Sunday Feature By Kunal Roy

THE LORD ON THE EARTH

The wait is over. The God has descended on the mortal globe to shower His grace upon the poor mortals! Yes He is Jagganath, the preserver of the cosmos! But He is not alone. His brother Balaram and sister Shubhadra are also there to accompany him on His divine odyssey!
We have really waited with a bated breathe to witness the spirit of the surging crowd which always prefers to move ahead to celebrate the auspicious moment with a dash of elan. Moreover, the magnificent arrangement has also been made to add an extra dimension to the festive mood!
Once again the kids are seen dragging the small, wooden chariots on the open street to spread the radiance of divine glory! Besides, the Ratha Yatra fair is indeed a bonanza for those who like to visit fairs. People from different walks of life visit the Mela, purchase articles, enjoy rides and of course have the view of unity amid diversity! Ratha Yatra, though a Hindu festival , aims to unite people from the other socio- religious backgrounds and here lies the true essence of the festival.
A couple of years ago in a reputed English newspaper, it was stated that nearly 23 lakhs of people congregated in Puri on this occasion and the religious fervour was really something to be appreciated in the accepted sense of term. And hopefully the history is going to be repetitive once more! So it is the time for celebration and celebration only, no matter whether the rain gods are going to play a spoilt sport or not!!