Nabakalevara
Encyclopedia
The term Nabakalevara(Sanskrit
:नवकलेवर) is derived from the Sanskrit
words Naba or new and Kalevara or body, literally meaning New Body. It is an ancient ritual associated with Lord Jagannath
of Puri
performed every twelve years when the Idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra
and Sudarshan
are replaced by a new set of Idols.
is auspicious for conducting the ceremony. This usually occurs every twelve to nineteen years. The Idols are made from a special type of Neem
wood known as Daru Bramha. Preparations for the ceremony start in the month of Chaitra
.Last ceremony was done in the year 1996
:(ଜୀର୍ଣବେର ପରିତ୍ୟାଗ),(Sanskrit
:जीर्ण बेर परित्याग) Literally meaning leaving the old idol and consecration of new one.
Second verse of the second Chapter of Srimat Bhagavat Gita http://vedabase.net/bg/2/22/ mentions:
"...vāsāḿsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saḿyāti navāni dehī..."
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.
The above philosophical view is applied to Shri Jagannath
. According to different secret protocols followed from time immemorial in the temple,the provision is there for changing of the idol of deities.As the deities are made up of Neem
tree basically,along with Musk
, Sandalwood
and many other rare combinations,they undergo change of Vigraha before the adhika ashaadha ends.Different agama shastra followed in other parts of India for Vishnu
worship,such as Vaikhanasa also prescribe change of idol made up of wood under specific astrological combination.It is to be noted that the idols made of stone or metal need not be changed unless damaged,but the wooden idols are to be changed within specific gap of years and the supreme power must be installed from the old one to the new one,by secret rituals.
worship Maa Mangala at the Kakatpur Mangala Temple
. It is said the Goddess appears to them in their dreams revealing the location of the holy trees.
.Starting at an auspicious hour with the fullest of secrecy the logs are carved into deities within the Temple premises. On the midnight of Adhika Ashadha krishna Chaturdashi
the Tattva
Padartha is transferred from the old deity to the new idols. After this the new idols are worshiped and the old idols buried in the sand,inside temple premises.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
:नवकलेवर) is derived from the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
words Naba or new and Kalevara or body, literally meaning New Body. It is an ancient ritual associated with Lord Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
of Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
performed every twelve years when the Idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra
Subhadra
Image:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
and Sudarshan
Sudarshan
Sudarshan can mean the name of the following persons:* Hanumappa Sudarshan - Right Livelihood and Padma Shri award winner, known for his work with the Soliga tribes of Karnataka, India* Sudarshan A...
are replaced by a new set of Idols.
Timing of the Ceremony
A year which has two months(Adhika masa) of Ashadha as per the Hindu CalendarHindu calendar
The hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
is auspicious for conducting the ceremony. This usually occurs every twelve to nineteen years. The Idols are made from a special type of Neem
Neem
Azadirachta indica is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil...
wood known as Daru Bramha. Preparations for the ceremony start in the month of Chaitra
Chaitra
Chaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar....
.Last ceremony was done in the year 1996
Jirna Bera Parityaga
OriyaOriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
:(ଜୀର୍ଣବେର ପରିତ୍ୟାଗ),(Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
:जीर्ण बेर परित्याग) Literally meaning leaving the old idol and consecration of new one.
Second verse of the second Chapter of Srimat Bhagavat Gita http://vedabase.net/bg/2/22/ mentions:
"...vāsāḿsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro 'parāṇi
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāny
anyāni saḿyāti navāni dehī..."
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.
The above philosophical view is applied to Shri Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
. According to different secret protocols followed from time immemorial in the temple,the provision is there for changing of the idol of deities.As the deities are made up of Neem
Neem
Azadirachta indica is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil...
tree basically,along with Musk
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. Musk was a name originally given to a substance with a...
, Sandalwood
Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant 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. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
and many other rare combinations,they undergo change of Vigraha before the adhika ashaadha ends.Different agama shastra followed in other parts of India for Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
worship,such as Vaikhanasa also prescribe change of idol made up of wood under specific astrological combination.It is to be noted that the idols made of stone or metal need not be changed unless damaged,but the wooden idols are to be changed within specific gap of years and the supreme power must be installed from the old one to the new one,by secret rituals.
Locating the Sacred trees
No ordinary Neem tree can be used to make the Idols. Certain well defined criteria must be satisfied by the tree before it is labelled a Daru Bramha fit for idol making. Locating the four holy trees requires divine intervention. As per long standing tradition the Priests of the Jagannath Temple (Puri)Jagannath Temple (Puri)
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat and Nath...
worship Maa Mangala at the Kakatpur Mangala Temple
Kakatpur Mangala Temple
-Temple architecture & Cult:The temple is built in typical Kalinga style and is a major pilgrimage for devotees of Shakti cult. Pilgrims frequent the temple seeking boons from Maa Mangala.There is a bed made of solid stone on which it is said Maa Mangala rests after touring the entire universe...
. It is said the Goddess appears to them in their dreams revealing the location of the holy trees.
Ritual Procedures
After the sacred trees are located they are cut down after appropriate ritual observance. The logs are then transported by small carts pulled by devotees all the way till the temple at PuriPuri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
.Starting at an auspicious hour with the fullest of secrecy the logs are carved into deities within the Temple premises. On the midnight of Adhika Ashadha krishna Chaturdashi
Chaturdashi
In the Hindu calendar, Chaturdashi is the 14th day of the waxing phase or waning phase of the moon. This is the day prior to new moon or full moon...
the Tattva
Tattva
Tattva is a Sanskrit word meaning 'thatness', 'principle', 'reality' or 'truth'. According to various Indian schools of philosophy, a tattva is an element or aspect of reality conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they...
Padartha is transferred from the old deity to the new idols. After this the new idols are worshiped and the old idols buried in the sand,inside temple premises.