The Nabakalebara festival of Lord Jagannath is the most amazing festival in Jagannath Dham Puri. According to Hindu culture, a Human gives up his old body and assumes a new body as per his deeds. The death of every human being is guaranteed. Similarly, Lord Jagannath also gives up his ageing body and takes on a new body. In Odia language “Naba“, means “New” and “Kalebara” means “Body“. This tradition is called Nabakalebar.
In order to keep the equality between the lunar month and the solar month, one extra month falls every 32 months. This extra month is also known as Adhimasa, Malmasa or Purushottam Masa. In the Odia calendar, a year in which two “Asadha” months is called “Do-Ashadhi”. In the same year, in the month of Asadha, a new idol of Lord Jagannath is made and the Bramha Padartha is placed in it.
Nabakalebara
According to the scriptures, statues or idols are of 5 types. The names and life spans of those statues or idols which renew or Nabakalebara required are,
1. Mani Vigraha or gem idols (10 thousand years),
2. Dhatu Vigraha or Metal idol (1 thousand years),
3. Chitra Vigraha or drawing idols (1 year),
4. Mrunmay Vigraha or Clay idol (1 month) and
5. Daru Vigraha or wood idols (12 years) respectively.
Nabakalebara Festival of Lord Jagannath
Usually, the “Do-Ashadhi” month falls in 8 years, 11 years or 19 years. The last Nabakalebara of Lord Jagannath was held in 2015 after a gap of 19 years. In that month, a new idol of Sri Jagannath is made and Brahma Padartha is installed. The Nabakalebara timeline: 1733, 1744, 1752, 1771, 1790, 1809, 1828, 1836, 1855, 1874, 1893, 1912, 1931, 1950, 1969, 1977 and 1996 respectively. The next Nabakalebara Festival will be held in 2034.
Agnyamala
To find these holy neem trees, Sri Jagannath’s 5 brahmins, 28 Brahmins, 4 Vishwakarma, Patimahapatra, Lenka, Deula Karan and Sri Temple’s guards come out together and go to Gajapati’s house. They carried the Angnyamala (garlands) of three lords with them. Then the king sent them away with a Barani Gua (traditional odia culture of sending notice).
Banajaga Yatra
These nine types of servants take part in the Banajaga Yatra (forest journey). They are, Daitapati, Jajamana Bramhana, Biswakarma, Priests of Jagannath Temple, Rajaguru, Pati Mahapatra, Deula Karana, Lenka Sebaka.
They went and first spent 3 nights at Jagannath Ballabh Matha. Then they go to Kakatpur Mangala Temple. They take bathe in the Prachi river and eat Habishya. Then they all fall down Guharia before Maa Mangala. Many events like Chandipatha, Bhajan and Kirtan are performed there. Then Maa Mangala tells chief Panda in his dream which direction they have to search for the Daru trees.
Daru Trees (Holy neem Trees)
Then they started their journey of searching for the perfect Daru trees. They examined various neem trees in search of Daru trees.
This new body of the Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Sudarshan Chakra needs new Daru trees (neem trees). All Daru trees (special neem trees) are different from normal neem trees. The special neem trees should have the following characteristics to be treated as a Daru tree. Those characteristics are
- The tree has an ant hump at its base.
- The tree should be near temples, cemeteries, rivers or ponds.
- No animal or bird should live in that tree.
- Snakes should guard the tree.
- No part of the tree has been cut before
Features of Sudarshan’s Daru
For becoming Sudarshan’s Daru the holy neem tree must have the following properties, (1) The Daru must have 3 main branches. (2) The bark of the tree should be reddish tone. (3)There should be a Chakra mark on the trunk of the tree.
Features of Subhadra’s Daru
Goddess Subhadra’s Daru has special characteristics, i.e:- (1) The Daru must have 5 main branches. (2) The bark of the holy tree should be yellowish tone. (3) It should have a lotus symbol on its trunk.
Features of Balabhadra’s Daru
Mahaprabhu Balabhadra’s Daru must have the following postulates, (1) The Daru must have 7 main branches. (2) The bark of the tree should be light-brown or white tone. (3) It should have plough and pestle symbols on it. (4) The should be a heritage site or a graveyard nearby.
Features of Jagannath’s Daru
The holy neem tree should have certain parameters to become Lord Jagannath’s Daru like- (1) The Daru must have 4 main branches. (2) The bark should be dark or blackish tone. (3) There should be special marks like Shankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma on the trunk of the tree.
Daru Pruning
After everyone has decided that the tree is suitable for the Daru (holy neem tree) again many cultural events are performed at the root. Then the worship of the holy tree started. Yagnya and Kirtana also started. Then another process of the Nabaklebara festival, Daru pruning was started.
The Acharya is seated in Astrapuja. He gives the gold, silver and iron axes to Vidyapati, Vishwavasu and Vishwakarma respectively. After touching the tree with a gold axe and silver axe, the Vishwakarma Sebaka would cut the holy tree. And throw the Daru towards the East, North or North-East direction. Everyone fasts until the tree is cut down and falls to the ground. The tree is first cut from the root and then rolled according to the size and only the Manja Bhaga (centre part) is kept. It is called Chaupata. After the cutting is done, the remaining branches, leaves and bark are buried in a big hole. Jagannath’s Daru, Balabhadra’s Daru, Subhadra’s Daru and Sudrashan’s Daru are collected.
Daru transformation or Nabakalebara Yatra
This is the final process of the Nabakalebar Daru Yatra to Sri Jagannath Temple. 4 Daru are loaded on a newly made bull cart wrapped in Patakana and tied with Basunga rope. Chronologically, first the Daru of Srisudarshan, then Sri Balbhadra, Devi Subhadra and finally the Daru of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath are brought to the Srimandir (Jagannath temple).
After arriving on the Jagannath road, after a night’s stay near Alamchandi in Atharanala. The Daru enter Srimandira through the north door or Devayan route in a procession in the next morning. Similarly, Daru who came from Konark’s side, after staying one night with Yagnya Narasingha, went in a procession the next day and entered Koili Baikunth through the north door.
Building of New Idol
On the day of Snana Purnima, the construction of new idols started after bathing the Daru. The designated person blindfolds his eyes and carefully transforms the Bramha Padartha from an old idol to the new one. The garlands of tulsi used during the transformation of the Bramha Padartha were kept fresh for a long time.
The old bodies of Sri Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are buried at the back of Koili Baikuntha. All the Sudhikriya (process after the death of a family member) processes are performed as per Odia’s culture. On the 10th day, all Daitapaties get baled and wear new clothes. Then on the 11th day, they distributed Mahaprasad among all the devotees. This is the certification of the supremacy of lord Jagannath towards Odia culture.
After the transformation of Bramha Padartha, the Netrotsav festival was observed then Ratha Yatra. If you want to read more about Lord Jagannath Nabakalebara festival you can read it from Shreejagannath.in.
