Bhubaneswar: The annual Puri Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and His sibling deities Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra is incomplete without the Gotipua performance. For the uninitiated, Gotipua is a traditional dance form in Odisha and is believed to be the precursor of Odissi classical dance. It has been performed in Odisha for centuries by young boys, who dress as women to praise Lord Jagannath and Lord Krishna.
The Gotipua performance starts when the deities are taken to their respective chariots in a pompous procession known as Pahandi. Gotipua performance continues, along with the other rituals and performance tributes, till the end. Artistes, particularly dancer-devotees, are re-energised as they perform with a sense of spiritual surrender to the Lord.
Today Gotipua is an integral part of the world-famous Rath Yatra. So much so that despite the inclusion of many other performing arts into the festival, Gotipua continues to be a highlight.
Durga Prasad Das, a law graduate from Puri, has been performing Gotipua before the Lord during Rath Yatra for the last 25 years. “For me, there is nothing greater than the love and devotion for Lord Jagannath,” said Das, 43, an Odissi dancer by profession. “I find dance to be more satisfying than practicing law at the court. Here one can get a chance to explore himself and understand the meaning of life.”
He has been performing Odissi during Rath Yatra since his younger days. “When the deities come out of the 12th-century shrine and are placed atop the chariots, I perform in the procession (Pahandi). I lack words to describe my feelings at that moment,” said Das.
Das, a disciple of Odissi dancer Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra and Ashok Das, said he aspired to become an Odissi dancer after watching people dancing in front of Lord Jagannath during Rath yatra and almost wept. “The Lord is the manifestation of love. He binds all with his blessings. After watching people dancing before Him, I decided to become a dancer.”
The dancer maintains his livelihood by teaching Odissi to several students.
However, Das is unhappy this year for he was barred from performing before the Lord during the Pahandi. “Despite having a valid pass, I was not allowed to go near the chariots this year. The cops asked me to perform outside the barricades for security reasons. I have been performing before the Lord for 25 years now, am I a security threat,” he asks.
“I am not dancing here for money, but out of devotion and love for the Lord. At the same time, I and many others like me are performing here to help keep the tradition of Gotipua and Odissi dance alive.” He said he is very sad and felt like crying.
Septuagenarian Guru Baikuntha Nanda, from Jajpur in Odisha, is another dancer who has been performing Gotupua for the last seven years. Since he is very old to dance before the chariots of the Lord, he comes with his disciples who perform Gotipua during the Pahandi. When asked about the spirit that keeps him going forward in his mission, Nanda replied, “It is a very special anubhuti (feeling) which I cannot describe. What I did not get in my entire life, I have achieved through my performances before the Lord.”
Citing an instance, Nanda says, “I believe that the Lord’s blessings are with me. Once, I fractured my leg before the Rath Yatra and the doctors told me that I would not be able to walk for some time. But a miracle happened and when I woke up in the morning before the Pahandi, I found that my leg was fine and I could walk. It was the Lord’s blessing as He wanted me to perform my art before Him.”
