Berhampur: The famous procession of ‘Landa Besha’ during the Thakurani Yatra in Berhampur city of Odisha’s Ganjam district was taken out amid fun and frolic on Friday.
Total 214 persons of different age groups participated in ‘Landa Besha’ which has been organised by ‘Daridra Panchakshyar Party’ of Bijipur for the last 92 years.
This procession is very popular among the locals which takes place once during the Thakurani Yatra period and the practice is continuing for the last 92 years since 1933. Ram Patra and Somnath Patra of Bijipur area in Berhampur had started this concept to caution the general public about the lecherous and dubious elements, who hide themselves in the garb of religious leaders.
Leader of the group Brundaban Parida is called ‘Head Mahant’ who led this procession of tonsured heads in a decorated chariot mounted on a trolley rickshaw with two other Mahantas including Tutu Patra and Neelakantha Chowdhury and some female consort called ‘Mahantiani Mata’ who are also male dressed as modern girls. The Mahantas wear red coloured ‘Matha’ cloth (a type of silk fabric) and wore garlands of Rudrakshya, ‘Dimiri’ (Indian Jujube or Ziziphus mauritiana) as shells earlier used and collected from Phulta village are unavailable now.
This satiric rally started from the Bijipur square at 6 pm and moved around all the streets in Bijipur before reaching its final destination at Desibehera Street at midnight today. The procession went through Bijipur, Giri Road, Khallikote College Square, Old bus Stand, Girija Square, Giri Market, Sana Bazar, Raja Gorjee and Desi Behera Street. After darshan of Maa Budhi Thakurani in the temporary abode, they returned through Aga sahi Square, Chandrama Sahi, Bada Bazar Square, Khaspa Sahi, Nrusingha Mandir Sahi, Utkal Cinema Hall Road and Pataleswar Mandir where they dispersed after a light refreshment.
The persons who take part in this rally are said to be members of ‘Daridra Panchkshyara Party’ of ‘Chi-Chi-Chi Kalikala Goudiya Mata Prachar Sangha’. The participants of this rally sing songs commenting upon the character of dubious religious leaders which states-“Mada amara siri kharisha, sundhi amara bandhure, mada pana mahapunya, kahinki tu nindure”, (liquor is our khir and who prepares the liquor is our friend, consuming liquor is great virtue, why are you blaming it), “Haribol Haribol Haribol Bhaire, asila kali deichi gili, dharma dharma nahinre”(Chant the name of Hari the God, the Kali Yug has swallowed all, there is no religion) and seven satirical songs in Odia since decades written by unknown writers.
The participants were tonsured at two places in Bijipur in the morning including Kalua Temple and Boarding Sahi Kalyan Mandap by eight traditional barbers. Many youths had different logos carved out of hair left on their tonsured heads including ‘Sukhua khia Mahanta’ (Mahanta who eats dry fish) and others with great fun. More than 30 volunteers including former councillor Surya Prakash Rao, Tukula Dalei, Corporator of BeMC ward number 25 Narasingha Sethi assisted the participants during the procession.
