I was five years old then. My father had carried me to the neighbouring village to see rath yatra.

He placed me on his shoulder for me to have a better view of the deities. Jostling with the crowd, he said: "Look there. He is Jagannath Mahaprabhu with his brother and sister on the chariot. You can talk to Him about your concerns and He will listen to you."

I tried having that conversation in my mind and at that very moment found a strange connection with Him. That connection has stayed and deepened over the years.

I have shared my joys and sorrows, wishes and anxieties with Him and He has responded every time. That connection is very personal. I can feel it but can't explain. I have felt others experiencing that feeling of the divine connection when they raise both the hands upwards in an imagined embrace, eyes locked with those circular eyes of Jagannath and lips murmuring what they want to share with Him.

I have seen it in Sonepur, in Koraput, in New Delhi, in Surat and also in Puri, whenever and wherever I have visited Jagannath temples.

For everyone, including me, the connection with Jagannath Mahaprabhu is deeply personal and uniquely spiritual. We may go to the temples to have a tangible experience of this humane God but He really resides within us already. I am now making a documentary film on the Nabakalebar ritual. (The film is scheduled for release this month).

It gives me an opportunity to experience the entire event up close. I have seen the ritual in detail and understand that how, despite a seemingly chaotic scenario with hundreds of servitors and thousands of devotees going about with a maddening rush, things fall in place as time goes by.

It is good for devotees who can't be here, that this Nabakalebar, the media is giving updates of events such as reaching the Deuli mutt, identification of the darus, building shabarapalli (temporary shades for the servitors in the field) and cutting down the darus. Devotees across the globe just need to switch on their TV sets every now and then.even in late nights to catch up on the proceedings on this Nabakalebara of Mahaprabhu that is taking place after 19 years.

Sadly, this year there is a lot of gossip on how the traditions are being disrespected and how luxurious this entire process has become.

The delay in accomplishment of some rituals; which historically is not a new phenomena, has raised the bar of negativity so much that political parties are trying to cash in on popular sentiments for their benefit.

I personally don't feel it has affected my connection with Jagannath in any way. I am sure it is the same case with the millions of devotees.

Jagannath Mahaprabhu is still unique for like a human being, the deity is undergoing the mortal cycle of life and death. I feel that despite this huge event, the Maha Kumbh that happened a few years ago, had a wider visibility. I feel that through this documentary film, I have been given a unique opportunity given by Mahaprabhu Himself to take His story of Manableela (human experience) to the world. I wonder why it happened so.

The recent developments around Nabakalebar have made the situation very negative.

With this negativity around, I feel and urge all who are responsible in spoiling the special, divine experience for devotees that if you can't see the good in it, then keep your speculations to yourself. Let me be happy with my personal connection with my God.

I feel that in the name of accusing others of playing with people's sentiments, they are themselves making matters worse, be it the media, political parties or everyone else involved in the fiasco, who have portrayed a poor picture of Odisha and the event itself. And this reflects the quintessential narrow-mindedness that Odia people have been often accused of.

Each of us has the potential of being the ambassador of Jagannath Mahaprabhu and of his mahakrupa (benign grace). Let us make use of this Nabakalebar as to affirm our faith on the divine. Lets explore graceful side of our's that resides right where we have kept Jagannath Mahaprahu - in our hearts.

(The author is a filmmaker)