SEVA DURING RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
PURI JAGANNATH RATHA YATRA: 1,560 RSS SWAYAMSEVAKS SELFLESSLY SERVE THE
DEVOTEES, DRAW WIDESPREAD PRAISE
Bhubaneswar: Demonstrating their
enduring commitment to selfless service, over 1,560 dedicated Swayamsevaks of
the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have been actively involv in providing a
wide range of humanitarian services during the renowned Ratha Yatra festival
Puri. As in previous years, the RSS, in coordination with the Utkal Bipanna
Sahayata Samiti, h implemented nine structured service activities, garnering
admiration from devotees and the public alike.
True to the spirit of the Sangh,
RSS Swayamsevaks have been the first to respond to needs, offering timely
assistance in the midst of massive crowds, managing critical situations, and
ensuring medical help reaches those in distress. The Swayamsevak work during
the Ratha Yat is a longstanding tradition rooted in compassion and discipline.
The service operations officially
began at 8:30 AM on the day of the Ratha Yatra in front of th Utkal Bipanna
Sahayata Samiti's primary medical center near Bholanath School. The
inauguration ceremony was attended by senior Sangh leaders, including Jagadish
Prasad Khadanga, Sah-Kshetra Pracharak of RSS, Kshetra Sampark Pramukh Vidyut
Mukherjee, VHP Odisha President Prafulla Kumar Mishra, and Samiti President
Akshay Kumar Bit, who togeth lit the ceremonial lamp to signify the start of
this noble endeavor.Rudranarayan Mahapatra, the Ratha Yatra Seva Sanyojak
(service coordinator) of the Samiti, provided a detailed overview of the
service plan. He noted the frequent incidents of devotees fainting or getting
injured due to the immense crowds and heat during the festival, prompting the
implementation of a comprehensive emergency response plan.
Swayamsevak teams assisted in
transporting injured and unconscious devotees to hospitals using stretchers and
ambulances. Human chains were formed to create emergency corridors, allowing
ambulances to navigate and evacuate patients from the dense crowds along the
Bada Danda st (Grand Road). Upon arrival at hospitals, the Swayamsevaks
coordinated with doctors to ensure PN prompt and appropriate medical treatment.
The nine major services provided
during this year's Ratha Yatra included managing ambulance corridors, ambulance
assistance, stretcher services, traffic control, drinking water distribution,
water sprinkling, hospital facilitation, cleanliness drives along the Bada
Danda, and primary medical assistance.
The manpower distribution for the
event was meticulously organized. A total of 20 Swayamsevaks operated in two
shifts across two ambulances to transport patients. For water distribution, 25
Swayamsevaks were assigned in two shifts at five key locations. Water
sprinkling was managed by 40 Swayamsevaks using ten sprayers, while 80
Swayamsevaks provided stretcher services in two shifts.
Approximately 200 Swayamsevaks were
stationed at two medical centers, another 200 were engaged in cleaning the Bada
Danda, and primary medical services were delivered by a team consisting of five
doctors, two pharmacists, and four assistants. Additionally, 100 Swayamsevaks
were deployed for traffic management, and an impressive 884 Swayamsevaks
created and maintained the ambulance corridor stretching from the Ratha site to
Medical Chhak
Senior RSS leaders supervising and
supporting the entire operation included Bipin Prasad Nanda (Prant Pracharak,
Odisha (Purv)), Asit Kumar Sahu (Saha-Prant Pracharak), Shantanu Majhi (Prant
Seva Pramukh), Ranjan Maharana (Vibhag Seva Pramukh), Chandrasekhar Mahapatra
(Vibhag Pracharak), Bamidev Nayak (Vibhag Sah-Sampark Pramukh), Sarbeshwar
Bishoi (Zilla Karyavah), and Rudranarayan Mahapatra. Under their able
leadership, these service efforts were successfully coordinated. On the day of
the Ratha Yatra alone, 750 devotees received medical assistance through the
primary medical camps, with services continuing until Bahuda Yatra (the return
journey of the chariots).
In addition to the RSS and Utkal Bipanna Sahayata Samiti, several other Sangh-affiliated organizations are actively involved in service. These include the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Hindu Jagran Manch, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh,.SEVA DURING CAR FESTIVAL AT PURI-2022
During This Year Utkal Bipnna Sahayata Samiti (UBSS) Had Undertaken Voluntary SEVA During Ratha Yatra. Though Some Six Hundred Swayam Sevaks Were Expected To Reach Puri For The SEVA But Some Thousand Volunteers Had Reached. There Was Tremendous Enthusiasm Amongst Them As There Was Restriction for the Last Two Years Due To COVID 19 Pandemic. Even Some 25 Volunteers From W.B Had Also Reached Puri for SEVA. The Samiti Had Provided Eight Types Of SEVA Such As Fast Aid, Ambulance, Ambulance Corridor, Water Distribution At The Stand Post, Mobile Water Distribution, Water Spraying/ Sprinkling, Stretcher Seva, Attending Patients At The Bed Side In The Hospital. The Ambulance Corridor Is The Brain Child Of UBSS which had caught the site of both National And International Media for They Live Telecasted The Event. This Was Also Praised By Hon’ble Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi And The Local Administration.
This Year Car Festival Had A Special Attraction For The Doctors Who Were All Led By Dr Prabhas Chandra Tripathy, AIIMS And The Secretary, National Medicos Organisation (NMO) Who Had Arranged The Participation Of Doctors From AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, SCB Medical College, Cuttack And MKCG Medical College, Berhampur (Gm). They Were Highly Pleased With Their Participation As Well As The Arrangement Of SEVA By UBSS.
On 30th Evening All The Volunteers Reached Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir, Ghodabazar, Puri And They Were Divided Into Eight Groups And Were Given Instruction Of Different SEVA By Sri Bipin Prasad Nanda, Pranta Pracharak And Sri Sudarshan Das, Saha Karyabaha, Odisha Purva. SEVA DURING RATH YATRA PURI-2019
Like Every Year The UTKAL BIPNNA SAHAYATA SAMITI Performed Some NINE Different Types Of Seva ( Service) During Rath Yatra. But During The CAR FESTIVAL OF NAV KALEBAR 2015 SAMITI HAD PERFORMED NINE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEVA ALONGWITH PASSAGE FOR AMBULANCE ( AMBULANCE CORRIDOR) FOR THE FREE PASSAGE OF THE PILGRIMS WHO FALL SICK DURIBG HEAVY RUSH AND TRAFFIC JAM. FROM 2015 WE HAVE BEEN GIVING THIS SEVA BY SOME 500 VOLUNTEERS OF SAMITI AND RSS. THOUGH IT WAS HIGHLY APPRECIATED BY THE PEOPLE AS WELL AS THE DISTRICTS ADMINISTRATION BUT IT NEVER CUT THE SIGHT OF THE ELECTRONIC AND THE PRINT MEDIA. BUT THIS YEAR( 2019) IT WAS HIGHLIGHTED IN ALL THE NATIONAL AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONIC MEDIA.
SIMILARLY DURING 2015 IT WAS NOTIFIED BY THE GOVT TO SUPPLY SOME 50 LAKHA POLYTHENE WATER POUCHES FOR THE PILGRIMS DURING NAV KALEBAR. THE GOVT HAD ASKED THE ODISHA MINING CORPORATION TO SUPPLY THE WHOLE LOT OF WATER POUCHES. I MET THE THEN MD AND REQUESTED HIM NOT TO SUPPLY THE POLYTHENE WATER POUCHES AND ALLOW THE SAMITI TO SUPPLY SAFE DRINKING WATER IN METAL GLASS. THE ANSWER BY THE MD , OMC WAS I KNOW THE POLYTHENE POLUTION PROBLEM BUT I HAD TO OBEY THE GOVT ORDER. HOW EVER AS DECIDED BY THE RSS OUR VOLUNTEERS SUPPLIED SAFE DRINKING WATER TO THE PILGRIMS IN STAINLESS STEEL GLASS AND AVOIDED THE BANNED POLYTHENE WHICH HAS POSED A GREST PROBLEM FOR THE CATTLE AS WELL DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
TO OUR GREAT SURPRISE THE GOVT DID NOT ALLOW ANY POLYTHENE WATER POUCHES FOR THE PILGRIMS DURING CAR FESTIVAL 2019. SO IT INDICATES THAT THE DECISION BY THE UTKAL BIPNNA SAHAYATA SAMITI/ RSS HAVE BORNE FRUIT AFTER SOME FIVE YEARS. WE HOPE THIS POLYTHENE BAN / RESTRICTION BY THE SAMITI SHOULD ALSO BE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE RATH YATRA (CAR FESTIVAL) 2020 AND IN ALL FESTIVALS AS WELL
The Sewa Work During 9 Days Rath Yatra(Car Festival) Was Inaugurated On Dt.14.07.2018 By Sri Sameer Mohanty, Sanghachalak, Odisha (Purva) At 8.00 A.M. He Described How The Swayamsevaks Have Perfumed Sewa During Different Natural Calamities Such As Earth Quacke Of Bhuj, Thunder Showre Of Uttarakhand, Flood Of Jammu & Kashmir, 1999 Supper Cyclone And Phyline Of Odisha And Expected All The Swayamsevaks To Performed Their Duties Assigned To Them Most Diligently And Gave The Example Of Swami Vivekananda And Other Saints Of India.
Sri Sudarsan Das, Saha Karyabah Odisha (Purva) Described The Nine Different Types Of Sewa And Accordingly They Were Divided Into Nine Groups Headed By One Team Leader. Sri Dibakar Prasad Harichandan, Joint Secretary. Was The Convenor Of The Sewa Work Where As Sri D. Krishna Gopal, Treasure, UBSS Gave A Vote Thanks All The Participants. 3 Nos. Ambulances Was Flagged Up On 13.07.2018 By Dr. Bijaya Kumar Swain. All The Samiti Members Were Assigned Duty During The 9 Days Rath Yatra At Puri.
More Than Five Hundred Swayamsevaks Volunteered Their Services For Sewa Work Out Of Which 24 Volunteers Came From West Bengal. The Nine Different Type Of Sewa Like First Aid Centre (1564 Patients), Stretcher (12 Patients), Ambulance (12 Patients) Bed Side Attendant (106 Patients) Were Taken Care Of By The Swayamsevaks Supply Of Safe Drinking Water Was Supplied In Glass (without Plastic Pouch) And Through Mobile Water Distribution. The Pilgrims Were Sprinkled with Water To Avoid Sun Stroke and An Ambulance Corridor Was Formed By Human Chain Of Swayamsevaks Which Facilitated Easy Passage Of Ambulance. THE ENTIRE STRETCH OF BADA DANDA (GRANT TRUNK ROAD) STARTING FROM LORD JAGANNATH TEMPLE TO GUNDICHA MANDIR WAS CLEANED UNDER SWACHCHA BHARAT ABHIYAN BY THE SWAYAMSEVAKS ON THE NEXT DAY IN THE EARLY MORNING THE 15TH JULY -2018
The First Aid Centre Was Managed By 9 Doctors And Two Pharmacists Who Volunteered Their Services For All The Nine Days Till Bahuda (Return Journey Of The Chariots)
The Sewa Work Was Co-ordinated By Sri Rudranarayan Mohapatra
The First Aid Camp Was Inaugurated By Dr. Anjan Kumar Sahoo On 14.07.2018.
SEVA DURING FESTIVAL (RATH YATRA, PURI-2017)
Different Seva Provided By Utkal Bipanna Sahayata Samiti During The Rath Yatra Puri-2017
The 9 Different Seva Are Providing Ambulance, Medicines Free Of Cost, Drinking Water, Sparing/ Sprinkling Or Water, Bed Side Attendant Of The Patient, Free Passage For The Ambulance, Carrying Patients To The Ambulance, Cleaning Of The Debris On The Grant Trunk Road. More Than 800 Volunteers / Swayamsevaks From Odisha As Well As From W.B. Took Part In Providing Seva During Festival. It Is Praise Worthy That On All Nine Days More Than 2 Physician And Paramedical Staff Volunteer Their Service During The Rath Yatra-2017.
Different Types Of Camps Like Health Camp, First Aid Camp, Blood Donation Camp Etc. Are Being Organized From Time To Time At Religious Places During Observation Of Different Festivals. Apart From This, Other Services Like Ambulance Service, Information Service, Water Pouch Distribution, Cleaning And Sanitation Etc. Are Also Being Provided At The Religious Places.
During The Rath Yatra, Puri-2017 Three Doctors & One Paramedical Staff Were Present Daily In The First Aid Camp Near Gundicha Mandir & Provided Them With Medicine & Other Facilities
Health Camp & Information Centre At Joranda
In Joranda Mela We Have Provided Four Types Of Seva Such As First Aid, Free Medicines, Ambulance And Safe Drinking Water Without Polythene Pouch from 29th January To 2nd Feb-2018
FIRST AID CENTRE : 2 Nos. Of Doctor, 2 Nos. Of Paramedics, 10 Nos. Of Volunteers 388 Patients Were Treated And Provided With Free Medicine.
AMBULANCE SERVICE : Patients Were Carried To The Nearest Hospital In Dhankanal.
DISTRIBUTION OF WATER : Safe Drinking Water Was Provided To The Pilgrims For All Four Days.
INFORMATION CENTRE : 28 Nos. Of Pilgrims Dissociated From Their Families Who Were United By The Endeavor Or Our Volunteers.
Our Photo Gallery
