Nabakalebara (The Function of New-Embodiment)
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Odisha Review July - 2013 Nabakalebara (The Function of New-Embodiment) Durgamadhab Dash God is Nirakara. He has no form. Yet, He is omnipresent. He is all-powerful and pervades the entire universe. In this sense, He is the foremost supreme energy of the cosmic creation. But in the popular customary sense, the Lord in the Grand Temple at Puri has a divine body. He has a definite divine form. His peripheral deities have also their own individual divine forms. The Lord, peculiarly enough, is also subject to decay and dissolution. He is said to decamp from the Temple after a certain period of time. This ritual is ceremoniously observed in the Grand Temple. It is written in the “Bhagabat”, a popular Dharma Shastra of the Hindus that everybody in this Nabakalebara is thus an important universe is perishable in nature. Even the inanimate function of the Grand Temple. In the etymological objects are subject to decay and destruction. The sense, it is a ritual pertaining to the new world, in this sense, is transient in nature. But embodiment of the deities. This ritual is normally ‘Atma’ that exists in everybody is self-existent. celebrated in a year having “double-Ashadha” or It has no death. It is eternal. It was there in the two Ashadhas in the Hindu almanac. Generally, past. It persists in the present. It will also subsist such occasions arise at long intervals varying from in future. It is always permanent. Body perishes nine to nineteen years. The Nabakalebar function but not the soul. In the analogy of this spiritual is necessarily unavoidable as a consequence of truth, the four divine deities of the Grand Temple the fact that the images of the Jagannath Temple - Sri-Balabadra, Devi Subhadra, Sri Jagannath are made of Neem wood and such wooden and Sri Sudarsan-relinquish their old bodies. They statues are normally subject to decay in such a assume new bodies. But their “Brahmapadartha” span of time. So changes of the images are felt (the inner divine-substance) is not perishable. It necessary. Nabakalebar in the Grand Temple is is transferred to the new divine bodies. The order performed accordingly in a ritualistic manner. of this spiritual metamorphosis is known as ‘Nabakalebara.’ The function of Nabakalebara is an expansive affair. It is performed only when the 14 July - 2013 Odisha Review changing of the images is felt absolutely necessary. excavated the statues, he found that the statues Sometimes, there is a kind of ‘small had been completely decayed and reduced to Nabakalebara’ function in the Grand Temple. In pieces. He made the new statues in their places the 20th century, the Nabakalebara function was according to the prescribed procedure and re- celebrated in the Temple in 1912, 1931, 1950, established them on the divine platform. 1969, 1977 and 1996. In the year 1893 in the 19th century, the complete Nabakalebara function It may be mentioned in this connection had not taken place in the Grand Temple. Instead, that only Neem wood is preferred to any other only the ritual of ‘Sriangaphita’ was observed in wood in the making of the divine statues of the that year. Following the ritual in that way, the Temple. There is a definite spiritual reasoning in outer layers of the divine deities were only opened this regard. As described in ‘Bhabisya Purana’, and renewed and new paints applied to them. Neem wood is considered the best and most auspicious wooden material for structuring the In the context of this analogy, we can only statues of Lord Vishnu in general. People of all say that Nabakalebara is a very old ritual. We walks of life, it is believed, can worship these can’t say the exact period since when wooden statues shorn of any spiritual restriction. Nabakalebara has been in operation in the Grand As Lord Jagannath is the spiritual symbol of all Temple. The scholars are of the opinion that the sects and all religions, “the statues of the Lords of the Temple had never had a peaceful Jagannaths” are preferred to be made of Neem- time in the past in regard to their ritualistic worship. wood and not of any other wood. Besides, They had passed through myriad vicissitudes from Neem-wood, considered from the scientific point time to time. On different occasions, they had of view, is highly durable. It is ordinarily not been shifted from the Grand Temple to different destructible due to attack of insects. solitary places for protection of their iconic According to scriptural expositions in this sanctity. Under such circumstances, the deities regard, the Darus of the divine deities are therefore must have undergone Nabakalebar rituals when collected from suitable Neem trees. All Neem they were re-established on the divine platform trees are not suitable for the making of the divine of the sanctum. Thus, all that we can say in this statues. As laid down in this behalf, the Neem regard is that Nabakalebara is necessarily an trees selected for the divine deities need to have established function of the Grand Temple. It had definite divine marks and divine symbols. They always been a recurring spiritual event in the past. should be located at proper places commensurate It must have taken place in the temple whenever with specific scriptural specifications. We may it was necessary to change the images of the discuss these details deity-wise in the following deities due to definite reasons. paragraphs: According to Madala Panji compiled 1. The Daru of Sri Jagannath around 1600 AD, King Yajati, for example, had celebrated the Nabakalebar function of the divine The tree selected for Sri Jagannath Daru images in pomp and ceremony after recovering should ordinarily be away from human settlement. the deities form a place near Sonpur in Odisha. It should look dark or dark-red in colour. The The spiritual icons had been buried there to save trunk of the tree should look straight having four them from destruction by the then sacrilegious clear branches. The tree, furthermore, should be Muslim rulers. It is said that when the King 7 to 12 cubit high and should have come up near 15 Odisha Review July - 2013 a river or a pond or on a crossing of 3 path-ways. selection, the Daru of Sri Jagannath is actually It is ideal if the tree is surrounded by mountains very important. It is required to have a maximum on three sides. It is good enough if there is a number of characteristics in the order of a perfect cremation ground or a temple of Lord Siva or at selection. The Darus may be collected from the least a hermitage nearby. The tree should be free lands of any person irrespective caste and religion. from creepers. It should also be shorn of nests In the Nabakalebar function of 1950, the Daru of birds. At the sometime, it should not have been of Sri Balavadra was collected from the land of a hit by lightening or affected in any way by storm Muslim person. At first, he had denied to part in the past. Furthermore, there should be an anthill with the tree. But later, on persuasion of his wife, at the foot of the tree. The tree may also have he had agreed to spare the tree free of cost. some snake-holes. The Daru tree should be surrounded by trees like ‘Varuna’, ‘Sahada’ and Collection of ‘Darus’ ‘Bilva’. Besides, the area where the tree has We may discuss now the procedure in come up should not be swampy or marshy in which the ‘Darus’ of the divine deities are collected nature. At the same time, the tree should have by the servitors. This is known as ‘Banayaga the divine marks of Lord Vishnu like Parba’ of the Nabakalebar function. In the first Sankha(Conch), Chakra(Disc), Gada(Mace) and instance, a group of able servitors is constituted Padma (Lotus). for this purpose. This group is composed of 2. The Daru of Sri Balavadra servitors like Daitas, Patimahapatra, Dadhakaran, Deulakarana, Padiakaran, Maharana, Lenka, The bark of the tree for Sri Balavadra Rajguru, some Brahmin servitors along with the should look light brown in colour. The tree needs other servitors and workers of the Temple to have seven branches looking like the form of a Administration. canopy and the hood of a cobra. The tree should have the divine marks of plough, pestle and the The procedure pertaining to collection of weapons of Sri Balavadra. Darus starts from Chaitra Sukla Dasami i.e the 10th day of the bright fornight of the month of 3. The Daru of Devi Subhadra Chaitra. This is to say that this ‘Parba’ is to start 65 days before the great bathing festival of the The tree meant for Devi Subhadra should deities which takes place on the Jyestha Purnima look yellow in colour. It should have five clear day. At first, 28 Daitas are selected for the branches and bear the mark of a lotus flower with purpose. Out of them, 21 Daitas set out in the five petals. journey and the rest seven Daitas stay back in Jagannath Ballav Math Puri. The latter group 4. The Daru of Sudarsan actually constitutes the ‘reserve force’. Their The tree meant for Sri Sudarsan should services are utilized as and when it is considered be reddish in colour. It should have three necessary. branches. There should be a mark of Chakra on As per the prescribed procedure in this any portion of the tree. The tree should also have a depression in the middle.