Devotees queue up to get a glimpse of the deities on the chariots in Puri on Friday. Pictures by Sanjib Mukherjee and Pradip Sanyal

Bhubaneswar, July 12: Ranjan Kumar Jena is a dutiful employee of Utkal University, carrying files from one office to another and assisting students in official work. But come rath yatra, and he dons a new avatar.

The 42-year-old assumes the role of sarathi (charioteer) at Patia rath yatra. He sheds his usual shirt and trousers and dresses up in dhoti, kurta and turban. He wears garlands around his neck. Amid the chiming of cymbals and beating of gongs, he marches towards the chariot of the Trinity.

In the absence of real horses, devotees from Patia areas pull the chariots. Jena plays his role with perfection, waving a big whip in the air.

“It boosts the morale of the devotees, who use all their energy to pull the 41-feet high chariot. As there are people from every age group taking part in the spiritual activity, my histrionics amuse them. They don’t feel tired and think of rath yatra as a joyful event,” said Jena.

Ranjan Kumar Jena performs the charioteer’s role in Bhubaneswar.

He also sings devotional songs to entertain the chariot pullers. The Patia rath yatra was revived four years ago in 2010, after a hiatus of eight decades. The car festival lost patronage after the princely state had become cash strapped. Jena’s father Kailash Jena used to be the charioteer in the inaugural two years following the resurrection of the festival but discontinued due to old age.

Jena, thus, stepped into his father’s shoes. But his 19-year-old son, Rajat, who comes to watch him on rath yatra and bahuda, has little interest in taking up the mantle from his father.

“He is an engineering student. I have my doubts if he will be keen to play the charioteer some day,” said Jena. The Patia resident exuded humility while talking about the significant responsibility he plays in ferrying the divine siblings from Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple and back.

“I enjoy the responsibility and have never felt any superior than other devotees. Lord Jagannath is the centre of our universe and anything we do for Him is a matter of happiness and pride,” he said.

The devotees too, are fond of what Ranjan has to offer. “The distance between the two temples of Patia is about half a kilometre, but it takes us at least two hours to pull the rath from one place to another. The role of a charioteer is basically to encourage the chariot pullers and he plays the role to perfection. He does not let the energy levels go down. He is in fact a jovial man, but on that those two days he gets extra pumped up.,” said his neighbour Srikant Biswal.