Mukto Mandapa, Assembly of Pandits; Anand Bazaar; Snana Mandapa and the Rosha Ghara, the Kitchen
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Jagannath Temple The Jagannath Temple is situated on the eastern sea board in the town of Puri in Odisha. Puri is an ancient town and one of the four celebrated pilgrimage centres in India. The temple is a four chambered structure surrounded by a number of miniature shrines and enclosed by a gigantic wall. It has four majestic directional gates. The gate facing the East is adorned by two lion sculptures. This Lion Gate is the main entrance to the temple. The other gates on the north, south and west have the guarding images of elephant, horse and tiger. The main shrines in the complex are of Nrusimha, Bimala and Lakshmi. Besides there are the Mukto Mandapa, assembly of pandits; Anand Bazaar; Snana Mandapa and the Rosha Ghara, the kitchen. Aruna Sthambha Fronting the Lions’ Gate is a monolithic granite pillar of about 10 meters high. The pillar originally stood in the temple complex of the Sun God at Konark and subsequently was removed to Puri when the Sun Temple was deserted. Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun God is mounted on top of this pillar which serves as the first dis-embarking point for the devotees to enter the Puri Temple. Baisi Pahacha Soon after entering through the Lions’ Gate, one climbs the flight of 22 steps named as Baisi Pahacha. The number 22 has a mysterious connotation and bestows virtues who climbs these steps with devotion. The dust falling from the foot steps of hundreds and thousands of devotees make the steps sacred and purify the aspirants wishing to have darshan of The Lord. Rosha Ghara After ascending the 22 steps one arrives on a wide flat landing to enter the temple. On to the left of this landing is the Rosha Ghara, the kitchen complex of the temple where a great varieties of offerings are cooked for The Lord in the most hygienic system. It is the busiest and the largest temple kitchen that serves millions of pilgrims who visit Puri year the round. The earthen pots, kudua that are used in the kitchen display a variety of shapes and sizes and are the handi- work of potter servitors of the temple who live in the suburbs of the Puri town. The Chhapana Pauti Bhoga, fifty six offerings of The Lord, the kitchen cooks are quite famous delicacies. Ananda Bazaar To the right of the landing is the Ananda Bazaar, the busiest food court where devotees of various castes and creeds jostle to have a morsel of temple food that brings them the highest satisfaction. The temple food is the offerings of the Lord, which is known as the Mahaprasada that grants bliss and happiness, the Ananda. Identified Daru of Lord Sudarsana Identified Daru of Lord Balabhadra Identified Daru of Devi Subhadra Nabakalebara Nabakalebara is the rarest and the grandest festival of the temple when the enshrined wooden deities assume new bodies. The ceremony is observed on the basis of the Hindu lunar calendar which displays two Asadha months in a year. The time gap of the festival may vary from an interval period of 8 to even 19 years. The ritualistic rules and paraphernalia are laid down in the temple chronicle, Madala Panji and other sacred texts. The Nabakalebara has a long history and as revealed in the available documents, it commenced several centuries back. Daru Anveshana The Daru Anveshana, looking for the suitable holy neem trees Azadirachta indica in and around Puri t begins 65 days ahead of the great bathing festival Devsnana Purnnima observed on the tenth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Chaitra. A large contingent of temple servitors such as Pati Mahapatra, Deula Karana, Tadau Karana, Behera Khuntia, Visvakarma along with Badagrahi Daitas are led by the Lenka Sevaka holding the Sudarshan Chakra. The procession is blessed by the Gajapati King, the first servitor of the Lord. The group then reaches the temple of Goddess Mangala at Kakatpur after resting at Jagannatha Ballabh Matha and Deuli Matha on the way. The temple of Goddess Mangala assumes importance in the whole ceremony because She directs the group in a dream to places where the suitable neem trees could be found out. Before embarking on the final mission for locating the trees as directed by the Goddess Mangala, they appease the Goddess in an elaborate ritual and seek Her blessings. The servitors in the group carry with them all kinds of ritualistic implements and embellishments to be used in the Banajaga, forest rituals for felling the trees. The forest ritual centres around two kinds of worship modes involving the Daitas connected with primitive Sabaras and Brahmins signifying classical and scriptural strata. While selecting the trees the following textual specifications are strictly observed. The colours of the trees should be according to the colours of the deities. The tree should have desired number of main branches specific to the deities and should stand near a river or a pond close to a cremation ground with a Shiva temple and a hermitage nearby. The tree should be free from parasite plants and creepers. There should not be the nests of birds on the tree. The tree must not have been struck by lightening. There should be an ant hill near the tree along with a few snake-holes at the roots so that one should spot a few snake creeping around. Identified Daru of Lord Jagannatha The trees should have insignia of the respective deities on their trunks such as Sankha(Conch), Chakra(Disc), Gada(Mace), Padma(Lotus), Hala( Plough) and Mushala(Pestle). The tree should not stand alone but be surrounded preferably with the trees of Varuna, Sahada and Bilva. The forest ritual bestows divinity to the trees which are treated as the gross body of the Lord known as Darubrahma. The sacred logs are loaded on to the newly built cart, Sagadi. The carts now make their journey to the temple led by Vishvakarma, the architect of the wooden images. The procession passes through several towns and villages to the accompaniment of trumpets, drums, gongs and crunches. The Sagadi receives worships and offerings by the devout villagers on its way. In fact the procession offers the most colourful spectacle. The sacred logs are taken to the temple through the northern entrance and are kept in a specially built cottage, Nirmana Mandapa. This cottage serves as the workshop for carving the images. This is the artistic ritual which is undertaken secretly by the designated sculptors. The images are fashioned on the basis of the details contained in old palm leaf manuscript which the sculptors possess as their family heirloom. The artists observe all prescribed purity while carving the images. Snana Purnima On the tenth day of bright fortnight in the month of Chaitra, the images are taken to the Snana Mandapa, bathing porch where the images are given ritualistic bath with consecrated water from a designated well, Suna Kua. While the newly built images after receiving the ritualistic bath in the Nirmana Mandap are accorded finalities, the old images are taken to a place called Koili Vaikuntha in the temple complex for their final journey. During the absence of the wooden images in the temple, the Pati-Dian (Pata painting of the Deities) are worshiped. Consecration of the New Images Consecration ceremony is extremely elaborate and performed in following five phases. · Preparation and worship of subsidiary images. · Bathing ritual, Abhisheka of Nyasa Daru. · Consecration of Nidra Ghata along with the procession of Nyasa Daru on a specially built chariot. · Observation of fire sacrifice and offering of final oblations, Purnnahuti by Gajapati King, Acharya Brahmins and Daitapatis. · Exchange of the divine essence, Brahma Padartha from the old to the new idols. Sacred Burial and the Final Journey of Old Images After the Divine essence are removed from the old and placed into new idols, the old images are taken to the Koili Vaikuntha and are lowered into a specially excavated area along with the old images, horse effigies and other wooden decorations of the chariots. This concluding phase of the Nabakalebara is observed in the families of servitors as funeral rituals with purificatory rites. The male members of the family get their head tonsured. Final touches to the New Wooden Images After the change of the Divine essence, the images are given final touches by applying seven layers of coating with resin paste, sandal paste, cloth, glue, liquid chalk and pigments. At the final stage the images are rubbed with the soft round stone to bring out the glaze. The line work is taken up there after. Painting the eye balls, netradana is the most reverential artistic work. All these activities are carried out secretly by specific servitors. Nabajaubana Darshana and Ratha Yatra On the new moon day of Asadha, the new images, complete in all respect, give Darshana to the devotees and on the 2nd full moon day of Asadha, their Ratha Yatra, Car festival is celebrated. The deities spend nine days in their summer sojourn, Adapamandapa and return to the temple on the Niladri Bije day. This marks the end of Nabakalebara festival in Puri. Role of the Gajapati King The Gajapati king of Puri accords his approval by handing over a consecrated areca nut, Gua for the commencement of forest sacrifice. This ritual is performed through the Rajaguru who acts on behalf of the Gajapati King. The King also participates in the ritual of the final journey of the deities by offering oblations in the sacred fire. Role of Sevayats The ritualists who serve the Lords in Jagannath temple are called the Sevayats or servitors.