20Th Century's Last Nabakalebara : the Best Managed

Odisha Review June - 2014

20th Century’s Last Nabakalebara : The Best Managed One

Asit Mohanty

The last Nabakalebara festival of twentieth century Bhubaneswar to take Oath of Office. The had been celebrated in 1996. Apart from being Nabakalebar of 2015, apart from its chronological the last one of the past century, it was also the importance is also vital for the present CM as it ultimate Nabakalebara of the millennium. Now would be the first Nabakalebara during his rule in we have already entered and traversed more than Odisha. Peaceful, hassle free conduct of coming a decade of the new third millennium and twenty Nabakalebar can add another feather to the cap first century. of CM Mr. Naveen Patnaik. Another Nabakalebara of Sri Jagannath During planning of the last Nabakalebara is scheduled to be held in 2015. It also bears much of last millennium, all the problems and aberrations significance. It is the first Nabakalebara of twenty of past Nabakalebar celebrations had been first century and the new millennium. deeply studied by the then State Government Janaki Ballav Patnaik was the chief under Mr. Janaki Ballav Patnaik. Because of it minister when the Nabakalebara was celebrated the stumbling blocks could be removed and in Puri in 1996. Historians say it was the most Nabakalebara could be celebrated in 1996 in a disciplined and well managed Nabakalebara disciplined manner without any major hiccups. celebration in history. Naveen Patnaik now holds Present State Government has also started the reign of State Government as the Chief preparations for the coming Nabakalebara. Minister. It is obvious that the next Nabakalabara Everyone dreams that coming Nabakalebara around a year ahead would be managed under would be of better experience. But for it lessons his leadership. learnt from experiences during previous Nabakalebara celebrations have to be deeply Present CM Naveen Patnaik also bears studied. It would become a major catalyst to special attraction and respect for Lord Jagannath. make first Nabakalebara of twenty first century a Before taking oath as the CM of the State for the peaceful, hassle free, well managed, disciplined fourth time on 21st May, he preferred to fly to festivity. Puri from Bhubaneswar and have darshan of the Lord of Nilanchal. After bowing down before the The ritual of Nabakalebara festival can deities in Sri Jagannath temple before 8AM, he be well compared to that of the Kumbh Mela at had returned back to Raj Bhawan in Prayag. The Bhagavad Gita talks of Lord

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Krishna’s discourse to Arjuna where he Accordingly, the Nabakalebara of the wooden speaks about the immortality of the soul. He images worshipped in Puri usually takes place had said that the soul is ever lasting while almost after every nineteen years.The Puranas tell the body is transient and that the soul leaves us that Sri Jagannath was being initially the old or diseased body to enter into a new worshipped as Nilamadhaba, an image carved body just as old clothes are replaced by new out of rock in Nilakandara. Later, He was ones. In this context, the famous sloka of the worshipped as an image made of wood. Bhagavad Gita goes as follows : Basansi jirnani According to the stories chronicled in the Skanda jatha bihaya, Nabani gruhanati naraa Purana and the Brahma Purana, Indradyumna had aparani, Tatha sharirani bihaya jirna built the images with wood that had drifted from Nyanyani sanjati nabani dehi. the western seas to lodge on the eastern shores. And Sri Jagannath manifests Himself Biswakarma, the celestial carpenter, had built the exactly in the manner of Krishna’s discourse to images as per the orders received in a dream from Arjuna, making Himself as unique as He is Lord Krishna. According to the Madalapanji, venerated. For nowhere else in India is there a Raktabahu had attacked Puri during the reign of tradition of an image changing its physical body Shovana Dev of the Bhoumakara dynasty. So at intervals. Though Sri Jagannath is during that time, the priests had carried away the Parambrahma, He has manifested Himself image of Sri Jagannath to Sonepur and hid it there in the form of ‘daru’ (wood) in the by burying it underground. King Jajati Keshari I Purushottam Kshetra to perform His ‘lila’ as of the Somavansh dynasty had brought Sri a human being. Hence, Sri Jagannath, Jagannath back from Sonepur after 144 years and Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan—the built the new idol according to classical principles. four images in the Jagannath Temple in He had placed the Brahma inside the image of Puri—renounce their old bodies at intervals Jagannath and placed Him in a new temple which to take on new bodies. This change of bodies was 38 feet high. Thus, it may be concluded that is referred to as Nabakalebara. The the first Nabakalebara of Sri Jagannath had been Bhagavad Gita tells us that every living being performed in the tenth century.Another ten on this earth gradually attains youth, centuries or a thousand years have since passed becomes old and finally dies. He is reborn in by but unfortunately, the years in which the the world with a new body. The Nabakalebara Nabakalebara had been performed during these of Sri Jagannath establishes this great truth.It ten centuries have gone unchronicled. Padmashri cannot be said for sure when exactly the tradition Satyanarayan Rajguru, the celebrated scholar on of Nabakalebara began in Purushottam Kshetra Sri Jagannath, has written about a Nabakalebara or Puri. But the tomes dealing with the principles being performed in the year 1370. He has also of construction of images tell us about the lives of written that the first Nabakalebara of Sri images built with jewel, metal, wood and clay. Jagannath had been performed in the Srimandir According to these tomes, images built with jewel (Jagannath Temple) in the year 1308. However, have a life of ten thousand years, metal images according to verifiable records, the first have a life of one thousand years, wooden images Nabakalebara had been performed in 1574. The have a life ranging between twelve and eighteen second Nabakalebara of the sixteenth century had years and clay images have a life of only one year. been performed in 1593. But in the seventeenth

121 Odisha Review June - 2014 century, five Nabakalebaras had been performed, not been able to manage the crowd and maintain in the years 1608, 1627, 1646, 1665 and 1684. law and order. As a result, three men and four The first Nabakalebara of the next century was women had died in the stampede that took place held in 1711 and thereafter, four more were held near the Singhadwara (Lions’ Gate). The next at intervals of nineteen years. Once again in the Nabakalebara was held in 1874. Considering the nineteenth century, five Nabakalebaras were held, fact that during that time Gajapati Dibyasingh Dev each after a gap of 19 years from the previous was just a minor under the guardianship of one. Thus, these had been performed in the years Maharani Suryamani Patamahadei and also 1809, 1828, 1855, 1874 and 1893. But in the keeping in view the mishaps of the last last century, i.e., the twentieth century, the Nabakalebara, the District Magistrate had Nabakalebara had been performed six times, in constituted a high power committee in 1874 and the years 1912, 1931, 1950, 1969, 1977 and the conducting of the Nabakalebara had been 1996. entrusted to this committee. In 1893, when the time for the next And out of the Nabakalebaras performed Nabakalebara arrived, Maharani Suryamani in the twentieth century, the one held in 1996 was Padamahadei was not willing to perform it giving the last of the century. And it was this last reasons that it involved ‘a great deal of trouble Nabakalebara that had been the most well- and a lot of money’. As a result, only a partial organized. No other Nabakalebara so far had Nabakalebara had taken place that year wherein been carried out to such perfection. only the clothes of the images had been changed Historical records show that many a time, and the wooden frames had been left untouched. the Nabakalebara had not been performed The authorities had cancelled the ritual of Nava because of financial difficulties. They also reveal Youvana Darshan fearing that there could be a that the pilgrims and devotees had to put up with law and order problem because of the huge a lot of hardship at times because of administrative crowd. However, the authorities had not been able bottlenecks in conducting the ritual. Ramachandra to control the devotees. They remained rooted at Dev, the son of Mukunda Dev II was the Gajapati the four doors of the Temple, as a result of which of Puri and the caretaker of the Jagannath Temple the daily rituals of the deities could not be at the time of the Nabakalebara held in the year performed. It was morning by the time the rituals 1828, though by that time, he had already lost could be completed. The Badasinghara Bhog the kingdom of Khurda. This led to much financial could not be offered to the deities either. The constraint. So H. H. Alo, the then Collector, had priests had carried the Mahaprasad outside requested Commissioner Pockenham through a across the walls in pots tied to ropes. Most of the letter to sanction funds for the Nabakalebara. pots containing the Mahaprasad broke in the Accordingly, though Pockenham had sanctioned process and the pilgrims were put to much Rs.5,500, the money was not sufficient to conduct inconvenience. The Vaishnavites and the Naga the ritual. It was only after Nimak Mahal of ascetics had snatched away the Mahaprasad Balasore donated three hundred gold coins that when it was somehow being carried outside in the ritual was somehow completed. Two lakh loads. Even the Chariots were not ready by the people had gathered at Puri during the time of the Srigundicha Day (the day on which the Rath Yatra Nabakalebara in 1855. However, the police had is held). By the time the Chariots were ready and

122 June - 2014 Odisha Review the deities were placed on them, it was already crossed all limits. The Rath Yatra of the midnight. The Chariots were drawn on the day Nabakalebara was held on 18 July. ‘Pahandi Bije’ after the Srigundicha Day. Though the Rath Yatra was scheduled to be held at 9 a.m. and the was scheduled to be held on the fifteenth of the ceremonial sweeping of the Chariot (Chhera month, the Chariots had not yet reached the Panhara) by the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri was Gundicha Temple till the nineteenth. Balabhadra’s expected to be completed by 2 p.m. However, Chariot reached on the twentieth while that of Sri ‘Pahandi Bije’ got started only at 2 p.m. that day Jagannath reached only on the twenty first of the and was completed at 5 p.m. And ‘Chhera month. The next Nabakalebara which had taken Panhara’ was done at 6.30 p.m. As a result, place in 1912 was the first of the twentieth century. Balabhadra’s Chariot was pulled only a few feet Though the Chariots of Balabhadra and Subhadra just for the sake of observing the rituals. Lakhs of reached the Gundicha Temple on the day of the devotees returned disappointed and hungry. As if Rath Yatra, the Chariot of Sri Jagannath reached this was not enough, six wheels of Balabhadra’s only the day after. In the following Nabakalebara Chariot broke after it had been pulled for a short of 1931, there was a lot of confusion and disorder. distance the next day. In this connection, the newspaper Utkal Dipika had noted: The Chariots did not move at all on It was eleven in the night by the time the the Srigundicha Day this year. It was already wheels were put back in shape. In the process, evening by the time the deities moved out of the lakhs of devotees returned disheartened after Temple (Pahandi Bije—a ritual of carrying the waiting for two days to pull the Chariots. The Lords down the 22 steps inside the Temple, matter had caused much anguish among the leading to the Lion’s Gate). People had waited general public. The Government had been indicted since morning on an empty stomach to see the for all this mismanagement. The newspapers and Pahandi Bije and thus they suffered a great deal. magazines had severely condemned the Moreover, the police acted ruthlessly in order to Government for not being able to conduct the Rath maintain law and order. Yatra smoothly and for paying scant attention to the safety and comforts of the pilgrims. It had The atrocities of the police had increased been alleged that the indifference and lack of further during the Nabakalebara held in 1950. sincerity which the Government had displayed was There was a confrontation between the Sadhus inexcusable. and the police during the Rath Yatra that year. The police beat up the Sadhus mercilessly and It was only obvious that such apathy of this led to the Sadhus from outside the State to the Government would be raised in the Legislative leave Odisha immediately. The Utkal Dipika Assembly. A great deal of pandemonium was records that about 18,000 Sadhus from four witnessed when the matter was discussed there. communities had come to the Rath Yatra held in Members of the Opposition as well as the 1893 but since the confrontation between the Treasury Benches demanded judicial and Sadhus and police in the Rath Yatra of 1950 administrative probe into the matter. Eventually, following the Nabakalebara that same year, very the Government had to bow down to the pressure few Sadhus came to see the subsequent and a one-man commission constituting Justice Nabakalebaras. But the mismanagement Balakrushna Patra, retired Judge of Orissa High witnessed in the next Nabakalebara in 1977 had Court, was appointed as per the provisions of

123 Odisha Review June - 2014 the Commission of Enquiries Act of 1957. The the very beginning to make the Nabakalebara and Commission had taken evidence of 69 persons the Rath Yatra of 1996 a resounding success. He and come out with a 829 page report. The conflicts had initiated preparations in this direction between the priests and the administrators as well immediately after taking charge as the Chief as other kinds of mismanagement were clear from Minister for the third time in 1995. The first the report. meeting of the high level Review Committee set Evidently, what turned out to be the major up for this purpose had been held on 14 October reason leading to all the mismanagement was that 1995 in the Conference Hall of the District the bahutas or wooden planks made from the Magistrate of Puri. The Chief Minister had wood of the Baula tree, which were needed as presided over the meeting and said, about 20 to support at the back to bind the images with layers 25 lakh people are likely to assemble at Puri as of clothes before they started on their journey, the Nabakalebara would take place after 19 long had not arrived on time. As a result, the images years. The priests have to ensure from now could not be made ready for the journey and the onwards that nothing goes wrong at the time. All ‘Pahandi Bije’ was delayed in the process. Again, kinds of precautions must be taken to avoid a the jewels worn by the deities on the foreheads repetition of the mismanagement that had taken are removed before the journey and replaced with place during the Nabakalebara of 1977. imitation accessories made of cork. These are The first meeting for the Nabakalebara brought from three different places for the three of 1996 had been held on 5 August 1995, almost deities. However, only one music band had been a year ahead of the Rath Yatra. Presided over by engaged to escort the materials from the three the Gajapati Maharaja, a detailed discussion different places. This too took a great deal of time regarding the Nabakalebara was held in this which in turn delayed the ceremonial sweeping of meeting of the Temple Administration Committee. the Chariots. The enquiry also revealed a Another meeting of the district level officers had ridiculous event that had taken place at that time. been held on 21 August as per the direction of Someone had telephoned the office of the the State Government. The District Magistrate of Jagannath Temple just before the Chhera Panhara Puri had presided over that meeting. Twenty three that the Gajapati Maharaja would not come to such meetings had been held between 5 August perform the ritual if he was not paid one lakh 1995 and 26 May 1996. The Chief Minister rupees. So when the Collector of Puri asked him himself had presided over the meeting held on 14 about it, the Maharaja refuted the charge October 1995 at Puri and later at the State vehemently and immediately set forth to perform Secretariat on 25 May 1996. Besides these, the ritual. But it was already dark by the time the several Review Committees had met in phases ritual was completed and it was not possible to under the Chairmanship of the District Magistrate draw the Chariots. The Chariot of Balabhadra of Puri, the Revenue Divisional Commissioner, the had been drawn only a few paces, just for the Chief Secretary, etc. to remove all kinds of sake of the customary ritual. bottlenecks to ensure the smooth conducting of the Nabakalebara.One of the main reasons for Keeping in view all the drawbacks of the the delay in the Pahandi Bije in the Rath Yatra of earlier Nabakalebaras, Chief Minister Janaki 1977 was that the bahutas (planks made from Ballav Patnaik had taken every precaution from wood of the Baula tree) had not reached in time.

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Hence this time round, the Chief Minister had DFO of Athgarh alone had intimated that he emphasized right from the beginning that steps would be able to provide only five pieces. The were to be taken for the procurement of all rest 123 pieces had been collected from private necessary materials at the right time. A meeting of individuals. the priests had been convened by the Jagannath The ropes to pull the Chariots and the Temple Administration on 8 September 1995. cloth to cover them were other essential And the District Magistrate of Puri had presided requirements. The Kerala State Coir Board had over the meeting. Similarly, two meetings had been been requested to supply 12 new ropes even held on 7 September and 25 December with the though there were 15 ropes in stock. This had representatives of the Daitapatis, who were special been undertaken as a precautionary measure. In priests. A detailed discussion about the view of the possibilities of a mammoth gathering preparations was held during these two meetings. at the time of the Rath Yatra, steps had been taken Extended discussions had also taken place in the to ensure that there would be no problem when meetings of the Administration Committee held the Chariots were pulled. Similarly, the Odisha on 8 August, 28 October and 26 December. Textile Mills had been requested in advance to Wood is one of the major items needed supply quality cloth to cover the Chariots. for the Rath Yatra and a total of 862 pieces of Other essential items required at the time wood of different types and sizes are needed for of the Nabakalebara include sandalwood, musk, the purpose every year. However, in the case of resin and silk cloth. For the first time, the Forest the Nabakalebara Rath Yatra, the horses, Department of the Government of Karnataka had charioteers, brake wood, barricades of the been requested to supply three kilograms of Chariots and side deities (Parsva Devata) are sandalwood of the best quality. The Chief newly built. So a further 128 pieces of Neem Conservator of Forests of the Government of wood and 23 pieces of Sal wood are needed for the purpose. Emphasis had been placed in the Karnataka had given written assurance that he would take necessary steps to supply good quality review meetings to ensure that all the wood arrived sandalwood at a reasonable price.Ordinarily, there at the right time. As a result, 879 pieces of wood had already arrived by the time the second were uncertainties regarding the availability of Coordination Committee met on 21 May 1996. musk at the time of the Nabakalebara. About Only nine pieces of Phasi wood were yet to arrive. 1100 grams of musk is required for the purpose. The authorities also made sure that no untoward Obtained from the musk deer, musk is a fragrant event would take place because of inferior quality substance which also acts as an insecticide and of wood. The wood pieces had been carefully prevents moss. Hence, musk is used to colour examined and 20 pieces of unsuitable wood had and decorate the deities. More musk is needed been replaced. The Divisional Forest Officers at the time of Nabakalebara as new images are (DFOs) of Nayagarh, Khurda and Boudh had made at the time. Traditionally, the royal family of been requested to provide the 128 pieces of Nepal has had a close association with the Neem wood that were needed. However, they Jagannath Temple. Therefore, the King of Nepal had expressed their inability to do so. Hence, the had the privilege to offer a special puja in the DFOs of Athgarh, Sambalpur and Sundargarh Puri Temple. The King also provided the musk were requested to arrange for the same. But the needed by the Jagannath Temple over the years.

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Hence, a letter had been written to the King of in Puri to witness the Nabakalebara Rath Yatra. Nepal to provide the excess musk needed at the Chief Minister Janaki Ballav Patnaik himself was time of the Nabakalebara. However, the King of present among the devotees and he had joined Nepal had banned the hunting of the musk deer them in pulling the Nandighosha, the Chariot of as it was an endangered species. As a result, the Sri Jagannath, from the Lions’ Gate to the King informed that it would not be possible on Gundicha Temple. All the Chariots had reached his part to provide the musk. But the priests from the Gundicha Temple before sunset. This was Nepal who were residing in Puri had some musk something that had never happened earlier. The with them. They had been gifted the musk by pilgrims had been extremely satisfied that pilgrims from Nepal. The musk needed for the everything had gone according to schedule. Nabakalebara had thus been collected partly from And thus, the last Nabakalebara of the them and partly from the open market. Similarly, century concluded with pomp and ceremony the Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation because of the blessings of Lord Jagannath and had been asked to supply ten quintals of resin the untiring efforts of all ranging from the CM needed for the Nabakalebara. The Odisha State officials of different departments and their Tussar and Silk Cooperative Society had been subordinates, the then District Magistrate, the asked to supply eight quintals of Basungi Silk cloth. temple administration as well as the servitors. In this manner, steps had been taken much in advance to collect all the necessary items. It had People of Odisha expect that the coming been ensured that there would be no problem in Nabakalebara would make Odias proud of their conducting the Nabakalebara and the Rath Yatra rich tradition, heritage and culture. The last in a smooth manner. Nabakalebara of last century had become a landmark in the history of management of this The Chief Minister was aware of the fact festival. It is hoped that its celebrations in 2015 that a proper coordination between the Temple would extend the standard of Nabakalebar Administration and the priests was highly essential festivities to new heights. Mr. Naveen Patnaik is for the smooth conducting of the Rath Yatra. All again leading Odisha for the fourth time with a kinds of problems had arisen in the previous greater mandate and support of Odias. Till now Nabakalebara because of a lack of coordination he has succeeded in governance. The between the two. However, Chief Minister Janaki Nabakalebara of 2015 would surely be a great Ballav Patnaik was in direct contact with the challenge before the CM. We all hope he would representatives of the priests to monitor be able to meet the challenge and set new everything. standards of management of much awaited As a result, there were no deviations from Nabakalebara festival. the time-schedule prepared by the Temple Administration Committee at a meeting held under the Chairmanship of the Gajapati Maharaja on 29 June 1996. All the rituals connected with the Nabakalebara had been completed as per the time schedule without any interruption. A record Asit Mohanty, 4R, ½, Unit-3, Bhubaneswar-751001, crowd of 12 lakh people had assembled that day E-mail: [email protected].

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