Thursday, July 16, 2015

NAVA KALEBARA

Celebrated In : Jagannatha Temple, Puri, Orissa
Celebrated : Once in every twelve to nineteen years.
In the month of : Aashadha (June - July)
Related to the car-festival, an important festival known as 'Nava Kalebara' is held once in every twelve to nineteen years according to the calculation of the year and date. On this occasion the wooden images of the deities are replaced by new ones.
Time For The Festivity
The principle adopted to fix the year of renewal is to find a year, which has two full moons in the month of 'Asadha'. In every three years a lunar month is excluded from the calculation to keep a balance between the lunar and the solar years. This particular month, which is excluded from calculation is known as "Adhimasa" or "Mala Masa" and is considered most inauspicious for any religious ceremony.
The Rituals
For making the new images a number of rituals connected with it are observed. When the date is fixed for the festival the "Gajapati Maharajah" of Puri issues a proclamation to the 'Vidyapati', 'Daitas' and Brahmins well versed in the Vedas to go in search of the trees that would provide logs for making the images.
Generally, this proclamation is issued on the 10th day of the full moon of 'Chaitra'. After the mid-day rituals of the Lord Jagannatha, the 'Mahapatras' receive "Agnya Mala", the garland as a token of permission from the Lord to go in search. Then the Mahapatras carry this garland along with four 'Daitapatis' to the "Anabasara Pindi" (a platform inside the temple) where they are given new garments to wear. From there they go to the Jagannatha 'Math', the place of starting.
Accompanied by the Daitapatis, 'Deulakarana', 'Tudhan', 'Lenka' and four carpenters they go to the temple of 'Mangala' at Kakatpur, which is about 40-km in the north. There they sleep in the temple to obtain permission of the Goddess in dream before proceeding in four batches to four directions in search of the trees.



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