A priest performs puja at Jagannath Ballav Mutt decorated on the occasion of jhulan yatra in Puri. Picture by Sarat Patra

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 16: Swings with silver and golden backdrops with intricate craftsmanship were installed across various monasteries or mutts in Puri on the occasion of jhulan yatra that began today.

The seven-day festival celebrates the revelry of Lord Krishna along with the gopis, especially Radha. Idols of the duo are placed on the swings and various rituals and cultural performances take place.

Each mutt has its own style of swings for the festival.

The most gorgeous set-up is seen at the Jagannath Ballav Mutt. The tiny idols of Radha and Krishna are adorned with flowers while the huge golden backdrop includes women holding baby Krishna and various other miniatures of mythological characters.

“Jhulan is an immensely popular festival in Puri. Local devotees even hold the swing festival of Radha and Krishna at home. Besides, people come from far and wide to watch the proceedings at the Jagannath temple,” said Jagannath culture scholar Surya Narayan Rath Sharma.

“In the temple, the representative deity of Lord Jagannath, Madanmohan, is seated on a beautifully decorated swing every day starting from Dashami to Purnima or the day after. The representative idol of Goddess Lakshmi is placed on the same wooden swing at the Mukti Mandap, a raised platform in the temple. It is also known as the Jhulan Mandap since it is the venue for the celebration of jhulan yatra,” he said.

“The memories of the jhulan of olden days are now seen in mahari dance. Much of these have been carried into Odissi dance, too,” said mahari and Odissi dancer Rupashree Mohapatra, who will perform at a couple of mutts during this week of the festival.