Bela Behera from Odisha, in her late 70s, will finally return home to Ganjam after over a decade to witness the Puri Rath Yatra. Bela, who had disappeared while getting flowers for the Rath Yatra, spent the last ten years in an old-age home in West Bengal.
Her family shared that Bela raised her three sons by selling flowers and continued her trade even after her sons were settled. Bela, who only spoke Odia, was found in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, rescued by the police, and placed in an old age home.
Efforts to locate her family failed until recently when the West Bengal Radio Club connected her with her son through a video call. Her son, Keshav, expressed his joy at reuniting with his mother and shared their tradition of visiting the Rath Yatra in Puri annually.
Keshav is now en route to bring Bela back home, fulfilling her long-awaited desire to attend the Puri Rath Yatra after many years.
