NABAKALEBARA

MAHAPRABHU SHREE JAGANNATH (BAPA) IS ABSOLUTE TRUE,
OTHER THAN HIM ARE RELATIVELY TRUE….

Nabaakalebara:- When the month of Asadha happens to be an intercalary month (Joda Asadha or two months of Asadha), the Nabakalebara ceremony of the deities takes place. It is worth mentioning that the wooden images are liable to decay after a certain period and needs replacement. This new body change over ceremony is called the Nabakalebara when the new ones replace old images. Generally, this takes place once in every 12 years, but actually the shortest period is eight years and the longest is 19 years. Nitis associated with this festival are very complicated and elaborate. It is the occasion when the old bodies or images of Mahapravu Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu, Bada Thakura Balabhadra, Maa Subhadra,Pravu Sudarsana and Pravu Nilamadhaba are replaced by new images. The first step taken in this connection is the procurement of Daru (Neem wood). For this purpose, a party consisting of specific persons likes Daitapatis, Deulakarana and others set out in search of the trees, which must have certain specifications. First, they go to the temple of Maa Mangala at Kakatpur to implore the mercy of the goddess so that they would be able to locate the suitable (Neem) trees. As per the prescribed specifications like environment, location, height, age and other details, the trees are thoroughly checked. After the trees are located and selected, a small niti including homa is performed and the trees are felled and the wood is brought by wooden carts driven by the sevakas for manufacturing the images of the deities observing elaborate nitis (rituals). In the Koilibaikuntha, situated in the northwest corner of the Temple, the skilled carpenters called Biswakarma fashion the wooden images under the strict supervision and guidance of Daitapatis. On these days, elaborate sacrifice invoking the deity Pravu Nrusingha is performed. After formation of the new images, those are taken inside the Temple and the mysterious life substances (Brahma) from the old images are transferred secretly into the new images. Thereafter, the old images are buried in the Koili Baikuntha. The new images are painted and made ready for worship. So, it is not merely the log of wood or the image that is worshipped with so much of reverence. What is known as Brahma in Mahapravu Shree Jagannath is something unseen, which is there in his body. There is a cavity wherein a casket containing this unknown and unseen object till today has been kept. It is worth mentioning that this daru or the wooden image containing this Brahma is called Daru Brahma. There are many theories about this mysterious object. Some say that it is a tooth of Buddha. Others say that it is an image of Pravu Vishnu made of some precious stone. Some others hold the view that it is a very rare variety of Salagram sila. And for some others, it is a piece of bone of Pravu Krushna. As per the tradition, when Jara Sabara killed Pravu Krushna, Pandavas cremated him, but some portion of his body did not catch fire and remained unburnt. This unburnt substance is kept there in a casket in the wooden body of Mahapravu Shree Jagannath..

The Eternal Mystery Of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath by Srikanta…..

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