Devotion Knows no Pain

Balasore. Penance and discipline have steeled their body against the scorching heat as they move out in processions by piercing their bodies with nails and dancing barefoot under the hot sun. They claim for their devotion towards the God, they don’t experience any pain.

Come Biasakh (the first Oriya month in between April and May), the premises of Chandaneswartemple turns alive as lakhs of devotees throng the Shiva temple to observe a unique celebration called “Chadak Mela”. Here hunbreds of devotees pierce their bodies with nails and walk along the temple premises seeking blessing from the almighty.

The festival is observed in two phases- “Nila Parva” and “Pata Parva”. “Nila Parva” was concluded with the secret marriageof Lord Shiva yesterday while in “Pata Parva”, the patuas (devotees) got the nails piercied in their skins and movedout in procession today. Over two lakh devotees witnessed it.

The celebration stars a month before Baisakh Sankranti. “The yatra, an annual phenomenon, is said to have originated here some200 years ago. The participants, called patus are usually those who have taken a vow to participate in the yatra for the fulfilment of their wishes. However, these is no caste bar,” said Bibhudutta Mishra, a priest.

The patuas wear saffron coloured clothes and stay away from their families whilre worshipping Lord Shiva for a month. They take vegetarian food only once a day. Despite the strict conditions, the number of participant has been increasing over theyears. This year over 60,000 devotees had registered their names to offer puja.

The festival is a unique festival in Orissa as unlike other Shiva pithas, fishes are sacrificed here here in Chandaneswar Shiva temple. “Animals are often sacrified at the altar of shakti pithas. But here in the shiva pitha two big gadgon fishes are sacrificed to appease demon princess Kamina whom Shiva marries secretly once in a year,” said chief priest of the temple Jayram Panda.

by Hemanta Kumar Routa

Ready for Patua Yatra

Come Maha Bisuva Sankranti in Baisakh, Devotees throng Gangaswar temple of Lord Shiva and goddess Parvati at Matanagar under Mirjapur gram panchayata to participate in the Patua Yatra.

The Yatra, an annual event, is said to have originated here some400 years back and is famous for its Patua nacha. The dance presented here is in four different forms – Charki Patua, Kanta Patua, Khanda Patua and Agni Patua.

Different rituals are followed for separate dance forms. In Charki Patua, two Patuas are hung from the hooks suspended from the two sides of a wheel supported on on a pillar, which is continuously rotated. The Kanta Patua have to lie on thorny bushes with the priest walking on their back. While Khanda Patua dances over swords, the Agni Patuas walk over a bed of burning charcoal, which is 20 to 30 feet in length.

The participants or dancers, called Patuas, are usually those who have vowed to participate in the dance for fulfilment of their wishes and there is no caste bar for participation. The Patuas arrive at Gangeswar temple five days prior to the Maha Bisuva Sankranti and observe many rituals which are meant for “purification” of body and mind.

During the dance, the Patuas are said to be transported to a spiritually enchanted state, called Kalisi. During the festival, people invite these dancers to their homes to seek their blessings.

At the end of the festival, the Patuas take a holy dip in “Patua Pokhari” at Dharmghatpur.

by Arbinda Panda