JATNI: An ethereal scintillating excitement begins to charge the people of Jatni during the Dusshera. During the festival, the usually serene atmosphere in the town is disturbed by rituals and a host of cultural and entertainment shows. The preparations for this grand festival begin a month in advance. The temple of ‘Uttarayani’, the presiding deity of the town, is the centre of attraction. During all the four days of celebrations, the air is filled with fragrance of incense sticks, chanting of slokas and hypnotising sound from conches, ‘turi’, drums and gongs.Thousands of devotees throng the temple daily to catch a glimpse of the different ‘beshas’ of Goddess Uttarayani of which ‘Mahisa Mardini besha’ on Asthami and ‘Narayani besha’ on Nabami are most famous.Besides the ‘beshas’, pandals are an attraction of the town. This year, members of the local Bengali Durga puja club have erected a 20-foot pandal for a six-foot Durga idol decorated in typical Bengali style. Jatni town is home to nearly 2,000 Bengali families who have over the years succeeded in bringing Bengali culture to Jatni.The Bengali women observe ‘sindoor khela’ to mark the end of the festival.Apart from the Bengalis, Jatni is also home to Marwaris and Telugu people who celebrate the festival in their own way.
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