Nabarangpur, July 22 UDN}: The Gundicha Yatra is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Nabarangpur. According to legend, during the era of royal rule, the king of neighbouring Bastar once abducted the three deities from the Sri Jagannath Temple in Nabarangpur. While Lord Jagannath’s idol was being carried away on an elephant, the elephant reportedly collapsed on the way. As a result, Lord Jagannath was left behind on the road, while the Bastar king took Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra with him. It is believed that Lord Jagannath continued to be worshipped alone for nearly 150 years, after which new idols were created and consecrated.
In the early days, a 16-wheeled chariot was constructed in Nabarangpur for the Rath Yatra. At that time, pulling the chariot along muddy roads was an extremely difficult task. According to local legend, elephants were even used to pull the chariot. However, the chariot currently constructed in Nabarangpur has eight wheels.
Despite the importance of the tradition, very few people may know about the Vishwakarma family that has been primarily responsible for building the chariot, as the family has received little publicity or recognition. The Vishwakarma family lives in Bhagabati Sahi of Nabarangpur town. The chief artisan, Sanyasi Majhi, has been involved in constructing the chariot of Lord Jagannath for more than 50 years. Before him, his late father, Damu Majhi, was also associated with the construction of Lord Jagannath’s chariot.
From the time chariot construction for the Rath Yatra began in Nabarangpur town, members of this Vishwakarma family have continuously remained involved in the work. Sanyasi Majhi, representing three generations of chariot artisans, has also been honoured with the prestigious Mandei Samman at the Mandei stage.
Apart from Nabarangpur, Sanyasi Majhi has established himself as a chief Vishwakarma artisan involved in constructing chariots at various places in the Koraput and Kalahandi districts. He had served as a tax collector in the Nabarangpur Municipality before retiring from government service. For nearly half a century, he has remained dedicated to the construction of chariots and has always performed his responsibilities associated with Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra with sincerity and devotion.
At present, due to Sanyasi Majhi’s ill health, his younger son, Rabindra Majhi, has stepped forward to carry this family tradition into the future and is actively involved in chariot construction.
Devotees have expressed their heartfelt wishes and prayed to Lord Jagannath for the speedy recovery of Sanyasi Majhi, the veteran chariot artisan who has devoted half a century to this sacred tradition. They have wished him good health and a long, peaceful and illness-free life.
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