Introduction of the Poem:
According to M.K. Naik, “Mahapatra’s poetry is redolent of the Orissa scene and the Jagannath temple at Puri figures quite often in it.” Dawn at Puri depicts the early morning scene on the sandy sea beach at Puri, known for its famous Jagannath Temple. The annual festival held to honour the presiding deities—Jagannath, Balram and their sister Subhadra —draws thousands of pilgrims and devotees.
Critical Summary:
This poem depicts the morning scene on the sandy sea - beach at Puri (in Orissa). The first item in the picture is the endless cawing of the crows. The next item is a skull which the speaker in the poem notices on the holy sea-beach where dead bodies are cremated. To the speaker, the sight of this skull brings the idea of the extreme poverty and penury of the people of Orissa; (and Orissa may here be taken as representing the entire country of India).
The speaker then observes a large number of widows, wearing white garments, waiting to enter the Great Temple in order to offer their daily worship and to perform the holy rites. All these widows have passed their middle age and are therefore elderly women. There is an expression of solemnity in the eyes of these women. In fact, their eyes are full of despair like the eyes of creatures which have been caught in a net. The only thing that sustains these women is their religious faith and the hope which is born of it. They all stand in a group, looking timid and having no confidence in themselves.
At this moment a sudden thought occurs to the speaker in this poem. His mother, who is getting old, had said that her last desire in life is that after her death she should be cremated here (that is, on the sandy sea - beach where all pious people wish to be cremated).
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