Navakalevara: Śrī Jagannātha’s Sacred Ritual of Renewal
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| Title | Navakalevara: Śrī Jagannātha’s Sacred Ritual of Renewal |
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| Author(s) | Raj Bijalwan |
| Platform | Bharatiya Jnana Sarita |
| Categories | History & Civilization/Itihāsa & Sabhyatā |
| Year | 2026 |
| Type of Article | Repurposed Advanced |
| Difficulty Level | Advanced |
| +-Summary |
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The Navakalevara ceremony of Śrī Jagannātha and his siblings encompasses a series of rituals associated with the renewal of the… The Navakalevara ceremony of Śrī Jagannātha and his siblings encompasses a series of rituals associated with the renewal of the wooden mūrtis of Śrī Jagannātha, Śrī Balabhadra, Devī Subhadrā and Sudarśana Cakra. This highly secret and significant ritual takes place when there are two Āṣāḍha months in the Sanātana lunar calendar. The Navakalevara ceremony unifies numerous domains of Oḍiā culture while also serving as a reminder of the plurality of roles in the temple services.
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Introduction
Puri holds within itself a sense of sacredness and mystery since time immemorial. Also known as Puruṣottama kṣetra or Śrīkṣetra, this eternal abode of Śrī Jagannātha, Śrī Balabhadra, Devī Subhadrā, and the Sudarśana Cakra is located on the Nīlācala hill. The eternal nature of this kṣetra rises from the belief that Bhagavāna Jagannātha has existed since the beginning of creation and shall remain till eternity. The hill is considered to be the nityaśālā of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Among the various rituals associated with the temple, the Dainika Nīti such as Maṅgala Āratī, Abakāśa, Veśa Lāgi (the dressing), Roṣa Homa (yajña preceding the preparation of mahāprasāda), Sūrya Pūjā, Dvārapāla Pūjā, Baḍa Siṃhāra Bhoga, and the recitation of Jayadeva's Gīta Govinda hold a special recurrent sanctity. Other elaborate rituals take place on special tithis like Pūrṇimā and Ekādaśī. There are 12 major festivals or dvādaśa yātrās celebrated in Puri. These festivals are celebrated as per the ṛtus or the seasons [1]. Of them, the Ratha Yātrā is the most popular ritual, largely due to the extensive documentation done during the colonial era. Another significant ritual is that of the Navakalevara. This tradition is not only fascinating but also throws light on the sacredness of Puri as Puruṣottama kṣetra.
Purpose and Scope
The article visits the ancient ritual of Navakalevara practiced in Śrīkṣetra. The article explains the historical background of the kṣetra while also relating to the Dāru rūpa of the deities. Through detailed descriptions of the phases involved in the Navakalevara, the article showcases the intricacies involved in the entire process. The purpose of the article is to relate to the timeless ritual while at the same time bring forth the sacred and divine element associated with it.
Navakalevara is the renewal of the mūrtis of Śrī Jagannātha, Śrī Balabhadra, and Devī Subhadrā, along with the Sudarśana Cakra, periodically through a series of highly secret rituals. This ceremony of new embodiment of the deities takes place every twelve or nineteen years when the Sanātana lunar calendar has two Āṣāḍha māsa. The installation of the new mūrtis is analogous with the Sanātana Dharma’s cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Texts like Vanayāgavidhi and Calaśrīmūrtipratiṣṭhāvidhi describe the ceremony's procedures and methods.
In Sanātana Dharma, mūrtis are considered to be the real form of devī-devatās. The deities are invoked into the mūrti through an extensive process of prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā, a process for the installation of life-breath and inviting the presence of the devī-devatās into the mūrti. The pratiṣṭhā rituals involve awakening, bathing, dressing, offering bhoga, etc. Such prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā rituals are an integral part of the Navakalevara ceremony.
The Puruṣottama Māhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa mentions of Jagannātha being made of dāru or a wooden log, asserting that Jagannātha’s dāru-rūpa relieves the people from the miseries of the world and helps them attain spiritual bliss. Jagannātha is worshipped as Dārubrahma, a form of Parambrahma [2]. Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, in his Jagannāthāṣṭakam echoes this very thought:
हर त्वं संसारं द्रुततरम् असारं सुरपते
हर त्वं पापानां विततिम् अपरां यादवपते ।
अहो दीनेऽनाथे निहित चरणो निश्चितमिदं
जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन पथ गामी भवतु मे ॥ [3] (जगन्नाथाष्टकम्, 8)
hara tvaṃ saṃsāraṃ drutataram asāraṃ surapate
hara tvaṃ pāpānāṃ vitatim aparāṃ yādavapate
aho dīne'nāthe nihita caraṇo niścitamidaṃ
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana patha gāmī bhavatu me [3] (Jagannāthāṣṭakam,8 )
हे देवों के स्वामी, इस निरर्थक भौतिक संसार से मुझे दूर कीजिए। हे यादवों के स्वामी, मेरे पापों के विशाल सागर का विनाश कीजिए, जिसका कोई किनारा नहीं हैं। सत्य तो केवल आपके चरणकमलों का आश्रय है, जो दीन-अनाथों को सहारा देतें हैं। वह भगवान जगन्नाथ मेरे नेत्रों के सम्मुख विराजमान रहें।
O Lord of the demigods, please quickly remove this useless material existence I am undergoing. O Lord of the Yadus, please destroy this vast ocean of sins which has no shore. Alas, this is certain that Lord Jagannātha’s lotus feet are bestowed upon those who feel themselves fallen and have no shelter in this world but Him. May that lord be the object of my vision. [3]
The Dāru Rūpa
There are several accounts regarding the dāru-rūpa of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Sthala Purāṇa states that Śrī Kṛṣṇa was shot by a hunter named Jarā. When the Panḍavās cremated his body, a part of his body that is believed to be his heart remained unburnt and turned into a fossil. This fossil floated and landed at the Puri beach as a dāru. Some also believe that the fossil merged into the dāru brahma. This original dāru was under the process of being given its divine form by the craft of a mysterious old man. The man disappeared after the impatient queen of Rajā Indradyumna peeped into the room, leaving his work incomplete. Despite being incomplete, the temple and its mūrtis were consecrated by Rajā Indradyumna.
During the Marāṭhā occupation of Odisha, mūrtis of Śrī Jagannātha were concealed in response to the threat of rival invading armies. Some state that this might have necessitated the renewal ceremony. Irrespective of the lore, the ceremony serves as a reminder that Śrī Jagannātha's mūrtis may be transient, but the essence of Śrī Viṣṇu is eternal and immortal. The continuity of the ritual and its divinity is evident from the presence of Brahma Padārtha or the divine substance. There are several opinions on the identity of the Brahma Padārtha as well. Some link it to the Śāligrāma-śilā, while others conjecture that the Brahma Padārtha may be the remains of the original icons of the Jagannātha triad that were burnt during invasions.
Navakalevara involves an extensive series of rituals that take place in five phases.
The ceremony begins with the Vanayātrā. After specific rituals, the search for the dāru begins. The Daitās and the Brāhmaṇas undertake a yātrā from Puri to Maṅgala devī temple, to worship the goddess. The Daitās are the servitors of Śrī Jagannātha. The head Daitā prepares to receive guidance regarding the location of the dārus through a dream. The trees should bear the symbols of Śaṅkha, Cakra, Gadā, and Padma [2]. Apart from this, there is a list of criteria regarding the shape, color, and surroundings of the tree which must be met for the final selection. Once a tree fulfilling the criteria is selected, a yajñasala is built and a vanayāga (a specific fire sacrifice) takes place.
With the repeated chanting of mantras, Śrī Viṣṇu is urged to bless with the assurance as to whether the selected dāru is acceptable to him or not. Thereafter, the trees are cut, the bark is removed from the log, and the log is wrapped to be sent to Puri with the Daitās.
During the second phase, the temple shuts its doors to all for a period of 45 days. In the initial two weeks, the mūrtis are carved by the Mahārānās in a special maṇḍapa called the Nirmāṇa Maṇḍapa within the temple. Skanda Purāṇa’s Puruṣottama Māhātmya warns against observing or hearing the creation. The details regarding the carving and the measurements of the mūrtis are knowledge that is fiercely guarded by the Daitās. Palm leaf manuscripts ensure that this secret is passed to future generations and preserved through traditions. A cube-shaped cavity is carved in all four mūrtis for the placement of the sacred Brahma Padārtha.
The rituals in the third phase primarily take place in a special pratiṣṭhā maṇḍapa. After worshipping other deities, the prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā mantra is chanted a hundred times while making several offerings to the dāru. A piece of wood cut from one of the dārus, called the Nyāsa-dāru, is placed as a form of the deity and presides over the consecration rituals. After an elaborate abhiṣeka of the Nyāsa-dāru, Puruṣa Sūkta is chanted for Śrī Jagannātha, Rudra Adhyāya for Balabhadra, and Śrī Sūkta for Subhadrā. The dāru is then invoked as Śrī Narasiṃha.
When the carving of the images is complete, the new mūrtis are brought inside the temple near the old vigraha. While the temple is shrouded in darkness, the Pati-Mahāpātra transfers the Brahma Padārtha from the old mūrti to the new one. The cavity is closed with the Nyāsa-dāru as a cover. This is the most crucial and significant part of the Navakalevara ceremony.
After the removal of the Brahma Padārtha from the old vigraha, the old mūrtis are taken to the Koili Vaikuṇṭha for burial. Thereafter, the mourning begins with the weeping of the Daitās. Later, the Daitās enter an aśauca period for ten days, at the culmination of which they arrive at the temple for their purification rituals. On the twelfth day, a feast is hosted by the Daitās. During the aśauca period, the Datta Mahāpātras offer saptadhātus to the new mūrtis.
In this final phase, the mūrtis are handed over to the Citrakāras, who paint everything except the eyes of the deities in two days. Netrotsava, the ritual of painting the eyes, takes place after the new moon day. After elaborate abhiṣeka and purification rituals, the darśana of the young deities takes place in the Navayauvana darśana. This marks the culmination of the Navakalevara ceremony.
Śrī Jagannātha temple of Puri has over eighty communities serving the deity. This includes both the Brāhmaṇas as well as the non-Brāhmaṇas. During various rituals of the temple, especially the Navakalevara ceremony, the Daitās of the tribal community play a crucial role. The Daitās are considered to be the closest to Śrī Jagannātha. After the Snāna Yātrā, when the deities fall ill, it is the Daitās alone who take care of the deities.
The Navakalevara offers a platform that allows for the blend of vaidika, paurāṇika, and tribal elements. Through their interaction, the traditions of Śrī Jagannātha temple weave a tapestry of literary and theological history of Odisha. All the varṇas and jātīs come together to dine together, the titular king acts as the servitor to the deities and performs rituals during the Ratha Yātrā and Navakalevara ceremony. The plurality of roles in the Dainika Nīti of the temple and in other festivals present a unique insight into the culture of Odisha.
Conclusion
Navakalevara is much more than a ceremony. It presents itself as an opportunity to weave a tapestry of varied rituals and practices. The plurality of roles in sevā helps in interactions that assist in the interplay of traditions and jñāna. Navakalevara offers a reminder about the transmission of jñāna from one generation to another. The expertise in the rituals, the measurements of the mūrtis, the pratiṣṭhā of Brahma Padārtha, etc. mirrors the layers of traditions bound together in Śrī Jagantnātha’s bhakti. The countless aspects of Oḍiā culture present a harmonious blending of traditions, rituals, jñāna, secrecy, bhakti, śāstras, and royalty that unfolds an ancient ritual of renewal.
The ceremony of Navakalevara gives meaning to the rituals, the history, the deities, and the scriptures. Navakalevara doesn't just symbolise renewal, rather it acts as a thread that links the past with the present and the future. The Brahma Padārtha firmly establishes the essence of Śrī Viṣṇu in the mūrtis, and the ceremony presents a harmonious blend in practices and communities.
References:
Jena, B. (2023). A cultural study on: Dwadasa Yatra of Lord Sri Jagannath. International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews, 10(4), 795–797. https://ijrar.org/papers/IJRAR23D1362.pdf
Satpathy, C. (2020d). Nabakalebara of Lord Jagannath in the temple at Puri in Odisha India: The Re-Embodiment of the Divine. Global Journal of HUMAN-SOCIAL SCIENCE: Sociology & Culture. https://globaljournals.org/GJHSS_Volume20/5-Nabakalebara-of-Lord-Jagannath.pdf
Shlokam.org. (n.d.). Jagannath Ashtakam – In Sanskrit, English with meaning, explanation. Shlokam.org Jagannath Ashtakam
Original Article Information
- Original Article Link: https://www.brhat.in/dhiti/navakalevaraceremony
- Original Article Details: This piece describes the fascinating ritual of Navakalēvara that happens periodically — with special attention paid to the involvement and crucial importance of all jātis and tribes in the ritual — which speaks to the syncretism and inter-dependence of castes at the shrine.