BHUBANESWAR: A group of 22 devotees, including 18 women, of three coastal villages in Ganjam district walked about 120 km to witness Rath Yatra at Puri. They reached the holy town at 10 am on Sunday. Pain of walking such a long route couldn't beat their devotion for lord Jagannath The devotees of three villages- Podagada-Jhatipadar, Raghunathpur and Prayagi-under Rambha police limits in Ganjam district started their journey on Thursday afternoon. They took Malud Road and then NH 316 to reach Puri.The devotees said the Lord will bless them more if they walk rather than opt for the easier option of taking a train or a bus to the holy town. On their way, they had taken rest at three places near Kandakhai, Janhikuda and Jadupur in Puri district.They were all prepared before starting their journey. They had brought food items like flattened rice, biscuits, chhatua, rice and vegetables with them to eat it during their journey. On Thursday night, they stayed at Kandakhai. They had cooked food for themselves by borrowing utensils from nearby houses.They were walking during daytime and taking rest in the night. They reached Janhikuda ghat on the bank of the Chilika lake on Friday. They hired a boat and crossed the lake. After arriving at Satpada ghat, they again started their journey and stayed at Jadupur near Brahmagiri on Saturday night."We were so excited to reach Puri and see Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra on the chariots. So we started walking at 4 am and reached Puri before the pahandi of lord Jagannath begins," said Renu Bisoi, 52, of Podagada-Jhatipadar village.The excitement and love for the Lord couldn't deter elderly people like Muli Sahu, 60, of the same village. She said her family members advised her to go by train, but she chose to walk by road. "The fare of passenger train from Humma station to Puri is only Rs 35, but I chose walking to appease the god," she added.Kamani Jena, 38, of the same village said her mother had also reached Puri by walking with a group of people a few years ago. "I had a wish to go to the holy town like her mother. So I asked other women to make a trip to the Lord's abode. We do it to appease the god. We feel that Lord Jagannath will bless us and bring happiness in our lives," she added.Surendra Sahu, Podagada-Jhatipadar village committee president, said his forefathers were using the sea beach route to reach Puri to witness Rath Yatra. "But it was stopped for several years. After development of good rail and road communication, youngsters don't like to walk by road like our grandfathers," he added.

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