Home guard does a "Devdasi" before Lord Jagannath

Kendrapada, Jul 17 (UNI) By profession she is a home guard working under Kendrapada police but she performs the role of a 'Devdasi' before Lord Jagannath during Car festival at Tulashi Khetra.

Taramani Rout, 42-year khaki clad widow, mother of three children, and a resident of Bagapatia village under Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district, has been performing the role of Debadashi (temple dancer) in front of the presiding deities of 400 year old Baladevjew temple at Tulashi khetra in Ichhapur village since last several years.

She has been performing the dance before the deities during the car festival and other religious functions of the temple.

''The dance before the Lord Baldevjew is on its diminish, as the art form is being looked with a feeling of derision by society and the dancer used to get disrespect," she said.

''But I do not have any regret what people think about me. I feel heavenly pleasure by performing the dance before the deities,'' she said.

On Monday last on the rath yatra day, Taramani danced in a classy manner in front of the chariot at the Bada danda during the ceremonial Pahandi Bije.

Thousands of devotees enthralled with her elegant classic dance of Devadashi in front of the Lord Baladevjew, Maa Subhadra and Jagannath.

According to Balabhadra Suar, a priest of the temple as per the tradition, Devadasis had been performing a particular dance art form before the deities in the temple with an aim to show dance to the Lord.

The last Devadasi of the Tulashi Khetra was septuagenarian Gorikiran Dasi, who passed away six years back and after her demise, nobody come forward to perform the dance before the Lord. It was at this juncture that a man dressed like woman took the charge of Devadasi for three years.

But then Taramani came to the picture to perform the age old tradition and urged the temple authority to allow her to perform the role of Devadashi before the deities in the temple.

She expressed her gratitude to her senior officers, who granted permission to her to take leave on the Car festival day to perform dance.

Taramani said after the death of her husband, she decided to dedicate her life to serve Lord Jagannath.

UNI