Bhubaneswar, July 19: They made hay while Jagannath’s sun shone. Now, it’s back to days of uncertain profits.

For Gobinda Swain, who sold uncountable cups of tea to devotees near the Gundicha temple in Puri, bahuda yatra meant good business. However, that reason to rejoice was shortlived.

Swain was lost in thought as devotees swayed to the beats of gongs with Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra being mounted on their chariots.

“During these nine days that the deities were here at Gundicha temple, people like me did good business. The ambience was also great. All that has changed now,” he said,

He added that he would have to wait for one more year for the deities to come back.

Swain, who belongs to Sakhigopal, was accompanied by his 11-year-old son Kedar.

“During the remaining part of the year, I work as a bus conductor. Now that the deities have gone back to their original abode, I will be back to my regular business. We have made the maximum possible use of this short period. My cabin will be here until the next rath yatra,” said Gobinda.

Like Swain, there are many other businessmen here who rake in moolah on this occasion.

While they have to wait for devotees and tourists on other days, many people throng their shops during the nine rath yatra days resulting in good profits.

Hotel and eatery owners are the happiest during the time when the Lords stay at their aunt’s house.

Radhakant Das, owner of a hotel near the Gundicha temple, said more than 500 people had eaten at his eatery every day in the past nine days.

“There is a saying that people here make more profit during these nine days than the rest of the year. But, we feel sorry when it’s time for the deities to leave our area for their original abode,” said Das.

He said they would miss these nine days and the Lords who brought them so much good luck.