Bhubaneswar: Thousands of kilometres away from the sacred city of Puri, the timeless story of Lord Jagannath came alive on a Japan stage with children and adults, dressed as characters from the Jagannath tradition, captivated the audience with a Sanskrit play on Sunday.Their performance was more than a cultural programme proving that devotion to Lord Jagannath transcends borders and generations.Organised by the Shree Jagannath Society Japan (SJSJ) at the Ram Mandir in Bando, Ibaraki prefecture, the play, ‘Shree Jagannath Murti Nirmanam’, written by Prof Dambarudhar Pati from University of Fiji, featured nine Odia and Japanese children who portrayed the divine origin and coming into being of Lord Jagannath.
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Through their evocative performances, colourful costumes and dialogue delivery, the young artistes narrated the story of how the sibling deities came to be worshipped, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience.The young performers spent three weeks rehearsing for the production, learning not only for the dialogues but also the stories and symbolism associated with Lord Jagannath. The play was a way to connect to their culture that they have so far experienced through their parents and community celebrations. Gyanaganga Jena, 12, who played Lord Jagannath said, “I love the features of Lord Jagannath, particularly his big eyes. I was selected for the role because I am part of my school drama club and have been dancing Odissi since I was 4 years old.”The organisers said involving children in their activities has become the focus of all SJSJ activities. The cultural programmes encourage the younger generation to learn about Jagannath traditions, Odia language and heritage through interactive activities and performances. “The Sanskrit used in the play was very beginner friendly. Our aim was to promote Sanskrit,” said Soham Mishra, 16, who was the minister of king Indradyumna in the play. Another child, Alok Mishra, 14, said he was excited to play Sudarshan because that’s the main weapon of Lord Jagannath.The other characters were played by Anil Misra (Lord Vishnu), Ryan Macandrews (King Indradyumna), Watabe Reiko (Queen Gundicha), Aditi Mishra (Lord Balabhadra), Shreya Mishra (Devi Subhadra) and Gyanindra Mishra (carpenter Viswakarma). The costumes were hand crafted by Watabe Reiko and play was co-ordinated by Vrushali Vineet, both SJSJ members.The organisers said the children’s play reflected SJSJ’s commitment to ensuring that the younger generation remains committed to its roots. “It is a way of passing on traditions associated with Lord Jagannath to children born and brought up outside Odisha,” said Gyanindra Mishra, a member of SJSJ. The play was also presented at Shimotsuma city on July 20.
