One day before the grand affair of Rath Yatra, devotees visited Jagannath Temple today where they offered their prayers to lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra after the Netradan ritual, which symbolises their return from seclusion.
Artists remained busy with giving final touches to the chariot which will be pulled by devotees, carrying lord Jagannath and his siblings on their nine-day long divine excursion to Mausibari, their aunt’s residence located 500 metres away from Jagannath Temple.
The new and wider steps of Mausibari have been finished for the convenience of people visiting the shrine during the stay of lord Jagannath. The area has been cleaned and sprinkled with bleaching powder ahead of expected rains by cleaning staff of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC). New roads and streetlights have been completed before Rath Yatra for crowds of devotees that come here from all over State on the occasion of Rath Yatra Mela.
Artisans and craftsmen from villages on peripheries of the State capital have begun to gather at the hillock near Jagannath Temple for the fair held during these nine days, with their vibrant inventory offering indigenous musical instruments, traditional weapons and utensils.
Although times are a-changing and so is the fair. Once known for selling handcrafted indigenous items, it now has a strong presence of mass-produced factory-made items, from toys to kitchenware and everything in between.
“My grandfather used to come here every year to sell handmade kitchenware, but the preference of buyers has changed a lot, now people want what they see in television. So, apart from our regular goods, we also have modern kitchen appliances. Still, the quality of handmade goods remains unparalleled,” said Shyam Sunder Singh from Begusarai as he stacked goods at his stall before the Rath Yatra Mela.
Several stalls of iron-made utensils and traditional weapons have been put up at the fest. “Everyone who comes to this fair buys something made of iron, it is considered auspicious. So people buy iron goods, be it traditional weapons or knives,” said Manoj Kumar Shah, an ironsmith from Deoghar.