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| One of the many rides on offer at the fair in Ranchi on Tuesday. Picture by Hardeep Singh |
The chariot will roll out two days later, but the carnival has already started.
From sweet shops to prasad outlets, fun rides to furniture — the ground near Jagannathpur Temple in Ranchi, which is all set to celebrate the rath yatra on June 21, is abuzz with vendors readying their kiosks and wares for the grand fair that’s a part of the celebrations every year.
Sweet sellers from Purulia and Jhalda in Bengal have already arrived in the state capital and set up tents at the fair grounds to dole out festive favourites like khaja, gaja and peetha. Amusement rides like Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, break dance, Octopus ride et al are also being put up.
“We came here three days ago and set up a tent. A lot of special sweets like khaja and gaja have already been readied. We will prepare more delicacies as more than one lakh devotees are set to visit the temple on Thursday (June 21),” said Dinesh Sao, a sweet shopowner, who has come from Purulia along with six others, to make brisk business.
Many kiosks, selling furniture and home décor, have also been set up by shopkeepers from not only Jharkhand, but also neighbouring states like Bihar and Bengal. “Many visitors buy beds and other furniture at the mela. I have stocked 30 beds and are hopeful of good business during the festival,” said Braj Kishore Sharma, a dealer in wooden items from Vaishali, Bihar.
Not to be left behind, local residents are also hoping to make quick money by selling puja paraphernalia like incense sticks, coconut, prasad et al.
“Last time, I failed to set up the shop at a good spot and hence, lost out on business. This year, I want to make sure that my shop is located at a strategic site near the temple,” said Prince Tiwari, a youth who dug holes to set up his tent for selling prasad.
The historic Jagannathpur temple, built by Anni Nath Shadeo in 1690-91 on the lines of the original Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha, gets nearly one lakh visitors during rath yatra every year. The mausi bari, a small temple, is located about a kilometre from the main temple.
It has received a fresh coat of paint ahead of the big festival while Jagannathpur Temple was whitewashed last year. The chariot to ferry divine siblings Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra is ready, standing tall near the temple.
A2Z Waste Management, the agency entrusted with cleanliness, has spruced up the area and placed big dustbins across the mela ground.
“The chariot of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra will start rolling from 4.31pm on Thursday and proceed towards mausi bari,” said Lal Praveer Nath Shahdeo, a descendant of Thakur Anni Nath Shahdeo.