Puri ---- Day 4 -Trip to Utkal Desam-Puri -Experience the grandeur NABA-KALEBHARA Festival of The Lord of Universe – an old practice -2015!!!!!

Day:28 june 2015

Once we get a thought in our mind about  Puri ,it always redirects us to the place where lord of universe houses with his brother and sister & people call this place as Srikshetra –{where Jagannath Sanctorum called as Badadeula},ShreeMandir,Shanka Kshetra (because  the layout of Puri town is in the form of a conch shell).This year is very special because lord is getting a new body after 19years.After I born this is the 2^nd time the lord jagannath is getting a newbody ,previously this nabakalebhara was done in 1996 when I was very young and could not move for this festival .But this time I madeup my mind well in advance to join the temple army and watch the occasion.

Yes we are at Nabakalebhara festival 2015 !!!!

At right side to us at temple outside, we were seeing craftsmen are feverishly making the chariots for Rathayatra .All were immensed in their work world not bothered about surroundings.The place is teemed with visitors and police.

Making of chariots in temple street !!!!

Koili Baikunta

• It is a seclude garden just inside the north gate of the temple.This is the place where the Lord Jagannath is carved  & older idols are  buried .The guard over here in the place shows us the four carts on which the neem logs of fresh dieties had arrived.
• He points out the thackehed  partition where Puris King had performed a special Fire sacrifice.
• Then he brings me to a muddy pit and says in a hush this is where the dead gods are buried.

What is Nabakalebara?????

Naba means new & Kalebara means body, New body ceremony or the old idols are replaced by a new set of images ,which is performed when one lunar month of Ashada is followed by another lunar month of Ashada. During the leap month the dieties are believed to change their bodies.Some relics were placed inside the new idol of Jagannath by Daithyapathis  during this interchange process.This ceremony was celebrated in previous years were 1950,1969,1977,1996,2015 and in future in 2035.In 21^st century the 1^st Nabakalebhara is being held this year 2015 and ending with Niladribije on 20^th July as per temple declaration.

When Nabakalebhara has been started?????

There are many stories about how Nabakalebhara started but not exactly known when this process of Nabakalebhara has started there are lot of stories are running but accordingly this process of buring idols have been started during Muslim invaders .During those attacks the idols were earthened and after threat had passed the idols are unearthered by the king ,he found them in a state of decay and he  created new & reinstalled on altar  again by King Yajathi.

Process of Nabakalebara Festival !!!!!

Starts with Banajagha Yatra (exploring wood)---Carving of idols—transfer of brahma padartha at midnight---naba jaubana darshan-----then concludes with Rathayatra -----hera panchami ----Bahuda yatra ---Follows by Sunabesa ---Adhara niti----Niladribije

How Nabakalebara Festival Starts !!!!!!

Intially the main pandit of Orissa puri temple declares the date of Nabakalebhara.

• 29^th March 2015 --- Banajaga Yatra
• 30^th March 2015 --- Journey to deuli Matha ,daityapathis  will leave Jagannath Ballava Ashram & will stay at Nua river bank ashram.
• 2^nd April 2015 --- Stay at Deuli Matha
• 3^rd April 2015 ---- Worship at Kakatput  Mangala temple
• 4^th April – 17^th May  2015 ---- Explore Daru
• 2^nd June 2015 ---- Debasnana purnima
• 5^th June 2015 ---- Carving of images
• 15^th June 2015 ---- Transfer of Brahma at Midnight
• 17^th July 2015 ---- Naba Jaubana darshan
• 18^th July 2015 ---- Ratha Yatra
• 22^nd  July 2015 ---- Hera Panchami
• 26^th  July 2015 ---- Bahuda Yatra
• 27^th July  2015 ----  Suna Besa
• 28^th July 2015 ---- Adhara Niti
• 30^th July 2015 ---- Niladribije

Process of Nabakalebhara

As a 1^st step :It starts with Banajagha yatra: which starts from Chaitra Sukla Dasami

What is Banajagha yatra??-------

It’s a process of search to select the neam tree (Dharu Brahma ) to make new images to replace the old ones.

Dharu Brahma means brahma ---divine life creator in the shape of wood.

It is yatra undertaken to locate holy trees /darus from which new idols of gods are to be carved.This process is performed by Daitya’s (Servitors of Temple Dieties).

Process of Banajagha Yatra :------ 

• The main head Dalapathi go to King Gajapathi seeks his permission for Banajagha yatra.After permission from King  he offers betel nut in presence of Raja guru (chief priest),it is the indication of giving permission.
• Now Daityas team walk barefoot  50kms to deuli Mata halt here on 1^st day &proceed to Kakatpur mangaladevi  temple  4 senior daityas sleep in temple seeking divine guidance for location logs .
• Then Servitors proceed in search of neem logs which prescribed  signs ,size & locations.After  selection they are worshipped covered with of trees cloth & then felled.
• Then carried on wooden carts in a way procession through villages  accompanied beating of drums till they reach carving shed at Koili Baikunta near Puri Temple . Then Prasad & prayers  are done  till Debasnana  Purnima  day.

Logs /Daru:

Lord Sudarshana Daru:  Identified on  11^th april ---- at Garh Kuntunia Village near Balakati on the out skirts of Bhubaneshwar.

Lord Balabhadra Deva Daru :---- at Sarala temple ,Jhankada in Jagatsinghpur  District.

Lord Subhadra ----- Identified on 24^th April ---- at Nilakanteshwar Temple in Adhangagada under Biridi block in Jagatsinghpur  district.

Lord Jagannath ------ identified on 29^th April by Shree Jagannath Temple administration at  ---- Kharipadia under Raghnathpur block in Jagatsinghpur district. Iron barricades have been erected by the SJTA  around the neem tree to ensure that the tree is not damaged & the devotees  are able to have a darshan of the Daru from a safe distance.Then the daityapathis will arrive on Monday afternoon and yagna & other rituals will be performed near the daru for 2 days.The daityapathis will remain on Nirjala upvas (fasting without water ) for the 2 days while performing the yagna.

Later the daru cutted & transported to puri on 19^th April 2015, located at emparkment of river paika .

Identification marks on Daru /Logs:------

Lord Jagannath:-- 

• The tree of Jaganath should be Ordinarily be away from human settlement ,nearby there should be burial ground.
• Tree should be dark /dark red in colour,with shankha ( conch), chakra (wheel), Padma( lotus), Gadha (mace) & trishul & symbol of elephant head .
• Trunk should be straight  look with four clear branches, ant hills near tree to be present.And two snakes moving around the tree & 2 white owls sitting on its branches regularly.Tree should be 7 to 12 cubit high .It should grown near by river /pond /crossing 3 paths.The tree should have chakra & sarpa engraved on it.

Lord Balabhadra deva Daru:

• Should light brown in colour
• It should have 7 branches (looking in the form of a canopy and hood of cobra.
• Tree should have divine marks of plough,pestle & weapons of balabhadra deva.

Subhadra devi daru/log :

• Tree should be in Yellow in colour ,
• 5 clear  branches and lotus flower (white five petals ) mark.

Lord Sudarshan Daru :

• Tree is reddish in colour ,3 branches and mark of chakra on tree.It should also have depression in the middle.

As per the history

Lord Jagannath was tribal god worshipped  by Sabara tribals of this region  in the form of  wooden idols,Now these people has a special place called Daithyapathis, claim Lord Jagannath as their brother and have rights to serve him.These are the people who track down the neem trees bearing all signs mentioned ,ritually sanctify them cut them down and bring them to koilibaikunta.

The old deities  are fatcenied up with silkyarns followed by perfumed oil and the final act of the painting the eyes is the only one reserved for Brahmins and happens the day before ratha yatra.By then Jaganath is outsight for 10days and to his devotees are ferverish.

Unique Features in Puri Temple!!!!!!

•     The god here treated as king who is very generous ,gets off his throne and out on the street once a year during Ratha yatra so that his saviours can get up personally close to him.usually in other temples the main dieties are not moved out of sanctum sanctorum only utsava dieties are used for these type of pocessions.
•     In Hinduism Puri Jagannath is the  only diety with a renewable body .The lord here is fashioned from neem wood and periodically discards his old body for a new one through a raft of elaborated rituals.

After identification of Darus --- as a next step --- Snana Debasnana Purnima.

As the arrival of the new logs nyasa daru the maharaja offers oblations at Srikshetra before the carving of idols.

The logs are given bath on this day & old idols are bathed.This period is known as Mahaanasaara in two Ashada months from here 45 days.

First 15days  (Krishna paksha ) designated to start the dark lunar half month.Carvings of new images by 50 Maharanas – carpenters for a period of 21 days.

After completion of carving new idols are circumbulated around the temple.The old & new images are kept at one place facing each other to initiate process of Brahmapadartha (soul substance).Done at mid night blind folded.Entire city current is taken out done within the sanctum sanctorum of sriskhetra on 15^th june  2015.

Transfer of power :

Only daityapathis who are considered to be the descendants of the first worshippers of the lord  Jaganath have the right to carry out the great transformation.This ceremony takes place before 3 days of ratha yatra ,which involves transferring  brahmapadartha,life force from old to new dieties.

While doing this the daityapathis must be blind folded (they have to tie a piece of lord Jaganath cloth around their hands before the ceremony;Daityapathis should wear new clothes on this day .it occurs in midnight that too in total science and in dark.

Now old images are declared dead.Now these are taken to koili Baikunta for burial known as patali  done by servitors.

Daityas consider lord as his head of their family  they observe obsequeies are by the daityas for 10 days followed by bathing.

A feast held on 12^th day and Maha prasada distributed to the devotees.

After obsequies to old idols ,the new images of four idols are given a protective cover with saptavarna (seven substances like --- sandal paste ,musk, resin,silk etc…)

Then they paint images with colours.This is done last Fortnight of Mahanasara period..

Netrotsava:

• After images are painted the eyelids of the dieties are formally opened in ritual netrotsava(opening of eyes) done by Brahmin priests done on 16^th July 2015.
• Now idols are infused with life  & taken in a procession for viewing by the public called as Nabajanbana  Darshan (viewing of the new idols) on the 17^th July 2015.
• The dieties will be brought out for rathayatra .They build new 3 chariots to carry 3 dieties of temple,will start from basant panchami – 24^th jan 2015.

Naba jaubana darshan

Naba Jaubana Besha Darshan is The Holy Sight of Juvenile Youth of Lord Jagannath. As Lord Jagannath falls ill after taking heavy bath during the Snaana Purnimaa (the Bathing Full Moon) and retires into the Anasara Ghara (the House of Rest). After a full fortnight’s treatment with herbs, complete rest and dieting; the Lord gets back his juvenile youth and he looks as enticing as ever.

Rathayatra

• The chhera pahara (sweeping with water ) is a significant ritual associated with the Rathayatra.During this ritual,the gajapathi king wears the outfit of a sweeper & sweeps all around the dieties & chariots.
• The king cleans the road in front of the chariots with a gold-handled broom & sprinkles.
• Sandalwood water & powder.As per the custom eventhough king is the most exalted person in Kaligan kingdom,he still renders the menial service to Jaganatha.

Hera Panchami

This Hera-Panchami festival takes place five days after the Ratha-yatra festival. Lord Jagannatha has left His wife, the goddess of fortune, and gone to Vrindavana, which is the Gundicha temple. Due to separation from the Lord, the goddess of fortune decides to come to see the Lord at Gundicha. The coming of the goddess of fortune to Gundicha is celebrated by Hera-Panchami.

Bahuda-Yatra

Bahuda Yatra is the Return Journey of the three chariots to Jagannath Temple. After spending a week inside the Gundicha temple, the deities commence their Bahuda Yatra on the 10th day. The return journey follows the same protocol and schedule, as is found during the Ratha Yatra. During the return journey, the three chariots stop for a while at the Mausima Temple, also known as Ardhasani Temple.

Sunabesa:

(Suna= gold & besa = decorating )The Daitapati servitors would bring the 138 varieties of gold ornaments like Shribhuja, Sripayara, Ratna Padaka, Ratna Kirita, Kana Phula, Markata Mukuta, Pada Pallava, Mudi, Kanthimala, Markata Jaunli, Bala, Bahuti and Kati Mekhala from the Ratna Bhandara amid armed escort. The Puri district administration has made elaborate security measures. On the same day, during evening the three dieties are dressed in glittering gold on their respective chariots. This day is also known as Sunabesha.The gold is stored at the temples bhandara ghar (treasury). 

 Adhara niti

On Dwadasi tithi, an important ritual called Adhara niti is performed when the Adharapana bhoga is offered to the deities. It is a sweet drink offered to the deities. On the evening of Asadha Sukla Chaturdasi tithi i.e. 14th day of bright Asadha, the deities are taken into the Temple in a traditional procession called Pahandi as mentioned earlier amidst gathering of thousands of devotees.

Niladribije

The ritual of the chathurdha murti (lord Jagannath ,Balabhadra & subhadra) is called Niladri Bije, The return journey to shree Mandir.It is the welcome festival of Lord Jagannath to shree mandir.

images are used from internet source