ALL SHORT QUESTIONS ON DAWN AT PURI BY JAYANTA MAHAPATRA.

Dawn at Puri

BY

Jayanta Mahapatra

1. Which sea beach is mentioned in the poem Dawn at Puri? 

 Puri sea beach is mentioned here.

2. Why is Puri sea beach famous for?

 Puri sea beach is famous for Temple Lord Jagannath.

3. What does the poet see on the sea beach?

 The poet Jayanta Mahapatra sees a human skull on the sand of Puri sea beach.

4. What indicates the human skull on the sea beach?

 The skull on the beach indicates the poor condition of Indian economy and shows the pathetic condition of hungry Indian.

5. “Endless crow noises”—Where does the poet observe this scene? What was the time?

 The poet hears the crows’ endless noises at Puri sea beach.

 The time was dawn.

6. “tilts its empty country towards hunger”—What tilts its empty country towards hunger?

 A human skull of a unburnt dead body on the Puri sea beach tilts India’s empty economy towards hunger.

7. Who were waiting to enter the Great Jagannath Temple of Puri at dawn?

 A group of widow woman who crossed their half of lives were waiting to enter the Great Jagannath Temple of Puri at dawn.

8. How were the widows dressed? How old were they?

 The widows were dressed in white sari.

 The widows crossed half of their lives.

9. Why were the widows waiting on the sea beach?

 The widows are waiting on the Puri sea beach to enter great Jagannath temple and they are bound to religious custom.

10. How were the eyes of the widow women? / “their austere eyes……….”—Explain. 

 The eyes of the widow women were austere like the eyes of the fish caught in a net.

11. Why are the eyes of widow women compared to the eyes of fishes caught in the net?

 When a fish gets caught in a net, it has nothing to do. Similarly, being widow, those women are bound to obey social, religious rule whether they want or not. They cannot break the system.

12. “Past the centres of their lives”—Explain the line.

 This line refers the widow women waiting to enter Jagannath Temple of Puri at dawn. This lines indicate that those widow women have crossed half of their lives i.e. important part of their lives.

13. “a mass of crouched faces without names”—About whom was this remark made? Why are they without names?

 This remark was made about the group of widows who were waiting on the Puri sea beach to enter Great Jagannath temple.

 Being widow, those women have no name because the society gave them only one identity that they are ‘widow’.

14. “………………….. and suddenly breaks out of my hide”—What comes out of poet’s hide?

 Suddenly, the memory of poet’s dead mother comes out of poet’s hide.

15. What was poet’s mother’s last wish?

 Poet Jayanta Mahapatra’s mother wanted to be cremated on the holy sea beach of Puri because it was believed to be the Swargadwar to get rid of earthly bound.

16. “Twisting uncertainly like light”—Explain.

 The poet did not believe in spirituality of Puri because under this spirituality there were poverty, division of caste, creed and torments. But his mother wished to be cremated on the sea beach of Puri being sacred. So, in spite of being rational, he had to change her thought uncertainly like light on the shifting sand.