Every village has a story of its own. This story in Habichak is about a dream. That dream gave birth to a tradition, which is now 100 years old. Nearly a century ago, zamindar Promoth Nath Kar went to Puri with his mother. They wanted the blessings of Lord Jagannath. A holy bath was taken. But the sacred Mahaprasad never came. Sadness filled his heart. He sat in the courtyard of the temple. He turned to prayer.
That night, something changed. Lord Jagannath appeared in a dream. Kalpataru Kar, great-grandson of Promoth Nath Kar, shared what was said: “The Lord told him to go back to your home. I will come to your home. Establish me there. Those words became a kind of mission. The chariot work had already begun around 1920. By 1926, the Rath Yatra started in Habichak. Only Lord Jagannath was established. Not Subhadra and Balaram. This too followed the dream. Kalpataru Kar added: “Our family believes he was blessed with two sons soon after.” The festival was built on one idea: unity.
Kalpataru Kar said, “His aim was very simple. It should be a festival for everyone. No divide by caste, religion, and community. Lord Jagannath stood for unity.” His work went beyond the temple, too. During the freedom movement, jewelry was donated for the Salt March. Poor daughters were helped with their weddings. The oppressed found support in him. When the Keleghai flood struck, grain stores were thrown open for the public. Canals were dug. Waterlogging eased. Farming improved. Kalpataru said, “He believed service to people is the true religion.”
The festival has grown far beyond one village. Today, people from more than 200 villages take part. These villages span Chandipur, Nandigram 1, and Nandigram 2 blocks in Purba Medinipur. Nearly one lakh devotees gather every year. Kalpataru Kar said, “Our family has carried this tradition from the start. I hope the government will be supporting us.
This heritage deserves to reach future generations in an even richer way.” A hundred years have passed since that night in Puri. The chariot still rolls through Habichak every year. The crowds still gather, just as they always have. For the Kar family, this is not just history. It is a promise kept year after year. And for Habichak, the dream lives on, carried forward by every hand that pulls the rope.