Curbs on Rath Yatra participation in Digha evoke mixed response from devotees

Mamata Banerjee, had earlier announced that people standing behind the barricades will get the opportunity to touch the chariot ropes, without straying on the road to avoid chaos.

Digha: The West Bengal government’s decision to barricade the nearly one-km Rath Yatra route and stop people from spilling onto the street, evoked mixed response from thousands of devotees, who have congregated in this coastal town of Purba Medinipur district.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in Digha to oversee preparations and participate in the first-ever Rath Yatra on Friday from the recently inaugurated ‘Jagannath Dham’, had earlier announced that people standing behind the barricades will get the opportunity to touch the chariot ropes, without straying on the road to avoid chaos.

"There will be ropes adjacent to the barricades, which they will be able to touch staying inside the guardrails," she said.

The state-sponsored sanctum in Digha, projected as a cultural centre, was built as a replica of the temple of Lord Jagannath in Odisha’s Puri, and attracted political controversy and opposition from the servitors of the Puri temple since the project was inaugurated on April 30.

Stating that he is aware of the restrictions which are put in place to prevent chaos or a stampede-like situation, Nayan Mondal from Gangarampur in Uttar Dinajpur told PTI, “I have come with my son and wife to pull the chariots of Lord Jagannath and his sibling deities or at least touch the ropes for a little while.”

"I know there are security considerations, but how can touching a rope kept alongside the bamboo scaffolding be equated with viewing the deities with my own eyes? Rath Yatra in our hometown and elsewhere in the state had always been more participatory," he said.

His wife and son nodded in agreement, but they still waited alongside the barricade in one part of the route patiently, contending that they would rather be part of the first-ever Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Digha and "witness the spectacle even if we are kept some distance away".

Raju Das from Tehatta in Nadia said, “I am here with my family and all we wished was to go before the chariots and offer prayers to the deities.

“The temple is grand, the idols are awe-inspiring and the view of the chariots seen in TV news are spectacular. But, if the authorities wish to pitch the Digha Jagannath Rath Yatra along the lines of Puri, they could have made some arrangements for the public to have better ‘darshan’ facilities and allow them to participate in the divine exercise in a more accommodating manner.” Tapan Mondal, a visitor from Andal in Paschim Bardhaman, said he, too, was a tad disappointed with the arrangements.

“We learnt about these arrangements only after arriving here yesterday. More than me, my daughter is disheartened. We only wish something to accommodate ordinary pilgrims is planned from next year,” he said.

Bappa Sarkar from Konnagar, who arrived with his wife and son, however, said "I think the administration has made great arrangements by keeping ropes alongside the barricades, which we can touch and feel being part of the holy exercise.” “The barricades are not preventing us from gathering on the road kerbs and catching a glimpse of the Lord and his siblings. Also, we are told the ropes are connected with the main chariot. So there is no harm,” his wife said.

Asked about the family’s experience at the centuries-old Mahesh Rath Yatra that takes place near their home and where devotees can actually pull the chariots, she defended the state government’s decision in Digha on grounds of the larger footfall here.

“Consider the turnout of thousands in Digha. The administration has to be extra cautious since this is the first year of the Rath Yatra here,” she said.

Rekha Sharma from Jamshedpur, who turned up as part of an all-women team, said, "We are happy to have had ‘darshan’ of the Lord in the temple this morning. We don’t mind standing by the barricades and touching the ropes from a distance.” Meanwhile, Dulal Chandra Ghosh from Maniktala in Kolkata complained about communication lags from the local authorities.

“There are communication gaps on the way the devotees can see the Lord and how to participate in the Rath Yatra. No one is giving us the right picture and the security personnel are driving us away from one spot to another. We hope there will be better communication for the pilgrims as they arrive in Digha on this auspicious occasion next year," Ghosh said.

Shyamal Patra, a vendor selling puri-sabji near the temple along the route, expressed satisfaction with his sales.

“I have been earning Rs 1,600 a day since yesterday. Earlier, it used to be within Rs 1,000. I am looking forward to this procession,” he added.