PURI: As lakhs of devotees gather at Sri Jagannath Temple for the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balram and Goddess Subhadra in Odisha's Puri, several dancers who had come to perform before the beginning of the procession said that it was a one-of-a-kind experience and a divine feeling to perform for the 'Mahaprabhu' amid rainfall.
Speaking to IANS, a dance artist referred to Lord Jagannath as "God of emotion".
"We have come to perform despite rainfall. We are waiting for the deities to come out....it is said that when the Lord comes, it feels as if he himself is dancing. As the Lord arrives, his 'Tahia' sways in such a way that it seems 'Mahaprabhu' is dancing. We are eagerly waiting for his arrival to dance with him," he said.
Another performer added: "This time, it felt like a miracle. I had no plans to come, but today I am here. It is difficult to describe this feeling. It is raining, and it feels like the blessings of Lord Indra, who is eagerly waiting for the arrival of Lord Jagannath. Through this rain, the earth is being cleansed and purified to welcome the Lord."
A female dancer said that she could not hold her excitement to have a 'darshan' of Lord Jagannath. "It is a matter of great fortune for us that once a year, Lord Jagannath comes out of the temple to be among his devotees. We feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to perform before him. It is only by the Lord's grace that we are able to dance in his presence," another performer added.
An artist said: "It is drizzling now, but when we started our performance, it was raining heavily. Even then, we wanted to dance because Lord Jagannath loves dance, and we wanted to perform only for him."
Maintaining that the experience was very different, she mentioned: "Last year too it had rained but not to this extent...I have never performed during so much rainfall."
A dance teacher at 'Lingaraj Kala Niketan', whose students had come to perform during the occasion, said: "Every year, we come to perform in the service of 'Mahaprabhu'. It is our tradition and privilege to offer our dance as a humble service to Lord Jagannath."
He also said that it is a completely different experience to perform in the rain.
Meanwhile, Chunara Sevayat of the Jagannath Temple, Sarat Mohanty, said the rituals preceding the Rath Yatra procession are currently underway inside the temple.
"The rituals are being performed. Never before have the rituals been completed so quickly. It is Lord Jagannath's wish to come out early and give darshan to lakhs of devotees during the Rath Yatra procession," he told IANS.
