Guptipara Ratha Yatra
By Subhanjan Sengupta
28 Jun 2009
On the occasion of Ratha Yatra – an extremely respected, practised, and valued festival in India – I went on a photographic exploration of a village in the interiors of West Bengal that is not only famous for Ratha Yatra, but has been practising it for hundreds of years. The village is called Guptipara, and it is located in the Hooghly District of West Bengal. But before I talk of Guptipara, I would like to share with you some facts of the Ratha Yatra.
Ratha Yatra is a major festival of the Hindus and is primarily practised in Eastern India. The festival is centred around the worship of Lord Jagannath, who was an incarnation of Lord Krishna. The deities – Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra are worshipped in temples. But on the day of Ratha yatra, they are brought down from the temples, carried with exhaustive rituals on the way towards the chariots (Rath), and then placed on huge chariots that are then to be pulled by thousands of people, followed by several thousands of devotees. The glimpse of Lord Jagannath on the chariot, or even a touch of the Rath and the ropes with which it is pulled is considered auspicious and holy. Thousands clamour to have a chance to pull the grand Rath which raises a few stories in height and is made of hard wood to make it strong and grand. Not only is it magnificent in colours and structural patterns, but it also soars high above making one feel the enormity of divinity.
The festival originated in Puri and had been one of the grandest festivals of India. But Guptipara has a different attraction. And the difference is major as it has serious religious connotations that are still on the minds of the Archeological Society of India. Actually the idols of the three deities – Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra – have no hands and legs. The legend goes that the King of Kalinga, called Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev, ordered the construction of the Jagannath Temple at Puri centuries ago. The main priest who took up the job of constructing the idols asked the king not to open the temple gates until he finishes the construction, and that as soon as he finishes the construction, he will open the gates of the temple. The King having waited for a long time – years together – grows impatient and opens the doors of the temple. He finds the priest dead and the idols half finished with no hands and legs. Since that day, the idols of Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhandra have no limbs. But surprisingly enough, the idols found in the Chaitanyadev Temple at Guptipara have hands, but no legs. This deviation made in the past is a matter of great research in Hindu religious studies.
My photographic journey was to document this significant festival being celebrated at Guptipara. Though it was scorching heat and I had a hard documenting experience with hours together with no water and no food, I was glad to have seen a historic festival from close quarters. And being a photographer, the villagers took my documentation with importance and allowed me to document their festival and people from close quarters.
Guptipara is an old and traditional village in the Hooghly district of West Bengal. The "Baroyari-Durga Puja" or the worship by twelve friends started here. Mohanlal, a great patriot during the days of Nawab Sirajuddoula, was also born here. And the Ratha Yatra festival is one of the largest gatherings of its type in West Bengal. The festival is centred around the Chaitanyadev Temple that was built centuries ago by King Satyadev. The temple is known for the Terrakota style of architecture.
Preparations start weeks before the day of Ratha Yatra. It is constructed by the villagers with hard timber and it rises to a few stories. Then it is beautifully coloured and given different designs. On the day of Ratha Yatra it is a spectacle to see hundreds accumulate around the Rath and the idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra are brought down from the temple by devotees. Then they carry the idols on their shoulders to the Rath. One of my pictures that I have submitted depicts Balaram (white coloured Idol) being carried by devotees on their shoulders. Even pulling up the idols to the top floor of the Rath is a huge task and needs preparations by tying the idols with cloth and rope and by pulling them up to the alter at the top of the Rath. One of my pictures submitted show the idol of Jagannath (red coloured idol) being tied with cloth and being prepared for being lifted. Legend says that the Raths are to be pulled by horses. Now since that is both practically and financially impossible to have a hundred horses to pull Raths, wodden horses are made and joined to the Rath; the Rath being later pulled by hundreds of people. Now adding two horses to the main Rath is a huge task and needs several people as the horses are made of hard wood and are very heavy. One of my submitted pictures show one of the horses being tied by ropes and pulled by people standing on the second stage of the Rath, while several people on ground are pushing the horse up with hands and bamboo sticks. Attaching one horse takes one to two hours. Witnessing such magnificent dynamism was a gift.
There are also small idols of other male and female Gods and Demons built at the corners of the Rath. One of my pictures submitted show an elderly woman showing love and respect to a Hindu Goddess by touching the idol. Another of my pictures shows an idol being touched on the head and offered colourful Sindur. The Ratha Yatra festival also attracts many Hindu monks from far and wide and one gets to enjoy a lot of portrait photography around the Rath. One will even find monks and ordinary people singing and playing musical instruments side by side in the fair. The photographic opportunities are excellent. Occasional flute peddlers and hat sellers give you a charm that is priceless.
After hours of preparations, finally the hour comes when the Rath is to be pulled away by hundreds of people to a different location where it will be there for a few more days along side a colourful fair. This final hour is in all its enormity and grandeur when thousands of villagers, monks, police, and tourists gather around the Rath and walk with it to the final destination. Thousands are heard screaming while pulling the Rath with all their strength and dust bellows in the horizon. It is a spectacle beyond belief and worth remembering. So do not miss it next year. Be at Guptipara Rathtala in July next year with your photographic equipment. You may go to Puri but you won't get photographic opportunities to document closely due to security reasons and too much of an unmanageable crowd. But you will get to know the whole thing closely at Guptipara in spit of all the crowd as the villagers are co-operative and want a popularity for their valuable tradition. Be there at nine in the morning when preparation starts by tying ropes to the Rath. Take water and packed food in a small pouch in your backpack. Get out early from your hotel at Kolkata and take a drive to Guptipara on the day of Ratha Yatra on a rented car. A lot of dust and chaotic situation needs to be handled carefully as there is also quick shifting of events even before you realise. So take an all purpose lens as changing lenses will be harmful for sensor and will also take your time and attention away from the events. You need wide angle and telephoto as well. So take an 18-200mm. And for portraits, go to the place where the monks are sitting and singing and then change to a 50mm lens. Take the cleaning kit along. Pause after every hour to remove dust from the camera body. And do not drink the village water. Take a bottle in your back pack. Best of luck.
3 responses
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Dirk HR Spennemann gave props (28 Jun 2009):
voted! great colours and string story! Well done!
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Jhelum Bhattacharya said (28 Jun 2009):
Thank you so much for posting it.
My mom was sooo happy because she has spent her childhood in Guptipara and was elated to see the picture and the article is fantastic!!
Apart from my thanks I wanted to pass on her side of thanks to you with a big smile :-) -
PINAKI SARKAR gave props (28 Jun 2009):
brilliant. I love the series.I voted. definitely a great story
