There are innumerable tales associated with Lord Jagannath. One of the most popular ones is that of KanchiAbhijan of the Lord riding a white horse led the battle to conquer the down south kingdom of Kanchi to ensure the marriage between PuriGajapati Maharaja PurusottamDev and Kanchi princess Padmavati.

This legend has been told and retold over centuries and in all forms including the world-famous Pattachitra paintings of Raghurajpur. Yet to imagine it being told on Pattachitra canvas in eight frames and that too atop a British era overhead water tank at 50 ft height seems next to impossible. The British had built the water tank in 1935. Divine blessings – that of Lord Jagannath, have made it possible. We never thought we could do it and that too within a short time, says Universe Maharana, the pattachitra artist who led the team working at a height of 50ft on bamboo stilts.

Eighty percent of the entire Kanchi Abhijan has been completed, he added while informing that the work commenced on 24 December. Other pattachitra artists of the team like Madhusudan Swain, CharanNayak, and SubashPradhan were one if the view that Lord Jagannath helped them do the work. We have painted KanchiAbhijan innumerable times in small sizes.

The legendary story inspired us. But this one is completely different and a unique experience, they said. None of us believed we could do it, but as work started and with traditional colors climbed the bamboo stilts the belief that we can do it grew almost as if JagannathMahaprabhu was encouraging us, they said. First was the challenging task of doing pattachitra at such a height which none of us had ever done. The second challenge was to ensure that every minute detail of the artwork was there and the third was to ensure that it is waterproof and could withstand rain, sun and wind without fading or getting damaged.

On completion, the Britishera overhead Water tank will be a speaking one – it will tell the story of Padmavati, GajapatiPurusottamDev and his love affair with the Kanchi princess; the war against the kingdom of Kanchi led by the Lord himself. Visitors to Puri will be awestruck by the ‘talking’ Water Tank It has been painted in soft pink. Devotees and visitors going around the temple will be able to see the wonderful water tank and the story of Padmavati.

This is yet another remarkable feature of the grandiose project of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to transform the Holy Town into a World Heritage City while retaining every facet of Jagannathculture . The Chief Minister visualized the entire project while his trusted lieutenant V KarthikeyanPandian made it a reality. Mr Pandian made frequent pre-dawn visits to monitor the ongoing works, issue directions and also see that visitors, pilgrims and tourists have a wonderful experience. He had an eye for the detail.

Mr Pandian saw to it that the imprint of Jagannath culture is there in every part of the SrimandirParikrama project. The pattachitra depicts the story of how Gajapati Maharaja Purusottam Dev, a great devotee and servant of Lord Jagannath arrived at Kanchi during his tour of the south and impresses the Kanchi king.

He falls in love with Padmavati, the princess of Kanchi and the king agrees to the proposal to marry. The legend has it that the Kanchi King’s secret spies visit Puri and get to know about the Gajapati Maharaja Purusottam Dev. They are disappointed that the Maharaja sweeps the floor of the chariots of the deities during the rathyatra. The spies report this back to the Kanchi King who was also taken aback with the description of the PurusottamDev hold a broom and sweeping the floors of the chariots.

He decided not to allow his daughter Padmavati to marry such a person. The Kanchi king held a swayambar to select a groom for Padmavati.Hearing about the swayambar, Gajapati Maharaja PurusottamDev declared war against Kanchi. Being a great devotee of Lord Jagannath, he went to the temple and prayed for victory. Lord Jagannath riding a white horse and Lord Balabhadra on a black horse led the war .Kanchi was won and Padmavati was married to Purusottam Dev. All of this is in the pattachitra art work atop the 50 ft British-era water tank surely imposing its presence and catching the eye of the visitors.