Banajaga Yatris to reach Kakatpur today

BHUBANESWAR: Unfazed by old age and physical pain, the 150-odd priests of Jagannath Temple in Puri kept walking for the fourth consecutive days in search of holy neem trees, whose timber would be used for creating new idols of the deities.
People sang 'Jagannath' hymns, beat gongs and blew conches as the priests passed through their villages. Devotees stood on either side of the Puri-Konark Marine Drive, exhorting them.
"We developed sore feet. But it soon disappeared because of the Lord's blessings. The unflinching support and reverence of the villagers filled us with enthusiasm," said Jogendra Dasmohapatra, a Daitapati servitor.
"Many devotees took our blessings and offered us fruits," he said.
"My whole family, including my grandchildren, stayed awake till late night and welcomed the Banajaga Yatris around 2pm. Villagers had painted rangolis on the road to welcome them. We installed a small decorative gate and arranged for a sankirtan troupe," said Narasingha Pradhan, a resident of Balighai village.
They are scheduled to reach Deuli Mutt at Kakatpur on Thursday morning.
"On Friday, we will visit Mangala Temple, nearly 2 km from Deuli Mutt, and invoke the goddess for her blessings. After offering prayer at the temple, we will return to Deuli Mutt. In our sleep, the goddess will guide us on the location of the holy neem trees," said Jagannath Swain Mohapatra.
The priests in different groups would go looking for the trees between April 4 and May 17.
Going by the overwhelming response from devotees, the priests anticipate huge congregation at Kakatpur where they will stay till May 17. "We will ensure that locals do not interrupt the timber search of the servitors. Police would cordon off the servitors' camp and not allow anyone to disturb them," said temple's spokesperson Laxmidhar Pujapanda.