols of the famous trio Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Goddess Subhadra. Happy butterflies fluttered in Raghunath's psyche as he shopped with Ramesh Babu his father for the three small clay idols fixed on a single 2"x6" stand painted with shimmering colours.

"Bappa .. [father] every year I offer nokuldana [lumps of sugar] Please buy me some nice sweets this year. Then the Lord will bless me and I'll do better grades in school " Poor Bappa !!  He bought four pieces of the cheapest variety of "sandesh" and a small stainless steel plate of 5 inch diameter. The sweets had to be placed on something. On Raghunath's insistence and tears a tiny brass tumbler was also bought for two annas.Leaves were collected from the nearby garden and the Rath was decorated beautifully. 

D-Day arrived !! The Rath had spent the night on a chair in the drawing room. Raghunath hadn't forgotten to light an incense stick borrowed from his granny's Puja room. How beautiful the Gods looked in the eyes of the child.  No school... Forget books for a day.. After all it is Rath Yatra... comes once in a year. As soon as the sun kissed the Western horizon Raghunath took down the Rath from its perch and lit a small earthen lamp inside it. The Gods trundled and softly rattled along wobbling on its rough wooden wheels. Other children were also out on the streets with their Raths. Each Rath was unique in its own way. Starting from a foot high single-tier  to three storied ones more than four feet high pulled by two or three children. Each Rath had some lighted candle or "diya" The Gods seemed to wink from the Raths at their bhakts.

The "March Past" ended at their respective homes of the devoted charioteers of which Raghunath was one. He broke the sweets into small bits and offered the "prasad" to all members of his family who did the pranam and ate with twinkling eyes. "Kichhi rokhibuni !! Pimpudi lagi jibo !" [Dont leave anything ! ants will come !] 

2015 July : Raghunath is glued to his television watching the Rath Yatra at Puri at his apartment in Kolkata.

The three big chariots were engaged in the March Past with thousands of devotees. This morning he was eyeing with deep romanticism the small wooden Raths being sold when he was on his way to the local market and thinking if Religion or Faith was existent when he was a child. I know readers can't stand more of Bishu's nonsensical burps.