Despite the stand-off between the villagers at the Posco site, with one group supporting the project and another putting up a virulent protest against it, both in a significant gesture of camaraderie, were found pulling the chariot of lord Jagannath in Kunjabihari Pitha locally known as Subhadra Kshetra in Gadakujanga village.
The annual Rath Yatra celebration in Gadakujanga village is unique in the way that the chariot is pulled a day after the Rath Yatra in Puri and the celebration is observed for two consecutive days. As per the rich tradition of the locality, all ceremonial processions of deities and sweeping of chariot are performed on the day of Rath Yatra, while the three deities stay back in Bada Danda for pulling of the chariot the next day. Following the age-old precedent, the servitors conducted the Pahandi procession and performed rituals of the deities like Mangala Arati, Surya Puja, Rosha Homa etc on Wednesday and the sweeping of the chariot was performed by Health Minister and Paradip MlA Damodar Rout.
This was witnessed by thousands of devotees from Gadakujanga, Nuagaon, Govindapur, Polanga, Dhinkia, and people from surrounding areas. They again on the next day participated in the pulling of the chariot. Interesting to note, forgetting past enmity and hostility over the proposed controversial Posco project, both the supporters and opponents of the steel mill congregated in huge number and joined hands to pull the chariot.
It may be mentioned here that the supporters and protestors of Posco project were not allowed to enter each other’s villages. But on the auspicious Rath Yatra day, the prohibition had been lifted and they untidily participated in the festival with great enthusiasm. last year, very few people from Dhinkia village had participated in the Rath Yatra festival, but this year, their number had increased.
The Rath Yatra organizers had anticipated less number of people from the festival, but all were taken by surprise when thousands of residents including women and children and kids from Dhinkia, Govindapur and Patana villages recognized as anti Posco bastion thronged the Rath Yatra venue held in pro Posco region of Gadakujanga to have a glimpse of the deities and pulled the chariot on Thursday evening. “It was the religious sentiment of the Posco opponents, which inspired them to participate in the locally famous Gadakujanga Rath Yatra. So we allowed them to participate in the festival and did not want to break the precedent over the Posco uproar,” informed pro Posco leader Nirvaya Samantray.
Anti Posco leaders from Dhinkia village described that the Rath Yatra of Gadakujanga has a rich tradition and is connected with the spiritual heritage of the locality. It enjoys the status at par with the festivals of Puri, Kendrapada, Baripada and Keonjhar. So the Posco controversy could no way deter people from following the religious tradition, they added.