Odisha woman lost during Rath Yatra 10 years ago found in Bengal — with Ham radio help

3 min readKolkataUpdated: Jul 16, 2026 05:59 AM IST

Bela Behera will reunite with her family this Rath Yatra. (EXPRESS)

By Antoreep Das

Nearly a decade after she disappeared while stepping out to buy flowers for Lord Jagannath during Rath Yatra, an elderly woman from Odisha is set to reunite with her family, thanks to the efforts of a government-run senior citizen home, a court directive and volunteers from the West Bengal Radio Club – HAM Radio.

Bela Behera, a resident of Ganjam district in Odisha, was around 70 when she went missing nearly 10 years ago after leaving home to buy flowers for worship. A flower seller by profession, she had raised her three sons, all now businessmen, and was living with her youngest son, Keshab, before she disappeared.

She was later rescued in West Bengal and, following a court order, admitted to the Central Government-run Tokiya Senior Citizen Home in Jiaganj, Murshidabad. Despite repeated attempts by police and the home’s authorities, her identity remained unknown as she spoke only Odia and could not communicate in any other language.

Back in Odisha, her family continued searching for her. According to her sons, they stopped attending the annual Rath Yatra in Puri after her disappearance. Having visited the festival with their mother since childhood, they instead prayed to Lord Jagannath for her safe return, hoping they would one day make the pilgrimage together again.

The breakthrough came after the Berhampore Court recently directed the authorities to expedite efforts to reunite Bela with her family. Following the order, Arpita Lahiri, Superintendent of the Tokiya Senior Citizen Home, sought help from the West Bengal Radio Club.

Using the HAM radio network, volunteers traced Bela’s native village in Ganjam district and located her family. During a video call arranged by the volunteers, Bela’s youngest son saw his mother for the first time in nearly a decade. “You are Lord Jagannath’s messengers. It is the Lord who has sent you to bring my mother back,” he told the volunteers, breaking down.

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The reunion comes amid personal tragedy. Bela’s mother died just 10 days ago after spending her final days asking about her missing daughter and praying for her return. During the video call, Bela and her son struggled to speak as both were overcome with emotion.

Keshab is expected to travel to Murshidabad to complete the formalities and take his mother home to Odisha. The family now plans to visit Puri together during this year’s Rath Yatra — a pilgrimage they had put off for nearly 10 years while waiting for Bela’s return. For Bela’s family, the reunion brings to an end a decade-long search sustained by hope and faith in Lord Jagannath.

Antoreep Das is an intern at Kolkata office of The Indian Express