JAGATSINGHPUR: With the ‘Chaupata’ (sizing of timber) work yet to be completed, the journey of Daru for Lord Jagannath could not begin from Kharipadia village on Wednesday. The Sagadi with the Daru will begin its journey to Puri on Thursday.
Although construction of sagadi (cart) has been completed, the Chaupata work could not be finished on time due to rain on Monday evening. The Lenka sevayats have already completed the ‘Patali’ rituals where remains of the holy tree were buried in a large ditch dug in the vicinity.
Sub-Collector Narahari Sethy said all arrangements are being made for the Daru journey on Thursday. The sagadi will either take the Kharipadia to Purana or Kharipadia to Raghunathpur Bazaar route to reach the Cuttack-Paradip State Highway. Five platoons of police force will accompany the Banajagis who would be pulling the sagadi to Puri.
On the other hand, people of Kharipadia objected to the Daru being taken on Thursday. Village chief Krushna Chandra Mallick said it is an inauspicious day to take the Daru for Lord Jagannath. “The day is a ‘masant’, which falls a day before Sankranti and besides, it is a Thursday,” he said. Dalapati Haladhar Das Mohapatra, said there is no such restriction on the Daru being taken on a ‘masant’ or Thursday. The administrator of Sri Jagannath Temple Suresh Mohapatra had visited the village on Tuesday and reviewed the construction of sagadi and Chaupata work.