Friday 15 May 2015

Odisha: Shree Jagannath Daru to make way to Puri on Wednesday

News About Lord jagannath Daru

The Shree Jagannath Daru at Kharipadia near Raghunathpur in Jagatsinghpur district, was marked conclusion its ritual Chaupata works [Shaping the felling Neem tree to wooden log for carving idol], Patali [Dumping of unused parts of Neem tree] ritual was under process meanwhile building of Sagadi [Wooden cart] completed and ready to transport the Daru to Puri.

However preparations reached final that the holy daru would leave Kharipadi on Wednesday evening. The spell of rains and wind occurred on Monday night has affected Chaupata works, Sabarpalli [Home for Banajaga Memebrs] and connecting roads to Daru site had surrounded by rain water,

the repair works had undertaken forthwith that completed on Tuesday and the Banajaga members were resumed works. Meanwhile SJTA chief administrator Suresh Chandra Mohapatra accompanied by Cuttack collector N K Mishra , Jagatsinghur collector S K Mallick, IG central range R P Koche, SP Sudha Singh had visited Kharipadi soon after the rains reduced on Tuesday night and held discussion with Daitapatis with regard to the Shree Jagannath’s Daru journey to Puri,

later decided that the holy Daru would leave Kharipadi on Wednesday dusk and after a night’s halt at Ramkumarpur the Daru Sagadi will move Cuttack district next day. -

Courtesy: "Odisha Dairy"

By - BIMAL Style

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Friday 3 April 2015

Attraction Of Puri

(Courtsey: Jagannath Puri Book)

The greatest attraction of Puri is the world famous temple of Jagannatha. It is known by many , names, viz., the Puri temple, the Srimandira, the Bada Deu1a or simply, the Jagannatha temple.The temple of Jagannatha is one of the tallest monuments in the entire. sub-continent of India and its height is about 214 feet from the ground (road) level. It stands on a 'raised platform of stone, measuring about ten acres. It. is located in the hear! of the town and presents an imposing sight. The temple is bounded by two compound walls, the outer one known as Meghanada Pracira & the inner one known as Kurma Pracira. The present temple was built in the 12th century A.D. The temple structure is full of excellent carvings and lovely pieces of sculpture and is a fine specimen of Kalinga style of architecture. It is now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. Only orthodox Hindus are allowed to enter into the Temple. But the others can see portions of the enclosure from the top of the Emar Matha building, located near the east facing gate of the temple.

The largest crowd in Puri is seen during the Car Festival of Jagannatha which takes place every year some time in June-July. Jagannatha of Puri is strikingly different from all other deities worshipped by the entire Hindu world, mainly for the reason that Jagannatha represents all the gods and goddesses known to the entire Hindu world, either directly or indirectly. He is considered to be the highest object of worship by the followers of all the religious cults that come within the purview of Hinduism. For example, he is Siva for a Saivite, Ganapati for a Ganapatya, Kalika for a Sakta and so on and so forth. This kind of integration of religious cults and creeds belonging to Hinduism is not to be seen anywhere else.

Jagannatha represents an integration of all important Hindu cultures which flourished in India, namely, the Vedic, the Puranic, the Tantric, the Smarta and the Vaisnava, along with Jainism, Buddhism and that of the aboriginal tribes. The Vaisnavas of all schools, i.e., Ramanuja, Nimbarka, Caitanya or Mlidhva Goudiya, Radha Vallabhl, Atibadi Odisi - all have great faith in Jagannatha. The Mahaprasada (the offerings to the deities in the Puri temple) is a wonder of the Hindu world in as much as it is free from any kind of discrimination pertaining to the castes of India. Persons of all castes do partake Mahaprasada from the same plate without the least hesitation.

Since the days of first Sankaracarya who visited Puri perhaps by 810 A.D. and founded the govardhana Matha, Puri has gained special significance as one of the four dhamas of India. It is the eastern dhama and one of the four Sankaracaryas of lndia stays here.It is believed that, there were 752 Mathas i.e., religious endowments, constituting institutions for the study and propagation of religious creeds in Puri. But now, about a dozen of them deserve mention.

The second great attraction of Puri is the sea beach acclaimed to be one of the best sea beaches of the world. A number of beach complexes have developed on the sea at Puri & nearby. The sea at Puri is shallow and is therefore, highly suitable for sea-bath. But on particular days of the year, care should be taken to avoid a rush against the waves. The nolias (fisherman of the sea) will help in taking bath in the sea.

To enable thousands of people to take bath at a time, there are four big sacred tanks in Puri. They are :-

(i) Indradyumna

(ii) Narendra

(iii) Markanda

(iv) Svetaganga

The Narendra in particular is associated with the famous Chandana Yatra of Jagannatha.Puri is an epitome of Indian philosophy,culture and religion known as Hinduism and a visit to this ancient city is a
rewarding experience.

@Bimalstyle

Tuesday 31 March 2015

THE NAVAKALEVARA

It has been already stated that the bodies of the deities of the Puri temple have been fabricated out of the logs of wood of the margosa tree. An wooden object is liable to decay after a certain period and needs replacement.
So the images of Jagannatha require a change over to new bodies. In such years as have two months of Asadha, this new body change-over ceremony called the Nava Kalevara takes place. when the old images are replaced by new ones. Normally, this should take place once in 12 years, but actually the shortest period is 8 years and the longest is 19 years.

spots of sankha on daru

Even a brief account of the Nava Kalevara rituals and procedures would be a small book. The various steps taken by the temple authorities to celebrate the festival in the traditional manner are very extensive and hence the. main points to be remembered are described below. Specific persons including the Daitas are deputed from the Puri temple to the Mangala temple in Kakatapur village to implore the mercy of the said goddess, so that they would be able to spot out the suitable margosa trees. There are many specifications about the environment, location, height, age and other details of the trees which should be thoroughly checked before they are ( procured for the purpose. After the trees are located and selected, a small ritual, including homa (offering to fire) takes place and the tree is felled.

Bhumi Puja

Selection Of Daru

The backside of the Jagannath temple with the Koili vaikuntha garden, the site of the Nabakalevara ritual in the foreground

cutting of daru

Then it is cut to size and brought to the temple. In Koili Vaikuntha, the skilled carpenters called Visvakarma fashion the wooden images under the strict supervision and guidance of the Daitas. On those days an elaborate sacrifice invoking the god Nrsimha is performed. After the images are carved out, these are taken inside the temple and the Brahma (a mysterious object always placed inside the images - see chap.7) is transferred from the old images to the new images. Then the old images are buried in Koili Vaikuntha. The new images are painted and made ready for worship.

Navakalevara date - 18 JULY 2015

Dosti Aisi Karo Ke Duniya Dekhti Rahe

Jagannath Temple Puri

The Jagannath Temple

The Jagannath Temple (Sanskrit: jagannath mandir; Oriya: ଶ୍ରୀ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ ମନ୍ଦିର Sri Jagannāth Mandir) in Puri is a famous, sacred Hindu temple/Buddhist temple dedicated to Jagannath and located on the eastern coast of India, at Puri in the state of Odisha.
The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of Krishna and Vishnu, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages that a Hindu is expected to make in one's lifetime.^[1]
Even though most Hindu deities that are worshiped are made out of stone or metal, the image of Jagannath is wooden. Every twelve years these wooden figures are ceremoniously replaced by using sacred trees, that have to be carved as an exact replica. The reason behind this ceremonial tradition is the highly secret Navakalevara ('New Body' or 'New Embodiment') ceremony, an intricate set of rituals that accompany the renewal of the wooden statues.^[2]
The temple was built in the 12th century atop its ruins by the progenitor of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva.^[3] ^[4] The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervour.^[5]
The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava traditions and saint Ramananda who was closely associated with the temple. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.^[6]

More History About Jagannath temple

Jagannath Temple is one of the most renowned as well as the biggest temples of Orissa. Established in the 12th century, the temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath (Lord Krishna), Lord of the Universe. The credit for laying the foundation of the Jagannath temple of Puri goes to Raja Ananta Varman Chodaganga Dev.

The temple is located at a distance of 60 km from Bhubaneswar, on the coast of Bay of Bengal, and is greatly revered by the devotees following the Vaishnava traditions. There is an interesting legend associated with the Jagannatha temple of Puri.

It is said that King Indradyumna, the ruler of the territory, saw Lord Jagannath in his dreams and following the Lord's wishes, as told to him in his dreams,
he got the Jagannath Puri Temple constructed. Situated in the heart of the holy city,

the temple is visited by devotees from farthest corners of India as well as the world. It exudes splendor and its tall spires lend it a magnificent aura. The walls are embellished with exquisite carvings. The pillars that provide support to the temple are adorned with pictures depicting the life of Lord Krishna. In the list of the most splendid monuments of Orissa, Jagannath temple occupies a supreme position.

One of the most popular attractions of the Jagannatha Temple of Puri comprises of its Rath Yatra that is organized every year. It is basically a chariot festival, where idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, the main deities of Srimandir, are taken to the Gundicha temple in bejeweled chariots and are brought back to the mandir in the same way.

^{Courtsey : Bimal Style}

RATH YATRA AT PURI

The Rath Yatra in Puri in modern times showing
the three chariots of the deities with
the Temple in the background

RATH YATRA:KNOW ABOUT RATH YATRA
A Ratha-Yatra or Roth Jatra or Chariot Festival is a Hindu festival that involves transporting deities on a chariot (called a ratha or roth).^[1] The festival originated in Puri in the State of Odisha. The rath (chariot) is carrying Lord Jaggannath and due to its massive size and weight and sometimes seemingly unstoppable nature, has led to the English word juggernaut to refer to an unstoppable force.^[1] Accidents involving people being crushed under the wheels of the chariot have also occurred a few times.
"Ratha" (ରଥ) in Oriya means chariot and "yatra" (ଯାତ୍ରା) means journey. The festival thus refers to the annual journey of the divinity in the form of idols to their aunt's (ମାଉସୀ) house. "Aunt" here refers to the feminine creative aspect of divinity.