Youths carry family flame to make Rath chariots

Bhubaneswar: Given the intense heat, Jasobanta Maharana (22) could not have been faulted had he kept working at the air-conditioned firm of a chartered accountant in Puri. Instead, these days Jasobanta, a commerce graduate, is sweating it out with hammer and chisel, giving shape to the chariots ahead of the Rath Yatra, scheduled to be observed on July 1.
It is not just Jasobanta, there are many educated youngsters who have joined their family members in the ancestral practice of making chariots.
“I have taken leave for two months and joined my father Jagannath Maharana to make the chariots. We are blacksmiths and play an important role in the construction of chariots. I have been assisting my father for the last five years,” Jasobanta said.
Rajeswar Mahapatra, a degree holder in arts, was scheduled to join an institute in Bangalore as a faculty next month. But he has requested the institute authorities to give him an opportunity to join in July as he decided to help out at Ratha Khala, the workplace where the chariots are being constructed.
“Duty for Lord Jagannath comes first. Not many in our generation are interested in art and craft. But I want to devote my time in the construction of the chariots. I feel proud and privileged to do this work,” Mahapatra said.
Alok Bhoi, who is pursuing graduation in Puri, is also doing his bit at Ratha Khala.
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