Nabakalebara also spelled as Navakalevara () is the ritualistic recreation of the wooden icons of four

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

deities (

Jagannath Jagannath (; formerly ) is a Hindu deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with (Krishna's) brother Balabhadra, and sister, Subhadra. Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, '' Purushot ...

Balabhadra In Jainism, Balabhadra or Baladeva are among the sixty-three illustrious beings called '' śalākāpuruṣas'' that are said to grace every half cycle of time. According to Jain cosmology, ''śalākāpuruṣa'' are born on this earth in every ...

Subhadra Subhadra (, ) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. She is a princess from the Yadava clan and the sister of Krishna and Balarama. Subhadra married Arjuna, one of the Pandava brothers and had a son named Abhimanyu. Sub ...

, and

Sudarshana The Sudarshana Chakra (, ) is a divine discus, attributed to Vishnu in the Hindu scriptures. The Sudarshana Chakra is generally portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu, who also holds the Panchajanya (conch), the Kaumodaki ...

) at

Jagannath Temple, Puri The Jagannath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Vishnu in Hinduism. It is located in Puri in the state of Odisha, situated on the eastern coast of India. As per temple records, King Indradyumna of Avanti bu ...

. The ritual is performed during the 8th, 12th, or 19th year after the previous Nabakalebara. Nabakalebara is an important festival in the Hindu

Odia calendar The Odia calendar ( Pāñji) is a solar calendar used by the Odia people from the Odisha region of the Indian subcontinent. The calendar follows the sidereal solar cycle while using the lunar Purnimanta phase for the religious dates. The New Year ...

, observed in the Jagannath Temple, Puri. It was first organised in 1575 A.D by Bhoi King Ramachandra Deva, his eldest son Padmanava Pattanaika had first performed the Nabakalebera ritual in Barunei fort of Khordhagarh. Deulakarana and Tadhaukarana subdivisions of Karanas play an important part in this ritual as representatives of Gajapati Raja, they guard the temple premises with the special sword ( Pata Khanda) of Lord

in their hands. It marks the symbolic demise and rebirth of

Puri Puri, also known as Jagannath Puri, () is a coastal city and a Nagar Palika, municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, south of the state ca ...

. The event involves installation of new images in the Jagannath temple and burial of the old ones in the temple premises at Koili Baikuntha.

Etymology

''Nabakalebara'' is a combination of two Odia words: ''naba'' (new) and ''kalebara'' (body), translated as "the change of one's physical form."

Timing

The year of Nabakalebara is when the full moon occurs twice during the month of

Ashadha Ashadha or Aashaadha or Adi () is a month of the Hindu calendar that corresponds to June/July in the Gregorian calendar. In India's national civil calendar, this month is the fourth month of the year, beginning on 22 June and ending on 22 July. I ...

. Every three years in the

Hindu calendar The Hindu calendar, also called Panchangam, Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes ...

, a

lunar month In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two successive syzygies of the same type: new moons or full moons. The precise definition varies, especially for the beginning of the month. Variations In Shona, Middle Eastern, and Euro ...

is excluded from the calculation to maintain a balance between

lunar Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon". Lunar may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games * "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta * "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...

and

solar years A tropical year or solar year (or tropical period) is the time that the Sun takes to return to the same position in the sky – as viewed from the Earth or another celestial body of the Solar System – thus completing a full cycle of astronomic ...

. This period is called ''Adhikmasa'' or ''Malamasa''. A year with an extra month ('' अधिकमास or मलमास or पुरुषोत्तममास )''is considered auspicious for the ceremony, which typically occurs every twelve to nineteen years. The three deities undergo the process of Nabakalebara in the year in which the ''adhikmasa'' falls. The deities are carved from a special type of

neem ''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus '' Azadirachta''. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of S ...

wood, known as ''daru bramha''. Preparations for the ceremony begin in the month of

Chaitra Chaitra () is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Cha ...

. The most recent ceremony was in 2015, 19 years after the 1996 ceremony. Over three million devotees were expected to visit the temple during the

Nabakalebara 2015 The Nabakalebara 2015 is a celebration of the ancient ritual of the Nabakalebara associated with most of the Jagannath Temple (disambiguation), Jagannath Temples when the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana Chakra, Suda ...

''Jirna bera parityaga''

''Jirna bera parityaga'' () means "the leaving of the old

deity A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

and the consecration of the new". As a person puts on new garments and gives up the old, the soul accepts new material bodies and gives up old, useless ones. According to temple rituals, the deities are changed. Made from the neem tree,

musk Musk is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial substances with similar odors. ' ...

sandalwood Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sanda ...

and other combinations, they undergo a change before the ''adhika ashadha'' ends. '' Agama

shastra ''Śāstra'' ( ) is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense.Monier Williams, Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Article on 'zAstra'' The word is ge ...

s'' followed in other parts of India for

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

worship, such as the Vaikhanasas, also prescribe the change of wooden deities under a specific

astrological Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that propose that information about human affairs and terrestrial events may be discerned by studying the apparent positions of celesti ...

combination. Deities made of stone or metal do not need to be changed (unless they are damaged), but wooden deities must be changed within a specific number of years and their power must be ritually transferred. Nabakalebar is about the transformation of the Puri temple and Universe lords into a new body. The new wooden idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan are welcomed to the temple in celebration. The old idols are ritually buried in Koili Baikuntha in accordance with century-old Odia scriptures.

Nabakalebara 2015

The Nabakalebara 2015 began with the Bana Jaga Jatra in March. The Holy Darus were identified and brought to Puri. For details, see the separate Wikipedia article.

Finding the sacred trees

Ordinary neem trees cannot be used to make the deities. For the identification of the tree, conditions and signs are taken into account. The ''daru'' (log) of Sudarshan should have three branches. The skin (bark) of the neem tree should be reddish. The tree should have a ''chakra'' (wheel) with a small depression in the middle. The ''daru'' of

should have seven branches. The bark of the tree should be light-brown or white. It should have the sign of a plow and pestle on it. Near the tree should be a heritage site and a graveyard. The ''daru'' of

should have five branches, and its bark should be yellowish. There should be a lotus flower on the tree. The ''daru'' of Jagannath should have four main branches, and its bark should be dark. The tree should have a

Shankha A Turbinella pyrum, shankha () has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. In Hinduism, the shankha called panchajanya is a sacred emblem of the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu. It is still used as a trumpet in Hindu ritual, and in the past was us ...

and a ''

chakra A chakra (; ; ) is one of the various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, part of the inner traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of the chakra arose in Hinduism. B ...

'' on it. There should be a cremation ground and an anthill near the tree, and a snake hole at its roots. The tree should be near a river, pond, a three-way crossing or three mountains. There should not be birds' nests on the tree, and no bird should have perched on the tree. The tree should be surrounded by other trees, and there should be a temple to

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

in the vicinity. The tree should be free of

parasitic plant A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All Parasite, parasitic plants develop a specialized organ ...

s and creepers.

Rituals

The search group announces where the logs are located in order; the last is Jagannath's tree. Security is arranged by the

government of Odisha The Government of Odisha and its Districts of Odisha, 30 districts consists of an executive branch, executive, led by the List of Governors of Odisha, Governor of Odisha, a judiciary, and a legislative branch. Like other states in India, the ...

. The trees are ritually cut down, and the logs transported in small carts to the temple in

, where they are carved into deities. At midnight on

Chaturdashi Chaturdashi () is the 14th day ( tithi) of the waxing phase or waning phase of the moon in the Hindu calendar. This is the day prior to new moon (''amavasya'') or full moon (''purnima''). Etymology ''Chatur'' means four and ''dashi'' means the ...

, the ''

tattva According to various Indian schools of philosophy, ''tattvas'' () are the elements or aspects of reality that constitute human experience. In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of the Indian deities. Although the number of ''tat ...

Padārtha is a Sanskrit word for "categories" in Vaisheshika and Nyaya schools of Indian philosophy.Karana community also remain present in the temple premises along with Gajapati Maharaja as his representatives and guard the temple premises with their swords. The new deities are worshipped, and the old ones are buried in sand. Rituals and mythology are attached to Nabakalebara. The procedure for the transformation of images was mentioned in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

manuscripts, written on palm leaves and kept in the temple. The temple's three head priests are charged with reading and interpreting them. The images of Jagannath must be made of wood. Since the deity is dark, the neem tree from which his image is carved should be dark also. The trees used for the images of his brother and sister are lighter in color, since his siblings are fair in complexion. Jagannath's tree must have four principal branches, symbolizing the four arms of

Narayana Narayana (, ) is one of the forms and epithets of Vishnu. In this form, the deity is depicted in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, symbolising the masculine principle and associated with his role of creation. He is also known as Pu ...

. No branches are broken or cut. The tree must be located near a three-way intersection or surrounded by three mountains. A hermitage and a temple to Shiva must be nearby, and natural impressions of a conch-shell and ''chakra (wheel)'' must be on the trunk. After the tree is felled, sections are selected for carving and the remainder is buried; the location is then considered sacred. The logs are placed in a wooden six-wheeled oxcart and transported to the temple, where they are kept in the ''koili vaikuntha'' (''koili'' means "burial ground", and ''vaikuntha'' means "heaven"); the old deities are buried, and the new ones made. After the transfer of essence, the old images are considered lifeless. Carving of the images begins with the three oldest of the nine main wood carvers working on Jagannath. The images of Lord Balabhadra and Devi are simultaneously carved by two three-person teams. More than 50 carpenters assist the carvers. The work is done in secret, and not even the temple's head priest is allowed to visit the workplace. The carving enclosure is open on the top, but closed with strong doors. The carvers are not supposed to eat, drink or smoke in the enclosure. The carvings are completed in 21 days, during which the carvers are not supposed to leave the temple; they sleep in the temple courtyard, and eat '' mahaprasad''. Devotional songs are sung by ''

devadasi In India, a devadasi is a female artist who is dedicated to the worship and service of a deity or a temple for the rest of her life. The dedication takes place in a ceremony that is somewhat similar to a marriage ceremony. In addition to taki ...

s'', accompanied by temple musicians, outside the ''koili vaikuntha'' during the carving period; ''

shloka Shloka or śloka ( , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927).) in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is "any verse or stan ...

s'' from the

Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...

are chanted by Brahmin priests. After the new deities are made they are brought into the temple's inner sanctum, they are placed in front of (and facing) the old ones. No '' puja'' is performed at this time, and no food is offered. The images are life-sized, and very heavy. The transformation ceremony takes place three days before the chariot festival. At midnight, the old deities are carried out and buried in the ''koili vaikuntha'' before dawn. Although the other deities have separate graves, the previous Jagannath deities are buried on top of each other. On the morning of the second day, the new deities are seated on the altar. The temple's daily routine resumes after nearly 58 days (the search and carving periods). Sweet-smelling flower garlands and new garments are given to the new deities, food is offered, and a ''puja'' is performed; devotees can again enter the temple. On the third day, the new deities emerge from the temple for the chariot festival. Nabakalebara attracts millions of people from around the world to Puri, and is one of India's largest festivals.

References

External links

Portal on Nabakalebara 2015

Puri Nabakalebara 2015

More about Nabakalebara 2015
{{Jagannath Festivals in Jagannath Hindu festivals Religious festivals in India