ORISSA, INDIA, February 4, 2006: It’s been happening like magic everyday. Fifteen thousand coconuts are needed on a daily basis for religious ceremonies at the famous Maa Tarini temple in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, and the temple always has an adequate supply. Every devotee in the state considers it their devotional duty to make sure the temple receives its quota of coconuts. The coconuts are collected at well-known collection boxes and temples and transported by passenger buses and devotees through a network and courier service second to none. Gurcharan Singh, secretary of the temple administration, says, “It’s a religious courier service without any parallel in India.” Arun Sahoo, a bus driver, says, “If I refuse to carry coconuts to the Goddess, I may face odds on my way.” Bus drivers neglecting their religious duty by not transporting the coconuts toward their destination have been known to face other obstacles, such as engine failure during the course of their day. Devotee Bijay Laxmi Rath adds, “The coconut changes hands like batons in a relay race before reaching its destination.” Shop owner Rabindra Patnaik sums up the spirit of the process, “No one can refuse to carry a coconut.”
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