Puri Temple Visit
‘’’Puri Temple Visit – Over the Years
Then
A visit to Puri during my childhood was so simple. We used to live in AG colony (Nowadays it's called old AG colony). From there, early in the morning, we used to go to PMG (Post Master General) Square by rickshaw. Usually, after a wait of 10–15 minutes, we used to get a Puri Bus. The Bus usually took more than half an hour to leave the city. The last stop in the city to pick up passengers was BJB Chowk. From there, the next stop was Pipilli, where, from the window, one could see the chanduas and coloured umbrellas on display. Slowly, as it was a single road, the bus moved to the next important stop, Shaki Gopal, where some passengers used to get off. From Shakigopal, the next stop was Chandanpur, where you had the Krishna Hotel. This hotel was famous for its sweets.
Almost after 1 hour of leaving Bhubaneswar, you reach Puri on narrow roads. The first deity to bow down from the Bus was Bata Mangla. Slowly, the bus, negotiating the Puri Road and crossing the Atthar Nali Bridge, reaches the Bada Danda, or Grand Road. As you get off the bus, the pandas will be waiting to receive you. Usually, one finds their own known acquaintance panda. As soon as you see him and his smiling face, he greets you in a very typical odia accent. First, he will ask for your well-being, and then he will praise the Lord for our well-being. On the way to the temple, the panda will narrate all the new miracles happening at Puri by the grace of the Lord. Usually, my mother used to take us for the visit, so he would update her on whatever had happened at Puri from her last visit to the present. Hearing his stories, we didn’t know when we reached the Aruna Stamba. There was a small shoe center near the gate where we used to keep our chappals. From there, the panda will invariably ask us to rush, reminding us that the pata darshan is about to be over. So, we used to run behind him. He knew everybody there, wishing everyone well and smiling, would push his way and make the necessary passage to enter the sanctum sanctum.
After seeing the ratna sihansan and the towring dieties, we will do you a pradiakshan around the Ratna sihasan. My mother and the panda will make sure we bang our heads at the sihansan and then come out straight, heading towards Mukti mandap. The Panda will be happy that we are very happy with darshan and will bless my mother and us. My mother will make us touch the feet of a panda. He will get the prasad packed nicely in a palm-leaf-woven basket and hand it over to my mother. The panda bids goodbye and leaves us. Then we move around Bimla Devi Temple and Maha Laxmi Temple. On are way we will come across so many groups of old ladies clad in white sarees and chandan tika on their forehead with the jap mala in their hands and chanting something which we could never hear however close you pass. From there, we move towards Anand Bazar, have Torani, and come out again to 22 Pahach. My mother turns around, makes one final bow, and we come out of the main gate to the grand road again. The return buses are ready, and the conductors are ready to offer the seats. Here, the buses will be to and fro until the bus is filled up. Suddenly, you don’t realize when the bus has moved. My mother wakes me up to tell me that we have reached our destination. There are rickshaws waiting; after a little bargaining with my mother, he rides us back home. We Cherish those Puri memories till the next visit.'''
Now
Over the years, I have seen so many changes. I am now slowly inching towards 60. I thought of going to Puri to have darshan with my wife. I woke up around 3.45 am and, after completing the daily routine, was ready by 4.30 am to drive to Puri from UTTARA, the place where we live. I took the car out and hit the main road within minutes. In 10 minutes, I was at the toll gate. The first board I saw was Sakhigopal, and then within 30 minutes I was entering Puri. Wide roads, all four lanes, and by-pass flyovers kept me away from those towns. Even the inside roads of Puri are widened, and new facilities and amenities have taken over from the old houses. As it was early, I could drive up to the first gate. I parked the vehicle and left for darshan.
There are now cordoned barriers. We could see the ratha as the ratha yatra was just over. The frames of the ratha were still intact. Just a month ago, I saw on TV the sea of people on the same grand road that I am walking now. I joined the queue with my wife all the time, looking at the Neel Chakra and the fluttering flags of the temple sikhra. Kirtans are being sung by a group of people. Enjoying the morning sunrise was waiting when we would be let in. There were no pandas anywhere nearby. After waiting for half an hour, we were let in towards Aruna Stamba.
There was a small security check by the men in uniform. I bowed to the Aruna Stamba and then proceeded towards hand washing and washing the feet. There is a continuous flow of water in a tank, and you walk through it and your feet are washed. Then I move towards the Singha Dwar, or Eastern Gate. The wooden doors have been changed to Silver doors. You see the Patitapwan in all its glory. I fold my hands and move towards baisi Pahach. I don’t see any tarpans being offered at baisi pahach. Now I start sweating profusely in the humid conditions. Then again, we were cordoned off in queues and waited for another half hour. After that, we slowly entered the final barricade before entering the sanctum. Finally, I heard the chant of Jay Jagannath, was pushed into the temple, and got my first glimpse of Garuda Stamba. I moved towards the Garuda stamba with my wife pushing and making space for me. I tried to get a glimpse of the Lord behind Garuda Stamba but could not. Then walking through Jagmohan gruha, I waited at the final barrier manned by the men in uniform for another 7–8 minutes. Finally, we were let in. I entered from my left side and could see Maa Subhdra Devi and the Universal Lord in all their glory. I moved towards my right to see Lord Bhalbadhra. The men in uniform pushed us to move fast, and with the corner of my eye, I was looking at the three dieties, and Ratna Sishan came out of the temple. As my mother taught, I went to Mukti Mandap, took the blessing (they put their feet on your head), and moved forward to Vata Vrikshya, where Narayan himself resides. Then come back, crossing the Mukta Mandap, and go towards Rohini Kunda, and from there to Maa Bimala Devi Temple. Crossing the western gate, I bow down to Maa Mahalaxmi and head towards Anand Bazar. On the way to Anand Bazar, I and my wife stop at the counter where flags are sold. I missed those old ladies inside the temple premises. There was a lot of younger crowd compared to yesteryears.
The flags one sees on the shikar are the ones sold here. One can buy it and give it to them to be tied in the afternoon with whatever wish one wants to be fulfilled. Once we completed the formalities of buying one for the well-being of our children, we proceeded to Anand Bazar. After having smelled the aroma of Anand Bazar, we came out of the Northern gate. A lot of construction work is in progress towards the Northern Gate exit. Huge earthen machines were lying motionless. Slowly, without the slippers (it is difficult to walk on the concrete after a certain age), I reached the Grand Road Again. Once again bowed down to the universal lord and drove off to Uttara. On the way, I had a little aludam dahi bada as breakfast from a roadside vendor and tender coconut water. By 9 a.m., we were at home.’’’
