Life and Livelihood of the Sevayat Community of Puri, Odisha

Lord Jagannath temple of Puri, Odisha is a world-renowned place for pilgrimage where thousands of sevayat communities offer their services to the lord for daily rituals as well as on special occasions like car festival and navakalebar. As a customary practice, these Sevayats typically pass down their roles through inheritance. Historical archives dating back to the 12th century A.D. and the British colonial period provide evidence of the presence of 36 different categories of sevayats, which has subsequently increased significantly. Therefore, the objectives of the present study are to explore the life style of sevayats of the Jagannath Temple of Puri and to assess the various continuity and changes of livelihood generation strategies among the ritual functionaries of the Jagannath Temple. The study was conducted in the city of Puri, located 60 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. Survey method, interview schedule and case study methods were used to collect primary data. The study mainly focused on the sevayats who are engaged in temple services for at least ten years reflecting their lifelong commitment. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are used to analyse the socio-economic conditions and overall well-being of sevayats. Various parameters of socio-economic and cultural conditions of sevayats are examined. Based on modified Kuppuswamy Scale, four socio-economic classes are observed with maximum percentage in lower middle class. The paper discusses on their various other income sources and adaptations to evolving economic landscape. The study distinctly observes the sustenance of norms and traditional values of sevayat communities despite different drivers of change in the time-space continuum.