Charles aka Bhakta Das missed the Nabakalebar event of Lord Jagannath last year. But, he was determined not to miss the rath yatra this time.
"I have been a regular visitor to the car festival since 1986. My love for Lord Jagannath has pulled me to Puri all the way from France every time," he said.
Charles is a major of attraction for the devotees because he carries around a structure bearing idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabahdra and Goddess Subhadra.
"I carry the Lord with me always. I am his Garuda (vehicle) and he is my Lord."
"After I became a devotee of Krishna, I came to know about Lord Jagannath. Lord Krishna and Lord Jagannath are the same. I slowly understood the culture of Lord Jagannath. Like human beings, he too dies and takes rebirth. Its amazing," said the French national.
Charles has changed his name to Bhakta, which means "devotee". "Only through devotion can one dedicate his life to God. God only demands pure love and dedication. My devotion for the Lord has inspired me to change my name from Charles to Bhakta."
He always greets people either by saying Jay Jagannath or Jay Radhe Shyam.
"I am a bachelor. I have lost my father, and my mother is now staying in France. I have inherited some funds from my parents which helps me."
He goes to France once in five years to renew his Indian visa from the Indian Embassy there. Charles stays in Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh throughout the year. "I try to lead the life of a saint. I have been greatly influenced by the Jagannath culture. It has become a way of life for me," he said.
Charles could not come to Puri last year to be the part of Nabakalebar because of an emergency. "I have spent the entire year waiting to come to Puri to see my Lord. Here I have the opportunity to see God. I don't want to miss this opportunity," he told The Telegraph.
Charles said he was upset over the decision of the administration not to allow devotees to touch the deities and not even allow them to mount the chariot. "God comes once in a year to mingle with His devotees. Denying us the opportunity to touch the God is painful. But everything goes on with the will of the Lord himself. Perhaps, it is God's desire," he said.
Charles has seen much changing in Puri over the years. "Earlier, only a few lakh people used to come to Puri to see the car festival. But now, the town is full and you can't even a find a place to stay."
He added that the administration was now more alert than ever to ensure that law and order was maintained and that there was no exigency. He thanked the servitors of Puri, particularly the daitapatis, for helping arrange his stay in Puri.
"I will stay here for a fortnight and go back to Vrindaban once the Lord comes back to His temple," he said.
