BHUBANESWAR: Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, will conduct Rath Yatra in its new campus at Nuapadhi for the first time this year. The university has already started the process by constructing the chariot and making makeshift temples to house the sibling deities lord Jagannath, lord Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra along with lord Sudarshan.
On the day of Akshaya Tritiya last year, idols of the deities were kept at a makeshift temple inside the university campus. A priest was requested to carry out the rituals of the deities. Later, teaching and non-teaching staff discussed with vice-chancellor Santosh Kumar Tripathy to hold Rath Yatra in the campus like Utkal University and OUAT Bhubaneswar.
“When I was teaching at Utkal University, I was also looking after the Jagannath Temple in the campus and Rath Yatra between 2005 and 2021. That experience helped me to say yes to the proposal of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the university,” said Tripathy.
He said the staff have contributed to the cause. “We did not take the help of the university. It was a joint effort of the teaching and non-teaching staff. We engaged nine people under the leadership of Gananath Moharana to construct a chariot for the Rath Yatra,” he added.
Tripathy said they built a new chariot. The work was started from Akshaya Tritiya (that falls on April 22 this year) to complete it before the Rath Yatra begins on June 20. “We have also created a temporary Mausima Temple, around 2km from the makeshift Jagannath Temple. This means the chariot will be pulled from one end of the campus to the other end,” he added.
He said students will join the university on June 19 after summer vacation is over. They can take part in the festival. “Many students from different parts of the country, who are staying in the campus, can see and experience the Jagannath culture in the university. It will be a learning experience for them,” he added.
On the day of Akshaya Tritiya last year, idols of the deities were kept at a makeshift temple inside the university campus. A priest was requested to carry out the rituals of the deities. Later, teaching and non-teaching staff discussed with vice-chancellor Santosh Kumar Tripathy to hold Rath Yatra in the campus like Utkal University and OUAT Bhubaneswar.
“When I was teaching at Utkal University, I was also looking after the Jagannath Temple in the campus and Rath Yatra between 2005 and 2021. That experience helped me to say yes to the proposal of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the university,” said Tripathy.
He said the staff have contributed to the cause. “We did not take the help of the university. It was a joint effort of the teaching and non-teaching staff. We engaged nine people under the leadership of Gananath Moharana to construct a chariot for the Rath Yatra,” he added.
Tripathy said they built a new chariot. The work was started from Akshaya Tritiya (that falls on April 22 this year) to complete it before the Rath Yatra begins on June 20. “We have also created a temporary Mausima Temple, around 2km from the makeshift Jagannath Temple. This means the chariot will be pulled from one end of the campus to the other end,” he added.
He said students will join the university on June 19 after summer vacation is over. They can take part in the festival. “Many students from different parts of the country, who are staying in the campus, can see and experience the Jagannath culture in the university. It will be a learning experience for them,” he added.
Fakir Mohan University organises first rath yatra in New Campus, Enriching Jagannath Culture.
