Nabakalebara 2015
nabakalebara celebration ancient ritual nabakalebara associated jagannath temple idol lord jagannath balabhadra subhadra sudarshan replaced new set idol last festival event held period festival chosen according hindu calendar conforming astrological planetary position festival involves several schedule started march banajaga yatra process search select neem tree make new image replace old one conclude rathayatra followed sunabesa adorning new image god golden attire july many ritual held specific date million devotee expected participate ritual held around temple complex jagannath temple puri odisha exact year origin ritual nabakalebara started known many occasion deity secretly buried shifted temple attacked external force threat passed image though retrieved made anew reinstalled one recorded event king yajati reported conducted ritual retrieved image sonpur buried attack muslim invader wooden statue unearthed king found state decay therefore got new image carved installed altar temple another version history muslim invaded odisha iconoclast burnt image coast even afghan defied command akbar desecrated jagannath temple following man singh captured odisha however besara mohanty vaishnava wandering saint gathered charred remains image known brahma padartha carried kujang according jagannath temple chronicle source ramachandra deb raja khurda took sacred remains kujang sanctified within new image jagannath nabakalebara festival much bigger longer duration annual ratha yatra puri according anncharlott eschmann sanskritized version tribal ritual khond tribe said prototype ceremony practiced kond festival ritual held long period day replace old image known daru brahma meaning brahma divine life force shape wood lord jagannath lord balabhadra goddess subhadra sudarshana new one made neem tree wood search appropriate neem daru brahma wood carriage carving site precedes start nabakalebara festival begun hindu calendar month chaitra shukla dashami th day bright half lunar month day ritual held adhikamasa intercalary month ashadha junejuly two lunar month ashadha four lunar fortnight fall one year per hindu calendar rare occasion usually occurs year gap may range eight year th century nabakalebara celebrated st century first nabakalebara held period starting march ending niladribije july per schedule announced temple administration lord jagannatha central figure ritual worshipped jagannath temple puri king universe hierarchically number one realm maharaja gajapati puri hold second position chief servitor temple maharaja would present gift jagannath also receive gift representative feudatory king jurisdiction extended tribal area people puri god took unusual form huge wooden stump since lived tribal people king got image deified hindu temple elaborate religious ceremony nabakalebara tribal incomplete form called virupa retained encased cloth resin image made wood would inevitably rot similar human being need replacement replacement performed elaborate ritual called nabakalebara navakalevara meaning new body reembodiment composite two word ‘nava’ meaning new ‘kalevara’ meaning body body god changed ritual would deteriorate time brahman brahmapadartha soulsubstance within wooden body called daru brahma primesoul enshrined wood transferred old image new secret religious rigmarole nabakalebara ritual held per following schedule march sunday banajaga yatra march monday journey deuli matha daitapatis leave jagannath ballava ashram stay nua river bank ashram april thursday stay deuli matha april friday worship kakatpur mangala temple april saturday may sunday explore daru june tuesday debasnana purnima june friday carving image june monday transfer brahma midnight july friday naba jaubana darshan july saturday rath yatra july wednesday hera panchami july sunday bahuda yatra july monday sunabesa july tuesday adhara niti july thursday niladribije key event ritual nabakalebara banajaga yatra debasnana purnima netroutsav navajoubana besha rath yatra sunabesa detailed banajaga yatra pronounced banajāga jātra precedes main event nabakalebara yatra expedition expedition undertaken locate holy tree darus new idol god carved task entrusted rightful daityas spelled locally daitas servitor temple deity offering prayer performing prescribed ritual team daityas usually headed leader called dalapati go palace maharaja gajapati chief servitor jagannath temple seeking permission undertake journey find suitable tree carving new image four deity king give permission offering betel nut presence rajaguru chief priest team daityas led leader walk barefoot km halt deuli matha first day proceed kakatpur mangala temple offer prayer four daityas senior servitor sleep front goddess seeking divine guidance location neem tree servitor proceed search neem tree appropriate deity accordance prescribed sign size location selection tree worshipped covered white cloth felled carried wooden cart long procession village accompanied beating drum cymbal venue temporary carving shed koili baikuntha near temple worship done neem log every day prasad food offering given till debasnana purnima day banajaga yatra commenced puri march announcement location daru neem tree lord sudarshana made around midnight saturday april daru lord sudarshana identified garh kuntunia village near balakati outskirt bhubaneswar daru lord balabhadra found near sarala temple jhankada jagatsinghpur district location daru goddess subhadra announced friday april found nilakantheswar temple adhangagada biridi block jagatsinghpur district april location lord jagannath daru announced kharipadia raghunathpur block jagatsinghpur district daru jagannath tree selected jagannath daru ordinarily away human settlement look dark darkred colour trunk tree look straight four clear branch tree furthermore cubit high grown near river pond crossing pathway daru balabhadra bark tree balabhadra look light brown color tree need seven branch looking like form canopy hood cobra tree divine mark plough pestle weapon balabhadra daru goddess subhadra tree meant goddess subhadra look yellow colour five clear branch bear mark lotus flower five petal daru sudarsan tree meant sudarsan reddish colour three branch mark chakra part tree tree also depression middle arrival new log called nyasa daru precinct temple made known maharaja offer oblation jagannath temple also known shri kshetra carving idol started king appoints one rajaguru chief priest occasion log given bath day called snana poornima debasnana purnima concurrently old idol temple also bathed following temple closed devotee known period mahaanasara two ashada month extending day first day period lunar dark half month krishna paksha designated start carving new image process carving image four deity begin done fifty maharanas carpenter period day completion carving new image circumambulated around temple following new old image kept one place facing initiate process transfer brahmapadartha embedded heart old idol new image done total secrecy midnight hour even priest perform task blindfolded belief one watching transfer would die occasion black entire town event slated conducted within sanctum sanctorum jagannath temple midnight hour june transfer brahmapadartha soulsubstance completed old image declared dead image carried along secondary deity kept chariot buried koili baikuntha done lord jagannath considered head family daitapati servitor burial known patali second fortnight mahanasara period funeral obsequies observed daityas day followed bathing feast held th day mahaprasad distributed devotee completion obsequies old image new image four deity given protective cover saptavarana meaning seven substance sandalwood paste musk resin silk forth artist paint image indigenous colour activity done last fortnight mahaanasara period image painted eyelid deity formally opened ritual known netrotsava meaning opening eye done exclusively brahmin priest temple final lifeinfusing ritual scheduled done july day image infused life taken procession viewing public called naba jaubana darshan viewing new image naba jaubana darshan held july deity brought next day rathayatra grand annual event process building three new chariot carry three deity temple already started basant panchami day january new image replica old one buried display public viewing chariot festival held puri sunabesa suna besha event held third day rathayatra deity reach singhdwar seen decorated golden ornament held july gold ornament stated donation king kapilendra deb initially ornament consisted design weighing kg design used decorate deity