JAGANNATH SWAMY NAYANPATH GAMI
BHABHA TUME"
In the minds of the millions of Indians, Orissa
is the land of Jagannath. The name Jagannath literally means “Lord of the
Universe.” It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots in India and it is
also one of the four Dhamas of the divine that lie on the four directions of
the compass. The Jagannath temple in Puri was built approximately 1135-1150 by
King Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga dynasty and finished by his
descendant, Anangabhima Deva, during the 12th century. This was during the
classical period of temple building in Orissa (approximately the eighth through
thirteenth centuries). One of the most revered of all temples of Lord Vishnu is
the Lord Jagannath Temple in eastern India. It was built in its present form in
1198 and is protected by two surrounding walls. The conical tower of the temple
is 58 mt high on which the flag and the wheel of Lord Vishnu can be seen. The temple
is dedicated to Jagannath, who is identified by his devotees with Krishna. It
is also dedicated to Balabhadra and Subhadra, the brother and sister,
respectively, of Jagannath. These three together are the principal deities of
the temple, whose images reside in the temple's sanctuary. Like the Lingaraja
temple in Bhubaneshwar, this temple too is not open for Non-Hindus who contend
themselves by viewing it from outside it's precincts.
THE LEGEND OF SRI JAGANNATHA &
PURI
Puri is an ancient shrine, enshrining Krishna -
Jagannath in the form of a wooden image. There is a legend about the
construction of the Jagannath temple and installation of three deities therein.
According to this legend in the Satya Yuga there was a king
"Indradyumna", in Malava . He was a great devotee of Vishnu. Once he
had vision of "Nilamadhava Vishnu" in his dream. Next day he sent
emissaries in four direction to find out where the image, he dreamt of, was
being worshipped. Brahmin Vidyapati was sent to the east. He came to
"Utkala(ODISHA)" and entered a Savara village.He took shelter in the
house of the Savara King "Visvavasu".His daughter Lalita fell in love
with Vidyapati who had to marry her so that he might get information about
Nilamadhava through his wife. Savara king Visvavasu used to go to the forest
every morning to worship Nilamadhava installed in "Niakandara" (Blue
cave) . Vidyapati preesed his wife to request her father to allow him to see
Nilamadhava. Visvavasu agreed on the condition that Vidyapati will be taken to
the shrine and brought back therefrom with a blindfold.When Vidyapati heard
this proposal he requested his wife to arrange something so that he may
subsequently know the path. Lalitha gave him some sesame seeds to be scarred on
the side of the road he followed so that he might know the path when sesame
plants grew up during the rains. Accordingly Vidyapati was taken to Nilakandara
where he had the luck of witnessing Nilamadhava. But when Vasu Savara offered
the food to the deity, he did not take it as usual. At this Vasu Savara was
much dismayed. At this time he heard someone saying from the air, “we would no
longer continued to be worshipped by you. Vasu, we will change the present
Nilamadhava form and assume Daru form. We shall be worshipped in the temple by Raja
"Indradyumna. Hearing this voice of God, Vasu Savara came back with
Vidyapati with a heavy heart.Then Vidyapati bade farewell to his wife and
father-in-law and started to convey the news to Raja Indradyumna. On hearing
the news, Raja Indradyumna at once started with his retinue for Utkal tosee
Nilamadhava. On reaching Nilakandara he found it vacant. But a voice from the
air told him to construct atemple on Nilasaila (Blue mountain)(Now known as
PURI).Accordingly Raja started construction of a big temple. When it was
completed he went to Brahmaloka to invite Brahma to consecrate the temple. He
had to wait for nine yugas till Brahma finished his meditation. The temple
became buried in sand in his absence. In the mean time a new dynasty ruled in
Utkala. "Galamadhva", a king of that dynasty, detected the presence
of the temple buried under the sand. When he got the sand removed a beautiful
temple was revealed. He was considering to install images in the temple when
Indradyumna with Lord Brahma appeared before him. There was a tussle between
Galamadhava and Indradyumna over the ownership of the temple. However, Lord
Brahma decided in favour of Indradyumna and asked Raja to install deities in
the temple. The raja was at loss where to find the deities. At night God told
him in dream that He would be floating in the sea in form of log of wood. Then
he employed thousands carpenters to make deities but they failed ,as their
instrument did not work against the wood. At last an old carpenter came and
said he would make images in 21 days on the condition that he would remain
completely shut up inside the temple for the period Raja consented, But on the
expiry of two weeks the Queen became anxious since no sound came out of the
temple. She thought that the carpenter was dead. She pressed the king to open
the door. The king yielded and opened the door. He found three images in
unfinished state. The Raja was sorry but the God told him that he wanted to
assume that Bauddha form in Kali age. The King did discover the log of wood.
Vishnu and Vishwakarma appeared in the form of artistes and prepared images of
Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra from the tree. The wooden images being
worshipped are renewed during special occasions.Interestingly, the Rig Veda
refers to Purushottama in the form of a wooden image, prepared from a log of
wood floating on the ocean. Puri is also referred to in the Bhrama purana.
PURI "SRI MANDIR"
The celebrated Temple of Lord Jagannath now
existent at Puri was constructed by Raja Ananta Varman
Chodaganga Dev in 12th century A.D. The wooden images of Jagannath
Balabhadra and Subhadra were installed in that temple. The management of the
temple continued under the Hindu rulers till 1558, when the State of Orissa was
conquered by the Afghan Nawab of Bengal and the temple was attacked by the
Afgan General ‘Kalapahad’. Then, an independent Khurda kingdom was established
by Ramachandra Deb, who assumed the management of the temple. He consecrated
the temple and reinstalled the deities. Raja Mansingh, a General of the Mughal
King Akbar, defeated the Afghans and annexed Orissa in to the Mughal dominion.
It remained under the Mughals till 1751 A.D. Till 1760, the temple continued
under the Khurda Raja, who was paying tribute to Mughals and Marhattas.
Marhattas took up direct management of the temple till 1803. The Britishers
annexed Orissa into British empire in 1803 and allowed Puri Raja to manage the
temple. The position continued till 1947.
HISTORY OF PURI "SRI
MANDIR"
There is a wheel on top of the
Jagannath Temple made of an alloy of eight metals (asta-dhatu). It is called
the Nila Chakra (Blue Wheel), and is 3.5m (11 ft 8 in) high with a
circumference of about 11m (36 ft). Every day, a different flag is tied to a
mast attached to the Nila Chakra. Every Ekadasi, a lamp is lit on top of the
temple near the wheel.There are four gates: the eastern Singhadwara (Lion
Gate), the southern Ashwadwara (Horse Gate), the western Vyaghradwara (Tiger
Gate), and the northern Hastidwara (Elephant Gate). There is a carving of each
form by the entrance of each gate. The Lion Gate, which is the main gate, is
located on Grand Road. Thirty different smaller temples surround the main
temple. The Narasimha Temple, adjacent to the western side of the
Mukti-mandapa, is said to have been constructed before the present temple.
ARCHITECTURE OF PURI "SRI
MANDIR"
The architecture of the temple follows
the pattern of many Orissan temples of the classical period. The main
"shikhara", or tower, rises above the inner sanctum where the deities
reside. Subsidiary shikharas rise above ante-halls. The temple complex is
surrounded by a wall, on each side of which (that is, east, south, west, north)
is a Gopura or gate, over which rises a pyramid-shaped roof. The Jagannath
temple is one of the largest in Orissa & in India also. The temple complex
covers several square blocks and contains dozens of structures, including a
mammoth kitchen. Truly, the Jagannath temple at Puri is an architectural and
cultural wonder. The main temple structure is 65m (214 feet) high and is built
on elevated ground, making it look more imposing. The temple complex comprises
an area of 11 acres and is enclosed by two rectangular walls. The outer
enclosure is called Meghanada Prachira, 200m (665 ft) by 192m (640 ft). The
walls are 6m (20 feet) high. The inner wall is called Kurmabedha, 126m (420 ft) by 95m (315 ft). The walls were
built during the 15th or 16th century. This temple is said to have the largest kitchen in the
world, and feeds thousands of devotees daily. The kitchen can prepare food for 100,000 people on a
festival day and 25,000 is not unusual on a normal day. There are thirty-six
traditional communities (Chatisha
Niyaga) who render a specific hereditary
service to the deities. The temple has as many as 6,000 priests. There is a wheel on top of the Jagannath Temple made of
an alloy of eight metals (asta-dhatu). It is called the Nila Chakra (Blue Wheel), and is 3.5m (11 ft 8 in) high
with a circumference of about 11m (36 ft). Every day, a different flag is tied
to a mast attached to the Nila Chakra. Every Ekadasi, a lamp is lit on top of
the temple near the wheel.There are four gates: the eastern Singhadwara (Lion
Gate), the southern Ashwadwara (Horse Gate), the western Vyaghradwara (Tiger
Gate), and the northern Hastidwara (Elephant Gate). There is a carving of each
form by the entrance of each gate. The Lion Gate, which is the main gate, is
located on Grand Road. Thirty different smaller temples surround the main
temple. The Narasimha Temple, adjacent to the western side of the
Mukti-mandapa, is said to have been constructed before the present temple.
THE APPEARANCE OF LORD JAGANNATHA
The significance of Jagannatha Puri and the story
of how the Deities first appeared goes back many hundreds of years to the time
of King Indradyumna, who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. It is related that
one time in his court the King heard from a devotee about an incarnation of
Lord Vishnu, named Nila-madhava. (Nila-madhava is the Deity form of Lord
Vishnu.) The King very much wanted to see this form of the Supreme and sent
many Brahmanas to search for Nila-madhava. All came back unsuccessful except
for Vidyapati, who did not come back at all. He had wandered to a distant town
which was populated by a tribe of people known as Shabaras of non-Aryan
heritage. He had stayed in the house of Visvasu, and later, at Visvasu's
request, married his daughter, Lalita. After some time Vidyapati noticed that
Visvasu would leave the house every night and return at noon the next day.
Vidyapati asked his wife about this. Though her father had ordered her not to
tell anyone, she told Vidyapati that Visvasu would go in secret to worship
Nila-madhava. After repeated requests, Vidyapati finally got permission to go
see Nila-madhava, only if he went blindfolded. But Vidyapati's wife had bound
some mustard seeds in his cloth so that a trail could be left to follow later.
When they reached the shrine, Vidyapati saw the Deity Nila-madhava after the
Shabara took off the blindfold, and he felt great ecstasy. The story continues
to relate that while Visvasu was out collecting items for worship, Vidyapati
saw a bird fall into the nearby lake and drown. The soul of the bird suddenly
took a spiritual form and ascended back to the spiritual world. Vidyapati
wanted to do the same and climbed the tree to jump in the lake. Then a voice
from the sky declared that before he jumped he should tell Indradyumna that he
had found Nila-madhava. When Visvasu returned to worship the Deity,
Nila-madhava spoke and said that He had accepted the simple worship from him
for so many days, but now He wanted to accept the opulent worship that would be
offered by King Indradyumna. When Vidyapati went back to tell the King,
Indradyumna immediately went to find Nila-madhava but could not locate Him. So
the King arrested Visvasu, but a voice told him to release the Shabara and that
he should build a temple on top of Nila Hill where the King would see the Lord
as Daru-Brahma, the wooden manifestation of the Absolute. After great endeavor,
King Indradyumna built the temple at Sri Kshetra, now known as Jagannatha Puri,
and later prayed to Lord Brahma to consecrate it. However, Lord Brahma said
that it was not within his power to consecrate the temple since Sri Kshetra is
manifested by the Supreme's own internal potency and is where the Lord
manifests Himself. So Brahma simply put a flag on top of the temple and blessed
it, saying that anyone who from a distance saw the flag and offered obeisances
would easily be liberated from the material world. Nonetheless, after much
waiting the King became anxious since Nila-madhava had not manifested Himself.
Thinking his life was useless, the King decided he should end his life by
fasting. But in a dream the Lord said that He would appear floating in from the
sea in His form as Daru-brahman. The King went to the shore and found a huge
piece of wood that had the markings of a conch, disc, club, and lotus. This was
"Daru-Brahma". But try as they might, the men could not budge the
wood. In a dream the Lord spoke to the King and instructed him to get Visvasu
and put a golden chariot in front of Daru-brahman. After doing this and forming
a kirtana party to chant the holy names, and praying for Daru-brahman to mount
the chariot, Daru-brahman was easily moved. Lord Brahma performed a sacrifice (MAHA YAGNYA) where the present temple now stands and
installed a Deity of Lord Narasimhadeva, the Deity that is now on the western
side of the temple. From the wooden Daru-Brahma, the King requested many expert
carvers to carve the form of the Deity, but none could do so for their chisels
immediately broke when they touched the wood. Finally the architect of the
demigods, Visvakarma, (some say the Lord Himself) arrived as an old artist,
Ananta Maharana, and promised that he would carve the Deity form of the Lord
inside the temple in three weeks if the King would allow him to work behind
closed doors. But after 14 days the King became very anxious because he could
no longer hear the sounds of the carving. Finally he could stand it no more. On
the advice of the queen he personally opened the doors of the temple to see
what was happening. Then he saw the forms of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama,
and Lady Subhadra. But because the King had opened the doors sooner than he was
supposed to, the Deities were not completed; Their feet and hands had not yet
been carved. Thus, the Supreme manifested Himself in this form. The King felt
he had committed a great offense for having opened the doors before the
allotted three weeks had passed, so he decided to end his life. But in a dream Lord Jagannatha told the King
that though he had broken his promise, this was just a part of the Supreme's
pastimes to display this particular form. The King was told that this form,
even though it appeared to be incomplete, was actually the form of the Lord
that was meant to be worshiped in this age of Kali-yuga. Occasionally the King
could decorate the Deity with golden hands and feet. Yet those devotees filled
with love would always see the form of Lord Jagannatha as the threefold bending
form of Syamasundara, Krishna, holding a flute. Thus, the Supreme appeared in
this form so that people could approach and see Him, especially as He rides
through town on the huge carts during the Ratha-Yatra
festival.
NABA KALEBAR YATRA OF SHRI
JAGANNATH
The Naba Kalebar Yatra of Lord Jagannath occurs
only every twelve years. Sometimes as many as 500,000 come
from all parts of lndia and the world to see this great festival. The budget
exceeds $500,000, ten times that of the annual
Chariot Festival, Rath-Yatra. In this special year, not only are new chariots
for the three deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra made, but so also
are the deities themselves. Many rituals are performed In connection with this
transformation from the old deities to the new. The actual rites to be followed
can be traced back to ancient Sanskrit manuscripts written on palm leaves.
These are kept in the temple and the three head priests have the sole
responsibility of reading and interpreting them.
They are:
1. Niladri-Mahodaya - Niladri means
"Blue Mountain", and Mahodaya means "Great Rising". It
deals with the origin of the temple.
2. Rudra-Jamala - Rudra refers to
Lord Shiva and jamala is a book of rituals. It tells of the rituals connected
with the deity Balabhadra.
3. Tantra-Jamala - Tantra refers to
esoteric forms of worship, mystic practices having spiritual power. In it are
contained many diagrams that draw these powers down through their visual forms.
Every day in the temple such diagrams are drawn in front of the deities where
the offering of food is placed. It also contains instructions on the worship of
Subhadra.
4. Brahma-Jamala - This deals with
the rituals to be followed in the worship of Lord Jagannath.
The exact date of these palm leaf manuscripts
is undetermined. It is known that ancient sages wrote them after attaining deep
meditative states, and did not consider themselves the authors. The following
rituals of transformation have been drawn from these sources and are given in
the actual sequence that they are performed in the temple. Up to the present
time they have been kept as well-guarded secrets inside the temple community
itself. It is not usually permissible to discuss these sacred rites with
outsiders.
As Jagannath must be made of wood,
at the time of Naba Kalebar Yatra the priests must first locate an appropriate
tree. No ordinary tree can be used. Certain extraordinary requirements must be
met.
* In the palm leaf manuscript
Niladri-Mahodaya, it is stated that the holy tree will be found in a particular
village every 12 years. The name of this village is actually given for every 12
year cycle. Suppose the year is 1996. The name of the village where the wood
will be found has been mentioned thousands of years before. But for
verification, it must also be confirmed in a dream revealed to the head priest
while on the search.
* Only the Neem tree is suitable
for carving the deities. Its Sanskrit name is Daru. One of the main slokas to
Lord Jagannath ends with this prayer: Brahma-daru namami Brahma-daru-namami
Brahma-daru-namami.
1. The search party which will go
to find the holy tree out. of which the new Jagannath will be carved must
consist of 1 member of the Pati Mahapatra family, 20 Dayitapatis,1 Lenka, 9
Maharanas, 16 Brahmanas, 3 Deulakaranas, 30 police officers, and 2 inspectors
of police.
2. This function will start after
the big midday meal is offered to the deities.
3. The blessings of Lord Jagannath
must first be given. On this day a twelve foot garland, called Dayana-Mala, is
offered to each of the three deities. The head priest of the temple will give
the Dayana-Mala of Lord Jagannath to the oldest member of the Pati Mahapatra
family. He will lead the procession on foot, carrying this huge mala in his
arms or on his head. On finding the sacred tree, the garland is placed on top
of a coconut offering in front of the holy lire.
4. Descendants of the Bitarachha
Mahapatra family, Dayitapaties, and the Pati Mahapatra will bind a piece of
Jagannath's garments on their heads as a turban, indicating that Lord Jagannath
Himself is going with them.
5. The Mekap family of the temple
will touch Lord Jagannath's sandals to the foreheads of all members of the
search party.
6. Another priest in the temple of
the Pattajotchi Mahapatra family will give cloth used by Jagannath to the Lenka
family representative and the nine Maharanas who accompany the group. They are
the actual carpenters who build the new chariots every year and who will make
the new Jagannath deities as well. They are descendents of the first wood
carver who sculpted the original Jagannath for King Indradyumna in ancient
times. It is said this man was a divine being sent for this one task only. He
agreed to carve the deities on the condition, that he would not be disturbed
until he was finished. The king became impatient and before two weeks were
over, he opened the door. The sculptor immediately vanished, leaving the
deities half-made, and so it is that this half-made form is worshipped today.
The Lenka and Maharanas also wear cloth from Jagannath as a turban on their
heads.
7. The procession begins from the
altar in front of the deities. Then it proceeds to the palace of the king
half-way down the Grand Road of Puri to receive the king's permission to go.
8. The procession continues to the
gardens of the temple, known as Jagannath- Ballabha, a ten minute walk down
Grand Road from the King's palace. They stay here for two days to do meditation
and prayer. All their needs during their stay are provided for by the head of
this monastery.
9. After two days, the search party
starts out for Kakatpur, a village about 50 miles from Puri on the road to
Konark via the town of Pipli. They may rest in a monastery known as Deuli Matha
if they are tired. It is some 30 miles from Puri. The group must go first to
Kakatpur, because the only temple to Mother Vimala outside the temple itself is
located there. She is Vimala, but her name is Mangala, meaning "Auspicious
One". After reaching the village, they take rest for several days while
the oldest dayitapati sleeps inside the temple. He must have a dream during
this stay in which goddess Mangala tells him the exact location where the trees
can be found. The tree for each of the four deities will be in a different
place.
10. When the search party locates
the places, they may find many trees, but the sacred symbols will be found on
only one. The search may take from fifteen days to one month. During this time,
they eat the prasada of goddess Mangala, and sometimes provision is made for
MAHAPRASAD to be brought from Puri. They go back to the Vimala temple at night
to sleep.
11. When the tree is found, a great
holy fire sacrifice is performed there to invite all the gods and goddesses to
come and give their blessings at this auspicious time.
12. Nearby they must construct a
small thatched hut in which they will now reside.
13. After the day of the fire
sacrifice the actual cutting of the tree can begin. The Pati Mahapatra will
touch the tree to be used for Lord Jagannath with a golden axe. Then the
Dayitapati will touch it with a silver axe. Lastly, the head wood carver of the
Maharana family will touch it with an iron axe. During the tree cutting, the
108 names of God will be chanted. These will be different names of Patala
Nrusingha, who was worshipped before the appearance of Jagannath. His name is
recited at all auspicious moments because He saves devotees from all problems;
prayer to Him ensures that all will end well.
14. The whole uncut trunk of the
tree is then brought to the temple. It is placed on a wooden cart made at
Jagannath Temple for this occasion and dragged back to the temple by the
Dayitapatis with the help of the other members of the group.
15. The logs are kept inside the
temple in a place known as "Koili Vaikuntha". Koili means
"burial ground" and Vaikuntha means "Heaven". It is the
place where the old deities will be buried and the new ones made. It is located
near the Elephant Gate on the north side of the temple.
16. The three oldest wood carvers
will be the main sculptors for the deity of Lord Jagannath. Three others will
do Subhadra: and three others, Balabhadra. More than 50 others will assist, and
also do Sudarshan.
17. Nobody is allowed to go to this
place during these 21 days or so when the new deities are being made, not even
the head priest of the temple. There is a very strong door and thick outer
walls. The carpenters close the door from inside and work all day, although it
is open to the sun overhead. The wood carvers are not allowed to eat. or drink
water inside this holy place, so they go to the temple courtyard to eat and
sleep at night During these 21 days they do not leave the temple.
18. Devotional songs will be sung
outside the main door of the Koili Vaikuntha day and night throughout, this
period. Such constant singing of devotional songs is called
"Akhanda-Bhajana". While this is done by devadasis and temple
musicians, slokas from the Vedas are chanted continuously by brahmana or
priests.
19. When the new deities, are made,
they will be carried inside the inner sanctum of the temple and placed in front
of the old deities, facing them. At this time nobody can go inside for darshan,
not even the temple priests. The three new deities are carried inside only by
descendants of the "Dayitapati" family. Once they are safely inside,
only the three eldest Dayitapati members can stay. No puja is done at this
time, no food is offered. Of the four deities Jagannath's height is 5' 7",
and His outstretched arms measure 12 ft. across. He weighs so much that when
they carry Him, 5 persons must be on each arm, 20 on His backside, and more
then 50 in front pulling. Balabhadra is a bit lighter. His height is 5' 5"
and His arms are also 12 ft. across. Subhadra is less then 5', and light.
Sudarsana is in a long log-shaped form only. However, this log is 5' 10"
in length.
20. Only the three oldest members of
the Dayitapati family are present inside the temple on the most holy day of the
Great Transformation Rite. Lord Jagannalh was worshipped by them first, so only
they can transfer "The Brahma" from the old deities to the new. Not
even the usual head priest who attends to Lord Jagannath can be present.
This ceremony takes place three
days before the great Chariot Festival.
The three Dayitapatis must be
blindfolded.
They must bind a piece of Lord
Jagannath's cloth around their hands before the transfer can begin.
They should not have shaved since
the first day of the search party procession.
This is considered to be the
disappearance ceremony of Jagannath also.
Traditionally, after a member of
the family passes away, the son does not shave for ten days, out of respect for
the deceased. The house is also whitewashed after the death of any family
member. So all Dayitapati families whitewash their houses at this time, as Lord
Jagannath is considered the head of their household.
The children and all Dayitapati
family members wear new clothes on this day of the "transfer". This
rite is considered to be the most auspicious ritual of all in Jagannath Temple.
It is this ceremony itself that is the actual "Naba Kalebar Yatra",
or "Transformation Cermony" of Lord Jagannath. The three Dayitapati
members fast and meditate the whole day inside the temple. Only after midnight
does the transfer of the "Life Force" occur, and that in total
silence. When asked of their experience at this time, the Dayitapatis say,
"It is very difficult to express what Brahma is. It can't be seen or
touched. Our eyes are blindfolded and our hands are covered with cloth when we
carry it. Yet a powerful feeling is very much present, like a rabbit jumping in
our hands. This is our experience. Beyond this, exactly what this Brahma is
that is so powerfully felt, nobody is able to say".
21. The old deities are carried on
the shoulders of the Dayitapatis and buried in the Koili Vaikuntha before dawn.
It is felt Brahma should not be burned in the usual cremation cermony. The old
deities were the abode of Brahma for at least 12 years, even though Brahma is
not present there now. So they arc simply buried, and not burned. There are
three separate graves for the three deities, but the entire previous Jagannaths
are laid to rest in the same grave, one on top of the other. At other times of
the year devotees may go inside the Koili Vaikuntha, but the actual spots of
the graves are unmarked.
22. It is said that if anybody from
outside this select group happens to see any of this ceremony, be it from a
roof top or otherwise, they will surely die. For this reason, the government of
Orissa orders a full blackout of light for this one night in the whole town of
Puri.
23. On the morning of the second
day, the town of Puri will seem lifeless, as if in mourning. The beloved old
forms of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are now gone, and people have
yet to see the new ones.
24. The new deities are immediately
seated on the altar, known as "Ratna-Singhasana". On this second day,
the daily routine of the temple finally begins again, after a lapse of nearly
58 days. Sweet-smelling flower garlands and new garments are given to the new
deities, food is offered, and puja is done. Devotees can again come inside for
darshan.
25. On the third day, the new
deities emerge from the temple for the biggest Chariot Festival of all. The
annual Chariot Festival may draw 50,000 people, but on this most sacred
occasion, more then 500,000 people will be present. Naba Kalebar Yatra is so
holy, it draws more people to it every 12 years than any other festival of
India, except the grand Kumbha Mela, which draws slightly more and is held
every 12 years in Prayag, Allahabad.
26. The last Naba Kalebar Yatras
occurred in the year till now are- 1969, 1978, 1969, 1996 In the year 1996 the
wood for Sudarsana was collected from Baharana village near Nimapara, about 60
miles southeast of Puri. The wood for Balabhadra was collected from Bhakara
Sahi, a street in the village of Banamalipur, which is 70 miles south of Puri.
Subhadra's holy wood came from Govindapur village, which is 80 miles south of
Puri in the same district, as Banamalipur, but some 20 miles further. Lord
Jagannath's holy wood was collected from Tapanga village, near Khurda Road,
which is 90 miles west of Puri. All the four sacred logs of wood had the four
sacred signs imprinted on their bark. The next Naba Kalebar Yatra will be held
probably in the year 2015. It will be announced to the devotees at the time of
Car Festival one year before. The actual location where the wood for the
deifies will be found will again be revealed in a dream, as it has happened for
centuries .
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