JAJPUR: Dharmasala MLA Himanshu Sekhar Sahu on Thursday arrived in a chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle to perform the sacred ‘Chhera Pahanra’ ritual of the annual Rath Yatra at the Jagannath Temple in Bhalukhai, transforming the symbolic sweeping tradition into a sheer display of extravaganza.
Wearing an attire fit for royalty, the MLA was seen in an open-top ‘Rolls Royce’ car along with a long procession of his supporters on the road leading to the temple. As Himanshu moved in the grand procession, local people including women accorded him a warm welcome. Upon reaching the temple, the legislator ascended the Trinity’s chariot and performed the ceremonial sweeping ritual with a golden-handle broom amidst chants by the priests.
Incidentally, this year’s ‘Chhera Pahanra’ was a break from tradition as the inspector-in-charge (IIC) of Dharmasala police station performed the ceremonial sweeping of chariots since the inception of the annual Rath Yatra at the temple several years back. But this year, the MLA donned the role with a opulent display.
President of the Jagannath Temple management committee Kalpataru Sahoo admitted that the tradition required the local IIC to conduct ‘Chhera Pahanra’ on the chariot. However, he said, as the current Dharmasala IIC is a female, the temple management sought the advice of the Mukti Mandap in Puri if she was eligible to perform the ritual. “
According to the Mukti Mandap, a woman cannot perform ‘Chhera Pahanra’ on the chariot. Hence, we adopted a resolution and invited the local MLA to conduct the ritual,” Kalpataru added.
He further said henceforth, only the local MLA will perform the ‘Chhera Pahanra’ ritual on chariot during Rath Yatra.
Contacted, Himanshu said he is an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath. “The temple management requested me to perform ‘Chhera Pahanra’ on the chariot and I immediately obliged to serve the deities. It is nothing but pure devotion,” the MLA added.
