Car Festival Poem by DEEPAK KUMAR PATTANAYAK

June-July with its divine hues comes every year;
Bringing car festival of its kind very rare,
Heaven of earth as people call it is Puri Dham,
Becomes lively, vibrant and colourful,
When Gods from heaven up above
Descend here to share joys with devotees so rare.

Three deities in three colourful and huge wooden Chariots;
Thousands of people pulling them to a distance of three furlongs,
From Srimandira to Gundicha Temple under scorching sun,
Ecstatic are devotees beating sun and pulling chariots,
And screaming Oh Lord, stay with us, don't go away,
Let thy presence be always felt by us and not shine away,
And the Chariots roll down the grand road to destination not far away.

Millions of pilgrims throng the grand road;
To have darshan (Holy view) of our beloved lords,
Passing by in Chariots, touching our body, mind and soul,
Cleansing thousand births' sins just on viewing our Lords,
Devotees beating drums, dancing, singing in praise of Gods,
And the air filled with divine ecstasies, loves and sounds of choirs,
Seemingly mesmerizing Gods in heaven up above,
To descend on hallowed grand road to mingle with devotees-behold.

Embrace all, enthral all, love all and mingle with all;
Irrespective of castes, creeds and religions,
Our lords are symbolic of Brahma, Bishnu and Maheswara,
Stand for Sanatana Dharma as universal God or religion,
They are Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra,
Adoring the Chariots over the grand road pulled toward destination,
And as life's chariot o'er Time's grand road is drawn,
Our Lord Jagannath knows the way and destination,
While the rumbling wheels go on.