Swargadwar
Swargadwar (which literally means a gateway to heaven) is the cremation ground of Hindus situated on the sandy beach towards the South-western corner of Puri town in Odisha. Puri is one of the four holy dhams (the other three being Rameswar, Dwarka and Badrinath) and considered a holy place by the Hindus. Most of the Hindus believe that if they die at Puri and are burnt at this cremation ground, the soul moves to heaven. Recently I had to spend about 5 hours at here as my father in law's body was put to flames here. My father's last rites were also performed here in 2003. Both the times I stood there, amidst half a dozen of burning pyres, eyes burning with thick smoke, looking at the carcases being poked into the pyre with long bamboo stuff. There was (still is) no place to sit, no drinking water facility. The entire place is littered with debris. Stray cattle and dogs sleep on the sand turned black with multiple layers of shoot and burnt flesh.Everyday more than 3 dozens of bodies are cremated here, some brought from over 200 kms away. In the past this Cremation ground used to be desolate. But with time, habitations have come up near and around the cremation ground. Now it is located almost within a busy bazar. In fact there are multi storied hotels just across the boundary wall of the cremation ground on three sides, the fourth side being the beach.
The number of bodies arriving here for cremation is steadily increasing. But there has been no modernization to hasten the burning of the body. There is no electric or gas fired challah here. Neither is there any designated concrete/iron pyre. All the bodies are burnt in traditional make shift pyre on the sand. Swargadwar Cremation ground, despite its fame and holy status is small, the total area being less than two acres.
There are several concrete structures in the ground like temple and a memorial of former CM of OdishaBijuPattnaik, which have cramped the place. As a result pyres are laid at a very close proximity to each other, almost at a touching distance. A traditional Hindu funeral pyre takes three to four hours and burns about 200 kilograms (500 pounds) of wood to burn a body completely. Every year fifty to sixty million trees are burnt for cremations in India, which results in about eight million tons of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gas emissions.
Air pollution, deforestation and large quantities of ash, which are later thrown into water bodies, mostly rivers, adding to the toxicity of their waters, pose great environmental problems. The burning of multiple bodies side by side on open pyre emits thick smoke and shoot. Besides the foul odour, the thick smoke causes pollution. It is also a serious health hazard not only for the people present at the cremation ground, but also for the people residing nearby as the smoke from burning body parts can cause pulmonary diseases.
The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) recorded emission of 727 microgram per metre cube of particulate matter from the cremation ground against the permissible limit of 100 in 2013. To contain pollution OSPCB raised a concrete pyre and installed the chimney at the crematorium in September, 2014, and handed it over to Puri municipality for operation. But the chimney has not been put to proper use.
As the town of Puri is given a makeover on the occasion of Nabakalebara, please spare a thought about Swargdwar, the final resting place.
Raja
Arrival of monsoon is cause for celebration for us Indians across the country. Every region of the country has a festival associated with the arrival of monsoon. In northern and western India, Teej celebrates the arrival of monsoon following the hot months of summer In Odisha we have a unique festival known as Raja.
This three day (in some areas four) festival begins on the first day of the month of Asadha (June-July) from which the rainy season starts. It inaugurates and welcomes the agricultural year all over Odisha, which marks, through biological symbolism, the moistening of the sun dried soil with the first showers of the monsoon in mid June thus making it ready for productivity.
It is believed that the mother goddess Earth or the divine wife of Lord Vishnu undergoes menstruation during the first three days. The fourth day is called as Vasumatigadhua or ceremonial bath of Bhudevi. The term Raja has come from Rajaswala (meaning a menstruating woman) and during medieval period the festival became more poular as an agricultural holiday remarking the worship of Bhudevi, who is the wife of lord Jagannath. A silver idol of Bhudevi is still found in Puri Temple aside Lord Jagannatha.
During the three days women are given a break from household work and time to play indoor games. Unmarried girls decorate themselves with new fashion or traditional Saree and Alatha in feet. All people abstain from walking barefoot on earth. Generally various Pithas are made of which Podopitha and ChakuliPitha are main. People play a lot of indoor and outdoor games. Girls play swings tied on tree branches whereas aged ladies play Cards and Ludo. Many villages organise Kabbadi matches among young men. It falls in mid June, the first day is called Pahili Raja, second day is MithunaSankranti, third day is BhudaahaorBasi Raja. The final fourth day is called Basumatisnan, in which the ladies bath the grinding stone as a symbol of Bhumi with turmeric paste and adore with flower, sindoor, etc. All type of seasonal fruits are offered to mother Bhumi. The day before first day is called Sajabajaor preparatory day during which the house, kitchen including grinding stones is cleaned; spices are ground for three days.
During these three days women and girls take rest from work and wear new Saree, Alaktaka,and ornaments and make merry. Swings paly a dominant role during raja festival.The swings are of different varieties, such as 'Ram Doli', 'CharkiDoli', 'PataDoli', 'DandiDoli' etc. Songs specially meant for the festival speak of love, affection, respect, social behaviour and everything of social order that comes to the minds of the singers. Through anonymous and composed extempore, much of these songs, through sheer beauty of diction and sentiment, has earned permanence and has gone to make the very substratum of Odisha's folk-poetry. While girls thus scatter beauty, grace and music all around, moving up and down on the swings during the festival, young men give themselves to strenuous games and good food, on the eve of the onset of the monsoons, which will not give them even a minute's respite for practically four months making them one with mud, slush and relentless showers, their spirits keep high with only the hopes of a good harvest.
As all agricultural activities remain suspended and a joyous atmosphere pervades, the young men of the village keep themselves busy in various types of country games, the most favourite being 'Kabadi'. Competitions are also held between different groups of villages. All nights 'Yatra' performances or 'Gotipua' dances are arranged in prosperous villages where they can afford the professional groups. Enthusiastic amateurs also arrange plays and other kinds of entertainment.
Raja is also the time, when different home made cakes (pitha) are made and eaten with relish. The special variety of cake prepared out of recipes like rice-powder, molasses, coconut, camphor, ghee etc. goes in the name of "PodaPitha" (burnt cake). The size of the cake varies according to the number of family members. Cakes are also exchanged among relatives and friends. Young girls do not take rice during the three-day festival and sustain only with this type of cake, rice-crispy ('Mudi') and vegetable curry.
Marketization of Pitha
Call it 'PitharaBazarikarana' (marketisation of home made cakes). On the occasion of Raja (14-16 June) Big Bazar has started selling pitha. No need to make at home. Get it off the shelf from the mall.
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10 June 2015 The columnist, a journalist turned media academician lives in Dhenkanal. He also writes fiction. Contact: mrinalchatterjee@gmail.com
Posted in www.orissadiary.com
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