Car festival in Sikkim

Gangtok, Jun 27 (UNI) Thousands of devotees were today disappointed as the authorities did not allow them to celebrate the Car festival on the M G Marg in the heart of the capital town.

Sri Jaganath Sanskrutik Samiti (SJSS) secretary D Purohit told newsmen here that despite their best efforts they could not get the permission to pull the chariot on the M G Marg, the only plain even road suitable for pulling the chariot.

Officials said they could not help as all kinds of processions on the road had been banned by a government order some months back.

Established since 1986, the SJSS had been celebrating the car festival in Sikkim for the past 20 years.

Over the years the festival had gained popularity among the people of Sikkim as well as among the tourists. Last year around 15,000 people inrespective of their caste, creed and religion participated in the festival and pulled the chariot from the Tourism office up to the star cinema hall.

However, the denial of permission failed to dampen the spirit of the organisers and the devotees. The devotees took the three deities- Lord Jagannath his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra in a ceremonial procession called pahandi bije from the sanctum sanctorium and installed them in a decorated wooden chariot unlike three in Puri.

Hundreds of devotees, majority of them Oriyas, pulled the chairot inside the temple complex (Thakurbari) in a symbolic gesture amidst the chanting of Jai Jagannath and 'Haribol'' after Sikkim Law Commission Chairman Justice(retd) R K Patra did the chhera pahara (sweeping) in a golden broom.

Sikkim Tourism Secretary A K Srivastav, local MLA N K Pradhan and many other diginitaries were present.

At Puri, in Orissa, the three deities identified with the destiny of the land are taken in a ceremonial procession to three separate well decorated wooden chariots in the world famous annual festival.

After necessary rituals, the chariots are pulled by lakhs of devotees from the Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple for a nine day sojourn, after King of Puri did the Chhera Pahara (sweeping) of the chariots in a golden broom.

After nine days the three deities are again installed in the chariots and brought to the 13th centry world famous Jagannath temple. The return journey which marks the end of the Car festival is called 'Bahuda.' UNI BD SJC KLC1819