Beshas of Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu
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June - 2012 Odisha Review Beshas of Shree Jagannath Mahaprabhu Bhaskar Mishra Besha is a Sanskrit word, which means dress, There are specific categories of servitors costume or attire. Everyday from the ‘Mangala in the temple, who are experts in cladding the Alati’ till ‘Ratri Pahuda’, the deities on the deities in particular types of Besha. Three types ‘Ratnavedi’ of Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri are of servitors, namely Puspalaka (Singhari), Khuntia adorned with cotton and silken fabrics, gold and Changeda Mekap are entrusted with the ornaments studded with precious stones, flowers responsibility of daily decoration or Beshas of the of several kinds and other leaves and herbs like deities. But Palia Puspalaks are to decorate the Tulasi, Dayana, Marua etc. Sandal paste, deities on every occasion. camphor and at times precious musk are being The deities are mainly embellished in three used in the daily and periodical rituals. ways; “Bastra Singhar”, “Puspa Singhar” & Cotton & Silken clothes include Tadapa, “Alankar Singhar”. Except on the festive Uttariya, Paharana, Phuta, Srikapada, occasions they are attired in the ‘Bastra Singhar’ Baralagi Pata, Srimukhabala, Chadara, Gita and ‘Puspa Singhar’ patterns. Govinda Pata etc. Garlands and other floral DAILY BESHAS ornaments namely Adharmala, Chandrika, Abakasha or Tadapa Uttari Besha : Gava, Alaka, Karapallava, Hruda Padaka, Kaustubha Padaka, Guna, Makara Kundala, Abakasha means the brushing of teeth and Jhumpa, Tilaka, Kundala, Tadagi, Nakuasi, bathing rituals of the deities. This Besha is done Sripayara Mala etc. are made out of prescribed types everyday immediately after Mangala Alati. The of flowers, leaves of Tulasi(holy basil), Panasa clothes, which are worn by the Deities for this (jackfruit) etc. purpose are known as ‘Tadapa’ and ‘Uttariya’. The rituals of the Lord is based on anthropomorphic equation, where worshipped Gods are treated like human. Whether it is waking up in the morning, taking an afternoon nap; or resting at night after dinner; the rites are modeled in a humanitarian way. It is stated that, the images change their clothes and wear different kinds of ornaments as many as eight times during a normal day. 11 Odisha Review June - 2012 Sadha Besha : leaves. The deities wear silken clothes called Everyday the three deities are dressed ‘Khandua’. An extract from the famous Sanskrit with following types of coloured Baralagi Pata verses of ‘Gita Govinda’ composed by the (silken cloths) from Sunday to Saturday. The renowned poet Jayadeva is woven in the colour represents the colour of the planets. ‘Khandua’ clothes. Sunday - Red cloth The head is covered with a cloth called Srikapada (cloth for the head). They are adorned Monday - Whitish cloth decorated with with Karapallava (hands). Padaka (circular lotus black spots. like decoration with flowers). This is a very Tuesday - Cloths mixed with five colours attractive Besha and that till the following morning (Pancharangi) Mangala Alati is offered to the deities they remain attired in this besha. Seeing the deities in this Wednesday - Sky blue colour cloth. beautiful decoration is believed to be very Thursday - Yellow cloths. auspicious. Friday - White cloths. Since ‘Bada Singhara-costume’ is Saturday - Violet colour. associated with the bed time and relates to sleep & slumber the deities are served with all cool Bada Singhar Besha : ingredients. Sleep does not come easily without The most important decoration of the day coolness of the body. That is why sandal wood is the Bada Singhara Besha. It is done every night paste is smeared on the holy bodies of the three before the Ratri Pahuda (last ritual). Bada deities. Puspalak (Singhari) ascends the pyramid ladder (Katha Ghoda, length 6 feet breadth 1.5 feet and height 2.5 feet) and adorns the heads of the Lord. Palia Puspalak Sevaks tie on to the heads the clothes called ‘Srikapada’, put flower ornaments like ‘Alaka’ on the face with ‘Kundal’ and ‘Chandrika’ etc. In their particular costume a laterally multifolded saree is stuck on to each. The floral ornaments like ‘Nakuasi’ & ‘Nakachana’ are put on the noses and ‘Adharmala’ are made to be hung around the arms. Below this, another garland hangs which is Singhara Besha is usually made up of different called ‘Chausaramala’. Three huge attractive types of floral ornaments & Gita Govinda lockets called as ‘Hruda Padaka’ are stuck to Khandua Pata (silken clothes set). Deities are the middle of the chest of three deities. The decorated with floral ornaments like Adhara, Puspalaka having completed the embellishment, Jhumpa, Chandrika, Tilaka, Hruda Padaka, through flowers, sprays camphor powder on Kara Pallav, Guna, Gava and a number of them. In the navels ‘Nakha Tulasi’ (a mixture of garlands; some of these are inter-mixed with Tulsi crusted Tulasi leaves and camphor) is pasted. 12 June - 2012 Odisha Review The devotees wait eagerly late in the night Akshaya Trutiya Tithi (third day of bright fortnight to watch this costume-based institution. This of Baishakha). eagerness of the devotees and their pious desire Gajanana or Hati Besha : and love have effected a bond, a bridge between man and God; between worshippers and the The annual cycle of festivals of Shree worshipped over the centuries. Jagannath Temple begins with the Snana Yatra (the bathing ceremony) which takes place on the Costumes on various festival occasion : full-moon day of Jyeshtha (May-June). Gajanana During the celebration of different or Hati Besha is done on the occasion of Snana festivals, the deities change their dresses and put Yatra. on different categories of ceremonial costumes or dresses according to the nature of the festival. The Beshas are indeed, an important aspect of the festival, which draws large crowd. Lord Shree Jagannatha has generally been identified with Lord Bishnu. But on certain particular festive occasions, the deities are decorated with different masquerades such as Gajanana Besha, Nagarjun Besha, Padma Besha, Trivikram Besha, Kaliyadalan Besha, Gajauddharana Besha, Radha Damodar Besha etc. It is so because Jagannatha culture On the Snana Purnima day, the deities encompasses within itself various cults such as are taken out to the Snana Vedi (the bathing Vaishnavism, Shakta-cult, Saivism, Ganapatya platform). After the ceremonial bath, the deities cult and the tribal forms of worship. As such, the are dressed like Gajanana which is locally known Beshas of Lord Shree Jagannatha symbolise a as Hati Besha. Since it is a general practice among sort of religious and cultural synthesis, hence the the Hindus that Lord Ganesh is worshipped at three deities are decorated in such a way as to the beginning of every religious rite, Lord Shri satisfy the spiritual aspiration of different sects, Jagannatha is decorated as Ganesh during His first groups and sub-groups. These Beshas are mainly annual Yatra. It is also stated that He is dressed related to Lilas of Krushna, Rama, Baman, as Ganesh to satisfy the followers of the Ganesh etc. Ganapatya sect. Some important festive Beshas of the According to Dardhyata Bhakti, one Deities are mentioned below. Ganapati Bhatta, a devotee of Ganesh, who had Chandana Besha : come from Karnataka, was disappointed not to see the Ganapati image on the bathing platform. The word ‘Chandana’ means sandal To satisfy the religious sentiment of this devotee, wood, the sweet-scented paste of which is to the surprise of all the assembled, the Lord smeared on the divine body of the deities in the appeared with the mask of pachyderm. Since that month of Baishakha and Jyeshtha, spreading over day, the Gajanana or Hati Besha of the deities is 42 days during Chandana Yatra beginning from being donned on the day of Jyeshtha Purnima. 13 Odisha Review June - 2012 This Besha is chiefly conducted by the Palia and are seen with the lotus stalks. Perhaps the Puspalak, Khuntia, Mekap & Daitapatis on this addition of the swans with the lotus stalks has day. Lord Shree Jagannath and Balabhadra been made, so that the Besha would appear more assume Gajanana Besha. The Raghav Das Matha lively. and Gopaltirtha Matha respectively supply the There is an interesting episode related to above Besha materials as per prolonged tradition. this Besha. As the story follows-long long ago Pilgrims and general public are allowed there was a devotee named Manohar Das, living to go upto the limits of Snana Mandap to have a in the village Shahpur on the banks of the sacred Darshan of attractive Gajanana Besha of the river Rishikulya. With a strong desire to have a deities without paying any fee during ‘Sahana darshan of the Lords, Manohar started his journey Mela’ period. by walking from the distant village to Padma Besha : Shreekshestra Puri. He brought with him a basket full of lotus flowers covered with a towel Any Saturday or Wednesday between the new moon day of the month of Magha and Basanta (gamuchha). In course of his long journey he came Panchami is chosen for the Padma Besha. It is across a number of tanks. At every tank he kept made during the ‘Bada Singhara’ ritual at night some new flowers on the basket and poured water and the deities remain with the Besha throughout on the old ones to make them fresh. At last he the night. This Besha takes place to perpetuate reached Shreekshetra and halted at Bada Chhata the legendary memory of a devotee, who had Matha, just adjacent to the Lions’ Gate of brought the lotus flowers from a very long Sreemandir. The trouble of the long & painful distance to decorate the God. journey could not deter him for his lofty hope that he would offer the flowers to the Lord which enlivened his spirit. With that simple faith and devotion he entered inside the temple. The priests of the temple saw the pitiable condition of the old man. They asked him about the thing he kept in the basket covering a towel.