Juggernauts: The Gods roll on
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?b@è, out from the many folds of her peacock green silk sari, Reecha Padhi tilts her head forward, closes her eyes and presses her palms together in prayer to one of the three wooden chariot shaped temples looming above her. Bright Orissan appliqué work canvas covers the great tower of the chariots. Behind her are the jostling souls of some eight hundred thousand or so pilgrims waiting to catch a glimpse of the deities in the giant chariots? Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. This is the last day in the sanctum and tomorrow the deities will begin an 8-day journey with their many worshippers.
The next morning the journey begins. With sweat flowing over their torsos, dozens of bare-chested Pujakas (priests) shove and pull a six-foot wooden pillar painted with enormous black, lidless eyes and a red slash of a mouth, up a rough log ramp onto the chariot. Rhythmically hammering brass manjiras and dholaks, other priests
swirled around the canopied chariot. A wail of ritual singing pulsed over the throng and smoke billowed from silver incense burners.
Read more about my travels in Orissa
here & here
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