What is Nabakalebara?
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| Nabakalebara og Lord Jagannath,Puri |
Naba- means new and Kalebara means Body in Sanskrit that means New Body. Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudhrshan idols are made out of wood, which replaced during the double Ashadha month happens to fall in the same year which generally falls on the eighth, or eleventh or nineteenth year. The transformation of sole (Brahma) from old deity to new Idol is very important event of Lord Puri Jagannath temple. The Nabakalebara event lasts for three months.
Team members consisted of one from Pati Mahapatra family, 20 Dayitapatis, 1 Lenka, 9 Maharanas, 16 Brahmans and 3 Deulakaranas. With the help of 30 police officers and 2 police inspectors the search of Daru Brahma) holy Margo tree starts. The identification of Daru is in sequence of Sudhrshan, Balabhadra, Subhadra and finally Lord Jagannath. There are certain religious customers are follow to identify Daru. Before cutting the Daru, special poojas performed and then Pati Mahapatra is the first person to touch the tree with golden axe followed by Dayitapatis with silver axe then the Maharana family cut the tree with iron axe. The Daru secretly brought to the temple in a holy cart made out of tamarind tree, and many other rituals done to Daru before making idols. In the Anasara period is new idol carving starts with holy poojas. The oldest members of the community are the three main sculptors who will be assisted with fifty other carpenters in a closed door and no one including the chief priest is allowed inside. The idols would be completed in twenty one days and all these days the sculptor making carpenter team will take maha pradasd (the food presented to God).
One all four idols are ready they are kept in front of the old idols in the inner sanctum by the Dayitapatis family members only. A particular night is chosen by the chief priest for Brahma (soul) transformation. On that particular night, the entire Puri kept under total black out. The soul transfer can only be done by the three oldest members of Dayitapatis family, the first worshipper of Lord Jagannath. These Dayitapatis are blindfolded with a piece of Lord Jagannath cloth tied in their hands. The transformation happens and no one knows what and how happens. A very powerful feeling they have during the process and someone says they feel like a dove flying from one side to another side. The whole transformation Brahma Padartha happens from old deities to new idols on that night. The old idols are buried at Koili Baikuntha (Heavenly burial ground) and this ritual is called as Paatali. The Dayitapatis mourn and rituals did as burying as humans after death.
The new deities are taken to the Ratna Sinhasan and offered special pooja as per the ritual. The new deities are taken out of sanctum on Ratha Yatra. This year (2016) three million devotees are expected to visit in Ratha Yatra festival at Puri, Odisha. Lord Jagannath is considered as one among us, His activities are same like human beings. He takes bath, visit relatives, fall sick, mischievous, and leaves body in the earth. But apart from all He blesses and anyone can pray as he wishes as a friend, as partner, as guru, and as Lord.
Don’t forget to visit Puri during the Ratha Yatra and get blessings from Lord Jagannath.
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