Jeypore - Festivities and Culture

Festivities and Culture

Besides the annual Rath Yatra, another popular festival celebrated in the town is the 'Ghata Porbo' or 'Thakurani Yatra' (procession of the goddess) held usually during summer. During the festival, every community has the chance to take its goddesses out of the temples and visit all other localities. The processions last for days and weeks, with dramas and other entertainment held during the nights. Local musical instruments like 'Dombo baido' and 'Singha baido' accompany such processions.

Jeypore is famous for its grand Dussehera and Rath Yatra celebrations as well. People also celebrate "Ganesh Puja," "Saraswati Puja" and "Biswakarma Puja".

Jeypore Dussehera is often used to compared with Mysore Dussehera. In ancient times, ‘lathi processions’ were taken out by barefoot tribals carrying small idols of Goddess ‘Durga’ on palanquin and played local musical instruments from far-flung areas to Jeypore.

According to old timers, during the rule of Jeypore kings, tribal headmen would come to Jeypore with these lathis and keep them in the local temple till Dussehra which was a 16-day affair. The tribals mostly belonged to Bhumiya, Gadba, Parja, Soura, Bhatra, Gond, Didai, Durua, Amantya, Kondhy, Bonda and Koya communities. Jeypore King used to celebrate this festival in great way. In between 19th to 20th century the glamor of this festival was faded but starting from year 2003 again this festival has been revived and year by year this festival is celebrated in a big way and gathering of around 1 lakh people can be seen during dussehara. Its again celebrated in the way it used to be during kings time. You can see Pandals and great decorations in many part of the town with lord Durga idol.

In the nineties, an annual event called "Parab" was instituted by the government to promote tribal art, culture and handicrafts in the district.

Jeypore Evangelical Lutheran Church is a major Christian denomination in India. It has more than 150,000 members. It belongs to National Council of Churches in India, United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India, Lutheran World Federation and World Council of Churches. It is led by Bishop Chandra Goudo Subas. Its headquarters are in Jeypore, Orissa.

♣ J.E.L.C ♣ The founder of the Breklum Mission, Germany Rev. Christian Jensen came across News report of large-scale epidemic death among indigenous people of our region and hence came to help them take steps to save precious lives as all human beings are created in the image of God. In the year 1882, the Breklum Mision in Germany sent 2 pioneer missionaries namely Rev. Ernest Pohl and Hermann Bothman who arrived in Jeypore Kingdom. One year after the arrival of the first Missionaries from Germany to Jeypore Kingdom, in 1883, a German engineer Cornel Sanki prepared the blue print of the road connecting Sunki to Jeypore (Courtesy : Koraput District History Research Centre, Jeypore) heralding connectivity of Jeypore with the outside world. Lt. Francis Adams, 37th Grenadier was the English tutor for Yuvraj Vikram Deo III, who suffered from Malaria and died at the young age of 26 years and buried in front of the guest house of Maharaja whose grave is still there in the vicinity of the old private bus stand, Jeypore. The first Printing Press of Koraput district was established in the year 1917 by the JELC which extended help to the public in printing and publication of books, newsletters, etc on various interest of literature which contributed the widening of information and knowledge reaching the unreached in different parts of undivided Koraput district. Acknowledging the good works of the missionaries the Maharaja of Jeypore donated the jungles/forest areas (the present mission compound of Jeypore) to the Missionaries to stay and work. Highlighted 2 cases of good understanding prevailed between the Maharaja of Jeypore and the missionaries : Case One : The Maharaja of Jeypore was invited to participate in big functions of those days of the Church such as the first ordination of pastors of JELC namely Rev. Ch. Theophelus & Rev. Christopal Bara at Jeypore Church in 1920. Case Two : In those days when the missionaries from Germany were arriving Jeypore, the Maharaj of Jeypore was kind enough to spare Patto Hathi of Maharaja to welcome the missionaries). JELC being not just religious but a charitable society, one of the greatest contributions of the JELC to Jeypore is more than 100 years ago it led the way in the development of the so-called backward district of Koraput by establishing school (Primary in 1908 & High School in 1959). Over the years which had a glorious track record as the school was academically outstanding in the days because of producing administrators like Collector Gadadhar Parida, IPS Ashok Sahu and many more). For the outside poor students there is also the hostel facility (Mr. Jaydev Parida, Dr. Suresh Das and many others were the inmates). The missionaries arranged scholarship for higher education even medical and engineering studies for poor students in a non-discriminatory manner (beneficiaries include Dr. P. K. V. Rao, Dr. G. Bharatii, Dr. Gopal Patro).

The missionaries noticed Increase cases of leprosy in the Kingdom of Jeypore. In 1902, for 37 leprosy patients, a Leprosy Ashram was started at Bongla Dhep (opposite Jyoti Mill). Moreover, in 1914, land was purchased for establishment of a general hospital under the care of a German doctor and a nurse. Because of the outbreak of First World War the missionaries had to leave affecting the commencement of the hospital which was later done by the Govt. The missionaries also could convince people who were under the influence of superstition and blind-belief in practicing in-human activities like human sacrifice at Nakti Dangar, child marriage, sorceries, etc. The church has also arranged and provided humanitarian aid in time of natural and man-made calamities for the victims viz. drought relief for Nowrangpur (1974), flood relief for Gunpur (1980,) drought relief for Kalahandi (1986), flood relief for Motu (1986), flood relief for Kosagumuda (1987), food relief for Jeypore (1990, )super cyclone relief for Ersama Block of Jagatsingpur district (1999), flood for Kundra, Boipariguda (2006).(Source - myjeypore.in)