| CHANDAN
YATRA |
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| Celebrated In
: Jagannatha Temple, Puri, Orissa. |
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| Duration : 21 days |
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| In the month
of : Baisakh or Vaishakha (April) |
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Concluding
The Religious Festivity
Chandan Yatra marks the conclusion of the cycle of
religious festivals observed in the famous shrine of Lord Jagannatha at Puri followed by
similar other shrines of Orissa. The festival, starting from "Akshyaya Trutiya",
lasts for twenty-one days and is held in the month of 'Baisakh or Vaishaka' at the height
of the summer heat when Chandan (sandle-paste) and water are essential to keep people
cool. |
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| As
the Hindu deities are modelled on the behaviour of human beings, they are also given the
same treatment. During this festival they are taken out of the temples in procession for
perambulation in water on floats or boats. The richly decorated boats are called 'Chapa'.
'Chapa' is the Oriya equivalent of 'float'. |
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| In most of the
Vishnu as well as Shiva temples the festival of the 'float' marks the conclusion of the
prime annual festival and it is celebrated with much pomp and éclat. The belief probably
is that the deity having concluded his ceremonial perambulation with all attendant
paraphernalia on land must have his aquatic sojourn before He returns to the sanctum of
the temple to come out only for the next festival. |
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A
Twenty-One Days Extravaganza
This festival is most elaborate in Puri and attracts
thousands of pilgrims from far and near. On all the twenty-one days the entire road from
the shrine of Lord Jagannatha leading up to the "Narendra Sarobar" (a sacred
tank in Puri town) along with the houses on both sides is decorated. |
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| At some places,
especially in front of 'Maths' (monasteries) or at cross-roads big 'toranas' (arches) are
erected where the idols take casual rest and receive offerings The representative images
of the deities installed in temples such as "Madanmohana" (representing Lord
Jagannatha), "Laxmi" and "Saraswati" are taken in a richly decorated
palanquin by the 'Sevakas' accompanied by priests, musicians and dancers to the Narendra
Sarobar at night. |
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| The tank is
profusely lighted with thousands of spectators milling and jostling all around in
expectation of the arrival of the procession. The principal deities are also followed by
different deities from the different shrines of the town. After reaching the Narendra
Sarobar, the images are then placed on different well-decorated boats and they are rowed
for a long time by the Sevakas. During the rowing ceremony 'Devadasis' (temple-dancers)
dance and sing on the boat. |
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The
Ceremony
Generally, the colours chosen for the boats are red and
white and they are so designed to look like huge swans floating on water. The peculiarity
of the ceremony is that Madanmohana with Laxmi and Saraswati rides on the white coloured
raft where-as Ramakrishna with "Pancha Shivas" rides the red one. All the
deities on the boat take several rounds in the water, which continue till early hours of
the morning and then retire to the respective shrines. The last day of the festival is
called "Bhaunri" ('Bhramari' or circle) when special elaborate arrangements are
made. |
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| Most of the
important festivals of Lord Jagannatha at Puri are also followed in all other important
shrines of Orissa. Following tradition of the Puri the images are taken out in procession
on palanquins to the nearby tanks and perambulated in water on boats. In all such temples
it is observed only for the last three days. After the ceremony, which usually takes place
at mid-night, people enjoy performances of dance, drama and music specially arranged for
this occasion. |
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Chandan
Festival At Bhubaneswar
At Bhubaneswar the Chandan festival of Lord Lingaraja is
observed in Bindu Sarobar, a huge tank near the temple. Here, the float is moved to the
Mandapa in the middle of the tank. The 'Mandapa' is an inlet-like structure, which is more
an elevated platform. |
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