Berhampur, May 30: In a remarkable example of devotion to Lord Jagannath, a couple from Berhampur has been sending flowers and tulsi leaves from their home garden to the Jagannath Temple in Puri for the last 16 years.
Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra and his wife Bhavana Mohapatra, residents of Bhabanagar Third Lane, began the practice in 2010 after realizing that while they regularly visited Puri and received the Lord’s blessings and Mahaprasad, they wanted to offer something in return. Inspired by the abundance of flowers and tulsi growing in their garden, the couple decided to dedicate them to the service of Lord Jagannath.
Initially, they carried the flowers themselves during their frequent visits to Puri. Later, the offerings were sent regularly by train and are now transported by bus. Except for occasional disruptions caused by transportation issues or a shortage of blooms, the floral offerings have continued uninterrupted. The service was briefly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic when train services were suspended.
Originally hailing from Banka village near Belaguntha in Ganjam district, Rajendra Mohapatra moved to Berhampur in 1964 and later established a transport business in 1975. The couple, both ardent devotees of Lord Jagannath, drew inspiration from witnessing temple servitors preparing flower garlands for the deity at Nilachala Udyan in Puri.
Motivated by the experience, they developed a large garden adjacent to their residence, cultivating a wide range of flowering plants and tulsi. Today, the garden boasts numerous indigenous and exotic varieties, including Golden Champa, orchids, jasmine, chrysanthemums, roses, Rangani and bougainvillea. Along with flowers and tulsi, the couple also sends banana bark and jackfruit leaves for temple rituals. They even donated a sandalwood tree from their garden to the temple after it was damaged.
The flowers supplied by the couple are used in the preparation of the Lord’s Badasinghara Besha, one of the most elaborate and visually stunning rituals of the Jagannath Temple. Seeing the deity adorned with floral garlands gives them immense satisfaction, they say.
Now in their sixties, the couple spends much of their time tending the garden. Their son, daughter-in-law, daughter and son-in-law are settled in Bengaluru, while the couple continues to personally oversee every aspect of the floral service—from nurturing the plants and plucking flowers at dawn to arranging their transportation to Puri.
“Watching the flowers bloom brings us happiness, and knowing they are being offered to Lord Jagannath gives us peace and fulfilment,” the couple said, expressing their desire to continue the service for as long as they can.
