|
|
|
CHANDRABHAGA
FAIR, ORISSA |
|
Location :
Chandrabhaga, Near Konark, Orissa. |
|
Time of the
Year :
Magha Poornima (January February) |
|
Duration :
Seven Days |
|
Cycle :
Yearly |
|
|
|
THE FAIR |
The Chandrabhaga Fair is one of
the most popular and colorful fairs of Orissa. It is held on the seventh day of
Magha (January–February) at a beach close to Konark in Orissa for seven days.
The fair is held in honor of the sun god, who is said to have cured Sri
Krishna’s son Shambhu from leprosy. Pilgrims from various parts of India
congregate here every year to take a dip in the holy waters and offer their
prayers to the sun. |
|
A majority of the believers are
from Orissa. However, there are large contingents from West Bengal, Andhra
Pradesh, and even Madhya Pradesh. Besides these, there are tourists who come to
see the famed Sun Temple at Konark. Mendicants too are present in a big but
orderly way. They sit in single files along the road and paths that lead to the
sanctum and make sure that charity is not overlooked when on a pilgrimage. Some
prefer to sing and play devotional songs while moving amongst the assembly. |
|
There is a continuous train of
people, which keep coming from the previous morning itself, throughout the day
and night until the celebrated daybreak. They come from all directions in
various modes of conveyance. Most take the three-kilometer walk from Konark and
if the time permits, they see the Sun Temple before proceeding to Chandrabhaga.
If not, they stop over on their way back. Along this route, groups halt to
collect firewood and to buy black earthen pots. These will be used for cooking
after the group has camped around the site for the night.
|
|
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS |
Hands reverently folded amidst
chants of Hari Bol, thousands of devotees wait in the chill for the Sun God to
arrive in a blazing chariot pulled by seven horses in divine splendor. The
moment for which they had walked miles and spent cold sleepless hours on the
beach was soon approaching. As the earth turned a fraction of a degree
eastward, the sun’s benign rays, dispelling the darkness and the mist,
consecrated the patient gathering. |
|
Lending variety and color are
numerous mobile vendors. There are toys to tempt children, eats for the hungry
and travel-worn, as also amulets and other religious mementos. The kiosks
around do brisk business. For tourists, coconut water with soft, delicious
kernel is in abundance to quench a parched throat. |
|
Though essentially a religious
event, entertainment is provided by dance troupes performing jatra (folk
theatre) close to the Sun Temple. These performances go on late into the night.
Not wanting to be outdone, the restaurants around Konark blare songs from the
latest Hindi films throughout the night to attract customers. As if this is not
enough, persons are posted outside the restaurants to persuade passersby into
taking a tea break or a midnight meal. An unwary pilgrim surrendering to
compulsive hospitality is likely to find himself in one of them, which he no
doubt will leave without regrets to continue the onward journey. |
|
LEGENDS AND RITUALS |
Magha Saptami (January–February)
heralds the occasion for performance of the Chandrabhaga rituals at a beach
three kilometers from Konark. The roots of this festival are traced to a
mythical tale wherein Shambhu, the son of Lord Krishna, trespassed into the
chamber of his parents when they were in a state of private bliss. Upon this,
Krishna cursed his son with leprosy. Since the punishment was too acute for
such an inadvertent act by Shambhu, Narad took pity on him and instructed him
to seek a cure at the Chandrabhaga River. The place where Shambhu is said to
have meditated and worshipped the sun God after ablutions in the river for
twelve years has become a sacred spot possessing curative properties. |
|
Today, the river is not to be
seen. What is left could be described either as a large pond or a very small
lake. Yet, the faith in the cleansing powers of its waters is unquestionable.
For, on this day of Magha Saptami, hundreds of thousands of people go through
the bathing rituals. Those who do not find space, do so in the sea, which is
just 100 m away. The ritual bathing takes place from 3 am onwards, commencing
with the thakurs (priests) and followed by the rest. After purification, by
dawn, a sea of humanity expectantly faces the Bay of Bengal with their eyes
focused on a brighter section of the horizon. |
|
After darshan (worship), nearly 80
per cent of the people begin the journey back home, stopping on their way for
offerings at the local shrines on the beach and the thakurbari (home of the
local priest) where ceremonies still continue. The scenario along the beach
gradually changes at this stage. Small groups, mostly family members, can be
seen gathered around pandas (priests) who perform pujas. After etching the
outline of the Jagannath temple in the sand, small mounds of wet sand
representing each family member are placed within, along with earthen lamps and
flowers. This, accompanied by the panda’s chanting, which is repeated by family
members, is intended to usher prosperity. These rites last from fifteen to
thirty minutes. |
|
As the morning stretches, the
sands and the fisher folk, with their catamarans, regain authority on
Chandrabhaga. While the wind and the caves will erase, all traces of this
mammoth congregation, the celestial drama, though repeated daily shall remain
an ordinary event until the next Magha Saptami. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|