16
Jun
2015
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Nabakalebara: When Lord Jagannath adorns a new body

Sand sculptures on the beach. (Photo Credit: Sucheta Das Mohapatra)

Sand sculptures on the beach. Photo Credit: Sucheta Das Mohapatra

Amidst the deafening waves, the cool breeze, shops laden with a variety of handloom wears and hawkers selling handcrafted products, watching the sunrise at the golden beach of Puri is a real treat to the eyes. Every evening, you also get to see mesmerising sand sculptures made by local sand artisans. Visit the beach on Christmas and you will see the sculpture of Mother Mary with baby Jesus in her arms. Other times, it could be a message to ‘save tigers’ or to ‘spread peace in the world’. Sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik recently made a sculpture about the devastation caused by the earthquake in Nepal urging people to help the victims of the natural disaster.

The tradition of carving sand sculptures is said to have started with renowned Odiya poet Balaram Das who sculpted idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra when he was not allowed entry into the temple. This has now gone beyond the boundaries of the state and its culture. The sculptures are no longer restricted to descriptions of gods and goddesses. Like the Jagannath culture, which has always welcomed people from different faiths, religion and land, this art form is also being used to spread love, peace and unity across the globe.

The historical town of Puri, also known as Srikshetra or Neelachal Dham is believed to be the abode of Lord Jagannath (Jaga meaning universe and Nath meaning lord) and it draws tourists from the neighbouring states throughout the year with a maximum number coming from West Bengal.

The annual chariot festival, held in June-July every year, brings together devotees from all over India and the world, dancing in devotion and merriment.

For Odiyas, Lord Jagannath is not just a deity – his following is a cult encompassing different religions like Buddhism, Jainism, Shaivism, Shakti and many more. It is a culture teaching tolerance of different beliefs. It is a way of life spreading the message of unity, equality and peaceful co-existence.

It is on this land that the implacable Emperor Ashoka transformed into a peace-loving king who went on to spread the message of harmony and tranquillity. No wonder there are hardly ever reports of communal riots or skirmishes from Odisha.

The Jagannath cult has had a great impact on Odiya literature and has helped preserve the Odiya identity for centuries. Every Odiya child has grown up listening to stories of how the 17th century Odiya poet Salabega was not allowed to enter the Jagannath temple by the pandas/sevayats (servitors) because he was born to a Muslim father. Later, Lord Jagannath’s chariot did not budge till Salabega pulled it during the annual Rath Yatra festival.

This year, the temple town has a special attraction for tourists as it gears up for the Nabakalebara, a ritual wherein the Lord, his siblings and Lord Sudarshan will give up their old wooden bodies and acquire new ones. Nabakalebera takes place when, as per the Hindu calendar, there is an extra month in a year. The last Nabakalebara was held in 1996.

The search for wood to make the idols starts on Chaitra Shukla Dasami (sometime in March) when the search party comprising people from different walks of life begin their journey to Kakatpur. It is said that Goddess Mangala of Kakatpur appears in the dreams of the priests and guides them to the neem tree that is used to build Lord Jagannath’s idol.

The tree has to pass certain prerequisites. The neem tree should have more than four branches and none broken. There should be no nests on the tree. There should be a cobra pit at the base of the tree as well as a tamarind tree and a cremation ground close to the location of the tree. And the most important part: the tree trunk should have natural impressions of the chakra and the conch shell!

Jagannath Temple. (Photo Credit: www.blessingsonthenet.com)

Jagannath Temple. Photo Credit: www.blessingsonthenet.com

Nabakalebara is the attraction to visit Puri this year but the place has much more to offer like the serenity of the beach or the architectural wonders of the 12th century craftsmen. Not many know that the Sudarshan Chakra atop the temple always faces you no matter where you stand and you can never see the shadow of the main dome of the temple at any time of the day. Also, once you enter the main door of the temple, Singha Dwara, you cannot hear the sound of the sea.

While a view of the Lord is free, you can pay Rs 25 to get a closer look or Rs 50 to be able to touch the feet of the Lord. The temple kitchen cooks food for 20 lakh devotees daily. Seven pots are kept one on top of the other on firewood to cook rice, rice pudding, pulses and a variety of vegetables.

One can reach the temple town directly by train or by road from Bhubaneswar airport. Puri does not have an airport but the road journey from Bhubaneswar is enthralling as one can stop over to look at the appliqué works at Pipli or take a diversion from Chandanpur to get some Pattachitra paintings (paintings over dried palm leaves) from Raghurajpur.

Nabakalebara

On Deva Snana Purnima (Jyestha Purnima – full moon day) the idols are bathed with water drawn from Sona Kua (golden well), within the temple premises. Water is collected in 108 copper vessels and purified with different herbs. This year the snana purnima happened on June 2. The Snana Mandapa where the idols are bathed is at a height and the deities are visible to even people standing outside the temple. After the ritual the devotees get to see the Lord a fortnight later, a day before the Rath Yatra, which is also known as Nabajaubana Darshan.

Photo Credit: Sucheta Das Mohapatra

Photo Credit: Sucheta Das Mohapatra

However, in the Nabakalebara year, the deities cannot be seen for one and a half months after which a day before the Rath Yatra the Lord appears with his siblings and Lord Sudarshan. This year, the Nabakalebara Rath Yatra devotees will see the deities during the yatra, which will begin on July 18 and end with Bahuda Yatra on July 26. The Lord will also be seen a day after Bahuda in sona besa (golden attire) on the chariot itself.

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