NAVA KALEBARA
Celebrated : Once in every twelve to nineteen years.
Falls In : Month of Asadha (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.
But peculiarly enough this is considered most sacred for the renewal
festival of the deities. Therefore, it is also called "Purusottama
Masa", as the other name of Lord Jagannatha is 'Purusottama'. During
the last hundred years such festivals have been held only seven times in
1863, 1893, 1931, 1950, 1969, 1978 and 1996.
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.
There are strict injunctions for selection of the trees. The trees must
be of 'Neemba'. It should have four branches and must be in near vicinity
of a buried ground or river. It shouldn't have cut marks. Snakes below the
tree is an auspicious sign. Taking all these specifications into account
the selection is made and the Daitapatis immediately place the garland on
the trees. Then the area is cleaned.
A platform is erected for "Bana-Yaga" ceremony. Four Brahmins
conduct the ritual. Then the Daitapatis sit in meditation for three days.
After this the Vidyapati marks the tree with a golden axe and then the
carpenters begin to cut the tree into huge logs. Thereafter, the holy logs
are carried in four wheeled-carts newly built for the purpose. The carts
are not pulled by animals but by the 'Sevakas' and the people.
The sacred logs are taken into the temple compound through the northern
gate and are placed in the "Koili Baikuntha". On the day of "Snana
Purnima", the logs are bathed along with the aid of deities. Then the
logs are carried to "Darughara" or the stack, and eight Brahmins
perform the ritual, after which the carving of the images begins by a
group of carpenters. During this period nobody is allowed to visit the
place.
After completion of the carving, the images are painted bright in their
respective colours by the traditional 'chitrakars'. The new idols are then
circumbulated for three times and brought to the 'Anabasarapindi' for
transfer of Brahma from the old deities into their new forms.
The senior most among the 'Pal Mahapatras' performs this rite at the dead
hour of the night. He takes away the Brahmas from the naval zones and
places them in the same position in the new forms. But, he does it
blind-folded and with hands covered with clothes as he is not to see or
feel the mysterious Brahmas. Then the old images are carried and buried in
the wells of Koili Baikuntha by the Daitapatis. For this act they observe
mourning for eleven days as is commonly done at the death of a man in a
Hindu family.
