You have heard the stories. A mountaineer reaches the summit, plants the national flag, and the wind does the rest. But one mountaineer from Odisha does something else too. You can say he does something no one else does. He reaches into his bag and pulls out the Patitapabana Bana — the sacred triangular flag that flies above Nilachakra in Puri and he lets Lord Jagannath’s flag fly. For him, every peak is just another Bada Danda and every climb is another circumambulation.
Most climbers leave a flag behind on a peak. He leaves behind faith. A Patitapabana Bana flies in the sky to say that even on the highest mountain, Lord Jagannath is there.
For this climber, mountains are not about conquering heights. They are about reaching closer to the Lord. Who is he? And why does Jagannath go with him to every peak?
But his story doesn’t end on the mountains. When Rath Yatra comes to Puri, Chinmay comes home too. No matter where he is, he makes sure to be on the Bada Danda. Even as a mountaineer, he takes time to serve as a Chitrakar and paint the chariots of the Lords.
In a candid conversation with Ommcom News, the mountaineer-cum-chitrakar servitor tells his story.
From Raghurajpur To The Himalayas
Meet mountaineer Chinmay Maharana. He was born in Raghurajpur, the heritage crafts village outside Puri, where homes are galleries and faith is a daily practice. His community, the Chitrakars, have painted for Lord Jagannath for generations. But Chinmay found another calling in college. A professor noticed his energy in sports and told him, “Try mountaineering.”
Under the guidance of adventure coach Dillip Kumar Pradhan, he began to train. He did his basic course at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute in 2015. Two advanced courses followed — one at HMI Darjeeling, another at JIM Pahalgam in 2016. He was 21 when he went on his first expedition. Since then, the mountains have become his second home.
In 2017 he scaled Palung in Sikkim at 18,000 ft. In 2018 he stood on Mt Darba Top in Uttarkashi at 13,500 ft. In 2019 he conquered Mt Rudugaira at 19,100 ft. He has also summited Mt Stok Kangri at 20,187 ft, and scaled peaks in Manali — Choukigarh, Lamaduag, Ranisui. He trekked Mt Shitidhar and took part in the Biju Patnaik Himalayan Expedition. Between 2014 and 2016, he imparted training in three National adventure camps.
Today he is a mountaineering coach at Kalinga Stadium, teaching Odisha’s youth how to chase heights. But the climb he remembers most wasn’t about altitude. It was about faith.
When Lord Jagannath Became His Oxygen
It was during his basic mountaineering course. The air thinned. His breath failed. Each step felt like a battle. In his bag he had Srikapada — the sacred cloth used to adorn Lord Jagannath’s head. He took it out. With every breath he began chanting Jai Jagannath in his heart. “I felt someone was pulling me up,” he says, his voice catching. When I reached the peak, tears were rolling down. I hoisted the Srikapada there.” That day he made a vow. Wherever he goes, the Lord will go with him. Since then, he has carried and hoisted the Patitapabana Bana on every major summit.
Kilimanjaro With Nagarjuna Besha
In 2022,he has successfully scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania of Africa. After reaching the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, he unfurled the National Flag and also clicked a picture with ‘Nagarjuna Besa’ of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
Sharing his experience, he said, “In 2022, I set his eyes on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest free-standing peak in the world. I was short of funds. So I approached the district administration. Former Puri Collector Samarth Verma gave me three minutes. I explained my dream. The sanction came — Rs 3 lakh, even though I had asked for 2.5 lakh. At the summit, I unfurled the tricolor. Then I held up a framed picture of Nagarjuna Besha of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. The African sky became the backdrop for Puri’s Lords. It was an unforgettable moment. I will cherish it forever.”
The Chitrakar Who Comes Home For Rath Yatra
Mountains may call him, but Rath Yatra calls him louder. Every year, no matter where he is, Chinmay returns to Puri. He puts away his ropes and picks up brushes. As a Chitrakar Sevak, he joins around 40 artisans who begin work from Snana Yatra. They follow strict vows — no non-veg, no distractions — till the chariots are ready. This year he was entrusted with painting the chariots of Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
“The paintings come alive on their own. We don’t plan every line. We don’t think too much. The brush just moves. And when we step back, we are surprised too. That is not us. That is Mahaprabhu’s blessing,” Chinmay said, his voice dropping, eyes softening.
“We Knew He Wouldn’t Let It Stop”
“It was 2021. Covid had shut the world down. And then came the blow — the Supreme Court said no to Rath Yatra in Puri, citing risk to public health. Silence fell over the Bada Danda. But in the artisan sheds, the brushes didn’t stop. We kept working,” Chinmay recalls, voice thick.
“People asked us why. But somewhere, deep in our hearts, we knew — He wouldn’t let it stop. Mahaprabhu has been coming out for centuries. How could He stay inside?” Day after day we painted, with devotion as our only guarantee. And then, just one day before Rath Yatra, the verdict changed. The Court allowed it. That was Jagannath ,” he said with tears rolling down.
Whether he is at Kalinga Stadium coaching, or on a glacier training, he makes sure he is on the Bada Danda when the chariots roll.
Devotion Is The Real Summit
Chinmay’s aim now is simple: to popularize mountaineering in Odisha. But he teaches his students something beyond technique. “Mountaineering teaches endurance. Jagannath teaches surrender. When it gets dark and cold on a mountain, I don’t feel alone. I feel Him,” said Chinmay before signing off.
Rashmi Rekha Das
