One journey ends as another begins
New Hindu center opens just in time for Ratha Yatra, or Chariot Festival
In the Hindu tradition, visitors usually head inside the temple to visit their deities.
During Ratha Yatra, also called Ratha Jatra, or the Chariot Festival, however, the gods step outside.
“All the gods and goddesses of the temple, usually devotees go to see them,” Debananda Pati said. “But this time, the lord himself comes out with his family to greet you.”
Pati serves as president of the Orissa Culture Center in Houston, and the nonprofit is known for its landmark Ratha Yatra celebration.
The Sanskrit word “ratha” means chariot, and “jatra” translates to journey. Combined, they describe the annual procession of deities on wheels, surrounded by devotees.
In India, more than a million Hindu pilgrims head to the state of Odisha, previously known as Orissa, for the oldest Ratha Yatra festival in the world at the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
The Orissa Culture Center brought the celebration to Houston.
This year marks the first time the event will be held at the organization’s new home, a 10acre property at 3101 Fuqua.
The festivities begin at 7 a.m. and run past 9 p.m. on Sunday. Worship, a procession of the deities, music and dance are all part of the day’s celebration.
Universal peace
Pati explained that Ratha Yatra centers on Lord Jagannath, the Hindu god who takes the form of Vishnu or Krisha.
In the city of Puri, the Jagannath Temple comes alive each year for the Chariot Festival. “This sleepy town all the sudden is bustling,” Pati said.
For the procession, idols of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra leave the temple on giant chariots pulled by devotees.
The festival in India is all about community. Lord Jagannath comes with his family to meet yours, Pati explained.
“It’s a family celebration,” he said. “It’s all about unity and brotherhood.”
When Pati first came to Houston in 1995, there were about five families from Odisha in the city. “It was very small,” he said.
Then, a number of immigrants from Odisha arrived in Houston in the 1990s and early 2000s. By 2008, the community had grown to about 30 families, and members started a Ratha Yatra festival in Houston in an effort to keep their heritage and traditions alive.
The following year, the community banded together to form the nonprofit Orissa Culture Center to host the annual celebration and promote the Odia culture locally.
“Our community was small, but we had to come together and do something so our children could learn our culture, traditions and language,” said board chairman Dr. Aditya Samal.
The next 12 years passed, each bringing a celebration, usually held at India House Houston, supported by the Houston Art Alliance.
Each occasion was a celebration of multiculturalism, Pati said. And each year, more families from Odisha joined in the fun.
Last year, COVID-19 put a stop to the tradition just as the Orissa Culture Center was gearing up for the biggest celebration yet. The organization had purchased land and completed construction on a new, multipurpose hall.
“We were supposed to open March 2020,” Pati said. “Then COVID came.”
Dreaming of a space
Since its formation in 2009, the Orissa Cultural Center has offered events and classes.
“We had a vision and mission to bring our heritage and spirituality from our state in India to North America,” Samal said. “But we wanted a space.”
Members in the organization, who join at no cost, donated funds for the cause.
Initially, Samal said, they purchased 2 acres in Fifth Ward.
“But it was not big enough,” he said. “We sold that, and in 2015, we bought this land.”
The 10-acre parcel, located north of Pearland, is about 12 miles from downtown. Still, the ranchlike space feels like a world away, Pati said.
“There are still cows and horses out here,” Pati said. “When you come, you feel like it’s in the country. There are roosters crowing.”
The rest of 2015 and 2016 were devoted to planning and fundraising.
In 2017, construction began on the 6,000-square-foot multipurpose hall — one side performance stage and the other side dedicated to the deities. A community kitchen, prayer hall and office that could be used for a Sunday school classroom were included in the plans.
On the back side of property, a horse stable was converted to a pavilion for outdoor celebrations and performances.
Hurricane Harvey delayed work for a while, but eventually the project was completed.
Pati said plans call for the addition of a museum and library to showcase artwork and culture from Odisha. He also hopes to have cottages for out-of-town guests.
Pati said that this vision could take 10 to 15 years to realize, depending on the success of fundraising efforts.
“We’re a small community, and we’re hoping we can get more donations,” Samal added. “We have a long way to go, but this is our dream.”
The museum would become a destination, allowing others to learn about the Odisha heritage.
“Our main purpose is to spread our culture and interact with different communities in Houston,” Samal said. “This is a dream come true.”
Installing the deities
When COVID-19 struck, invitations were already printed for the center’s grand opening. Special guests arrived in eager expectation.
Then, all plans were canceled. “It was devastating,” Pati said. He was storing the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra in his home, waiting to transport them to the new space.
Pati explained that the avatars are made from a special tree. Since the wood decays, over time they have to be replaced.
Finding the proper tree for the purpose of carving the idol is an arduous task. The tree must have certain traits to be worthy.
“It’s very specific,” Pati said. An auspicious ceremony performed to reincarnate the idols was postponed by the pandemic.
A three-day ceremony began on June 30 to breathe life into the deities. By July 2, the idols, now considered living gods, were transported to the center, where visitors can worship them daily.
Everything was in place for the center’s first event, the 52nd annual Convention of the Orissa Society of Americas on July 2.
The three-day convention brought hundreds of delegates from throughout the U.S. and Canada for the inauguration of the first Orissa Culture Center to be established outside Odisha, India.
“This is a proud moment for our community,” Pati said.
Both the community center and the Ratha Yatra festival focus on celebrating different cultures and backgrounds, Samal added.
In fact, at the Orissa Cultural Center, a Quran, Bible and Torah will be displayed alongside the Bhagavad Gita.
“The main message is universal brotherhood,” Samal said. “We build up friendships, and we support each other. We believe in multifaith. We respect everyone’s religion and integrate all the community in unity and respect.”
Celebrating diversity is at the heart of Ratha Jatra each year — and part of the mission of the Orissa Culture Center, Pati added.
“The facility is open to everyone, regardless of nationality, belief or sexual orientation,” he said. “This is a place where all people can come.”
The philosophy at the Orissa Cultural Center is to promote multicultural exchanges and interfaith dialogue, he explained.
“Religion should not be a barrier,” he said. “All religion teaches the same thing. This is our culture, to bring everyone together. That’s what Houston is all about, too. It’s a multicultural city where everyone is welcome.”