Vedvyaas Mela

Vedvyaas Mela

Vedvyaas is a holy place for all rourkelites to carry out important rituals. Almost all major festivals are celebrated at this complex of temples located on the sangam of three rivers. The attraction among all is the famous Vedvyaas mela arranged on the auspicious week of Mahashivaratri.

"Vedvyas Shivaratri Mela ( Fair) is an annual Mela that is held for 15 days starting with the Hindu festival of Mahahivaratri, in the Vedvyas Dham Ground, Rourkela. Shivaratri Mela is held as per Hindu calendar every year on the Krishnapaksha 13th day/13th night (breaking fast/'Vrata' on 14th after sunrise) of the waning moon in the month of Phalguna that corresponds to February/March as per Gregorian calendar. The festival’s popularity is widespread and hence is known as Vedvyas Mela, Lots of vendor from all over India came to open shops of different traditional & daily use items, local sweets and villager sweets vendors are coming to sell their product. "

                                                                                  ---- http://sundergarh.nic.in/vedvyas/festivals.html

Here are some glimpses of the premium fun and fair. Roughly one lakh or more people visit every day and visit few among as many as seven hundred shops. The district administration keeps the crowd quite disciplined. 

The colors of Joy

Hundreds of small shops sell the goods required for the daily purpose, from plastic made to wood made. As the prices fall down, most people enjoy the shopping. Although the quality of goods like cheap ornaments, decorative items is rubbish, handmade articles by the local skilled craftsmen is certainly a good buy.

The food stalls

More than half the stalls sell food items, especially the sweets !

.... and very few sell least demanded cold drinks. Remember it is still February and Rourkela is still cold !

The fun part - Not 'only' for children:

Some try shooting, although there is no prize to claim !

From children to young and older ones enjoy most of it, may it be the giant wheel or for that matter any fearful rotating mechanism. I find these places full of emotions - fear, excitation, innocence, curiosity, and most importantly satisfaction !

A small compilation of happenings at the fair !

Mahashivratri rituals at Vedvyaas

Mahashivratri rituals at Vedvyaas

Every year on the occasion of MahaShivRatri, people in Rourkela offer 'Puja' to the Lord Shiva. Thousands of them gather at Vedvyaas, a complex of temples located on the banks of River Brahmani.

Vedvyaas can be approached by road as well as by crossing the river. River stream shrinks and is easy to cross in the month of March. Locals put up temporary wooden bridge to make it further easy. 

It is believed that Lord Shiva bless the one who builds the idol "the Lingam" using the sand from the river. Believers collect the sand in copper pots and construct one and then decorate it.

On the evening the river bed starts flooding in with worshipers from all over the town to grab a place near to the river stream. 

Whole family put the efforts together and decorate the idol using flowers and Lord Shiva's favorite bell-patri.

Not only women, boys and men also perform the ritual to get the blessings from the almighty.

Offering puja comes with so much of preparation - Lamps with ghee, fruits for Naivedya, making garlands etc.

The last thing before the prayer is to take a quick bath in holy river water.

Soon after the sunset, the prayers are offered, lamps are lighten up. 

Now imagine whole river bed with such thousands of lamps !

Family seats around the idol, keeps lamps lit throughout the night. Next morning, the lingam is submerged into the river and the fast ends.

Vedvyaas temple complex looks spectacular decorated with both electric and oil-lamps. A typical Indian fun-fair is also organised in the fields near by which runs for more than a weak.

Wandering Destination: Vedvyaas, Rourkela

Wandering Destination: Vedvyaas, Rourkela

Confluence of three rivers Sankha, Koel and underground Saraswati

Mythological significance of place:

The name coined after the great sage Vyashadeva who wrote the great epic Mahabharat. It is believed the sage Vyasa was living here wrote the great epic Mahabharat.

Location:

It is situated 13 km away from Rourkela Railway Station and Rourkela New Bus Stand. It is situated in the side of confluence of three rivers Sankha, Koel and underground Saraswati with the creation of Brahmani River.

Plantation in the surrounding of the entrance

Approach:

Take a share auto from Rourkela Railway Station and reach ''Vedvyas Chowk'' in just 10 rupees. From there, I advice to walk for about a kilometer or so, till you reach Vedvyas temple complex.

If travelling by own vehicle:
Railway Station - (Ringroad and then Panposh road) -  Panposh chowk - (NH23) - Vedvyaas chowk - Temple complex

Things to do near Vedvyas Temple Compex:

Morning time is the best time to visit the complex.

1. Visit the temples and the river confluence. One can by flowers and other offerings form shops in the campus.

2. Surroundings at the entrance are green, and photogenic in the early morning. River bank side can give some epic pictures of the devotees.

3. I have seen plenty of butterflies in the nearby vicinity. Species like Common banded peacock are common.

4. Watch the embossed paintings on the walls of temples. Ramayana incidents is the subject normally practiced.

5. Fair in February is the annual attraction.

6. Recognized as picnic spot, however I am not sure.

People at Work - III (Color photographs)

People at Work - III (Color photographs)

A very happy new year 2014 to all the readers! "to work and remain busy" like the people I have photographed is my new year resolution .....

Must do - Cycle is a popular choice of common man for commutation in Odisha, better to get repaired early in the day

"Coal"dung - fuel to be used in stoves - a lady preparing small balls of coal powder to be sun dried 

Start of the day - Priest busy finishing daily rituals at Vedvyaas, Rourkela

Lajja - It was difficult to pursue her for a photo while others enjoyed her denial. I had to bribe her a pretty photo of hers !

People at Work (Black and White photographs - V)

People at Work (Black and White photographs - V)

People of Orissa (Odisha) - One of the kind community you will ever see, happy at all time

A sluggish morning outside Vedvyaas, Rourkela

Unchanged - Its hard to transform the old business completely, it must be done slowly and steadily

Its relatively easy to keep traffic disciplined in Rourkela - all because high traffic-literacy among natives

A busy fruit vendor

People at Work (Black and White photographs - IV)

People at Work  (Black and White photographs - IV)

A goldsmith literally sank in the work, he never knew I took the photo

"Aam admi" outside the government retail shop, A woman was quarreling with the vendor over supply issue

Morning wait - a cycle rickshaw driver just out of bed, still sleepy and in trance, waiting for the customer

The dose - A worker at Indira park zoo feeding fish to crocodile

Visitors at the Indira park zoo