(Above and below) Servitors and devotees celebrate bahuda yatra near Gundicha temple in Puri on Thursday. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal

Puri, July 18: Odissi dancer Rupashree Mohapatra was ecstatic on Thursday for her Lord Jagannath would return to his abode, fit and fine, and to infuse life in the ratna sinhasana, his throne that has turned lifeless without its deity.

Alas, she would have to wait for another day because the chariots got stalled midway during their return journey. While an endless sea of devotees clambered on to the chariots even before Lord Jagannath and His siblings started their return journey, a same number crowded the streets waiting to catch a glimpse of the Trinity.

Growing up in the Dolamandap Sahi, a stone’s throw from the Jagannath temple, the dancer, like a lot of people, misses the deities during their trip to the Gundicha temple.

“I know it is a vacation for the divine siblings and probably a much-needed break. But the Jagannath temple becomes empty without them. In the absence of the chief deity, we do not feel like visiting the temple. It might sound selfish, but that’s how it is,” said Rupashree.

It is a fact that the nine-day festival attracts over 10 lakh devotees, but local residents, especially those who live around the Jagannath temple, are not very fond of the entire festival except for the bahuda, when their deities return, and the suna besha, when they appear in their golden avatar.

Hardships and rising costs

“We face many hardships due to tight security and traffics measures. Today, I needed to take my father out for a medical check-up, but I was not allowed to commute on the Atharanala-Gundicha temple road. I took a longer route that joins Atharanala with the town. But even then I was not allowed on the road,” said Debasish Ray, a local resident.

While many schools and educational institutes close for around 10 days since the police personnel and security officials are stationed there, high prices of vegetables, jammed roads, litter on the streets and power cuts are some of the most frustrating aspects of the festival for local residents. “Yesterday, I went to the municipal market to buy vegetables and had to pay Rs 7 for a single banana. Prices of everything soar during the festival,” said Anil Sahoo, a businessman.

“But what is most saddening is the empty sanctum of the Jagannath temple where getting a glimpse of the deities and sharing our day-to-day problems and good news has become a habit. It is like missing a close friend,” he said.

Musician Prafulla Kar said it needs a lot of courage to see the empty sanctum of the temple. “The temple loses its sheen without the deities. It is unbearable that our Lord leaves us for a few days,” he said.

Though some local devotees may find respite once the Trinity is back to the temple, many will wait for the suna besha to end. “We love to watch our deities adorned in gold and this is the time of the year when Puri gets global attention. But the jammed streets and power cuts are also a headache,” said Surabhi Gochhikar of Bali Sahi.