Puri: Srimandir servitors and carpenters follow the norms laid down by the sculptural scriptures and religious texts to construct the three chariots for annual Rath Yatra.
The servitors install several subsidiary deities (Parshwa Devatas) on the chariots in accordance with the Srimandir traditions. “Altogether 27 subsidiary deities are installed on the three chariots. Each chariot gets nine such deities,” said researcher Naresh Chandra Das.
As per Srimandir traditions, carpenters construct new chariots for every year’s Rath Yatra. But, they customarily shape the idols of the subsidiary deities afresh only during the Nabakalebara ritual of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra.
“Servitors construct new idols of Srimandir presiding deities and bury the existing idols during Nabakalebara. They also construct the idols of subsidiary deities of three chariots during the mega event. The carpenters only repair and decorate the idols of subsidiary deities prior to the annual Rath Yatra,” Das said.
Subsidiary deities—Harihara, Pandu Nrusingha, Girigobardhandhari, Ravana Chhatrabhanga, Chintamani Krushna, Narayana, Madhusudana, Laxman and Panchamukhi Hanuman—are installed on the Nandighosa chariot of Lord Jagannath.
Devi Subhadra’s Darpadalan chariot is adorned with idols of Bimala, Mangala, Barahi, Bhadrakali, Uma, Katyayani, Harachandi, Ramachandi and Aghora.
Likewise, Pralambari Mahadev, Baisibhuja, Nrusingha, Balaraam, Natabar Ganesh, Angada, Nakamabara, Sadanana Kartikeswar, Madhu Kaitabha and Ananta Basudev are installed on the Taladhwaja chariot of Lord Balabhadra, Das said.
Herbal medicines for speedy recovery
Puri: Daita servitors are all set to offer Dashamula (herbal medicines) to Srimandir deities who are now undergoing medication for fever at the Anasara Gruha (asylum for the sick) on the temple premises.
Srimandir Baidyas (temple’s ayurvedic doctors) Sunday provided the herbal medicines to the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).
According to Srimandir traditions, the shrine doctors collect medicinal herbs like Gambhari, Phanaphana, Shalapanni, Krushnapanni, Agabathu, Ankaranti, Nabankuri and Gokhara at least a month prior to the Snanapurnima ritual of the deities.
“We prepare powder from the medicinal herbs after sun drying them. The powder is processed with cream, butter, honey, sugar and a small amount Bhang to prepare Dashamula. The herbal medicines are packaged in palm leaf baskets and sent to Srimandir,” said Rudranandan Mishra, a temple Baidya.
As per Srimandir tradition, Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra catch fever immediately after the Snanapurnima (bathing) ritual. They recover after 15 days of medication at Anasara Gruha.
“The herbal medicines will expedite the recovery process of the three deities who are now under treatment for fever,” said senior Daita servitor Ramachandra Das Mahapatra.
