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Puri: A total of 13 rituals are performed during the Nabakalebar festival of the Trinity, said a few religious researchers.
According to the temple tradition, Banajaga Yatra is considered the first ritual of the Nabakalebar festival. The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) appoints a Dalapati (chief), a few Upadalapatis (deputy chiefs), Biswabasu and Bidyapati for the Banajaga Yatra. The team of servitors proceed to Deuli mutt at Kakatpur to perform certain rituals at Mangala temple. Traditionally, it is believed that goddess Mangala guides the Banajaga team to identify four neem trees for the holy logs (daru).
Identification of four neem trees with required symbolisms for the holy logs is believed to be the second ritual of Nabakalebar. A ‘Shabarpalli’ is set up near each selected neem tree as part the third ritual of the festival. Daita servitors reside at these Shabarpallis till the collection of the holy logs, said the researchers.
The fourth ritual of the festival begins when Daita servitors perform Yagya near each neem tree before felling them for the holy logs. The surroundings of each tree is sanctified with cow dung paste and Aagyanmalas (permissions of the deities) are placed on them as per the temple tradition.
Carpenters cut down the neem trees after Biswabasu and Bidyapati touch them with silver and gold axes respectively marking the completion of the fifth ritual.
The Banajaga team carefully collects the holy logs and bury the residues the trees. Daita servitors wrap the logs with Khandua Pata and transport them to Srimandir on newly made wooden carts. The sixth ritual of Nabakalebar is believed to be completed with the transporting of the logs to Srimandir.
The seventh ritual of the mega event is performed inside the Koilibaikunthapur on the temple premises. As many as seven makeshift pandals—Nirman pandal, Pratistha pandal, Nrusingha pandal, Daru pandal, Sambhar pandal, Snana pandal and Adhibasa pandal– are erected at Koilibaikunthapur for the making of the idols.
Carving of the idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan on the Nirman pandal is considered the eighth ritual of the Nabakalebar festival. The ninth ritual of the mega event is recognised as the most important and sacred ritual of Nabakalebar. During the ninth ritual, Daita servitors secretly transfer the ‘Ghatas’ or ‘Brahmas’ from the old idols to the new ones.
The old idols are considered ‘dead’ once ‘Bhahmas’ are shifted out from them. According to the temple tradition, the burial of these ‘dead’ idols is called as the tenth ritual of Nabakalebar. Daita servitors observe ‘Suddhi Kriya’ to mourn the ‘death’ of the old idols, which is popularly known as the eleventh ritual of the mega event.
The twelfth ritual of Nabakalebar starts with the observance of ‘Mahaanasara’. The newly built idols are kept in a separate room on the temple premises during the Mahaanasara ritual. The Netrotshav and Navajouvan rituals are performed after the completion of Mahaansara. Deities show their rejuvenated images (Navajouvan) to the devotees which is considered the thirteenth or the last ritual of Nabakalebar.
