In her book Prabhupada Stories, Govinda Dasi recalls her spiritual master’s reaction when he first witnessed American boys sporting in the ocean in 1967:

Sometimes when sitting on the beach blanket in New Jersey, Srila Prabhupada would look out at the waves while chanting japa. He was very beautiful and serene, always absorbed in Krishna, yet also carefully scrutinizing the world around him. On some days there were big waves and surfer boys would be out, swimming and surfing in the waves. Srila Prabhupada watched with great interest as they mounted their boards and slid down the faces of the waves. He asked us: “What is this?” Gaurasundara and I replied that this is a sport called “surfing” . . . Srila Prabhupada watched intently for some time, then began to chuckle. He said: “You call it surfing; I call it suffering. They are simply wasting their valuable human form of life by jumping in the ocean waves. They have no idea what will happen next. If they become so much fond of remaining on the ocean, then Krishna is very kind: he will satisfy their desire and give them bodies of fishes so that they can enjoy jumping in the ocean more and more, but that will be greater suffering . So I call them sufferers, not surfers.” He mused as he continued his eternal chanting of Hare Krishna, softly and serenely, with the crashing ocean waves in the background.

I grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, a hotbed of surfing and the home of a pioneer in the sport who attended my high school: Dewey Weber. One of the most famous and innovative surfers of his time, Weber seemed to derive a lot of pleasure from surfing. Was Prabhupada being unduly pessimistic? After all, writers glorified the enviable, apparently pleasurable position Weber enjoyed in the sport in his heyday:

Dewey Weber was part of the group of people who turned their backs on society in the hedonistic pursuit of the perfect wave . . . a great artiste, dedicated to his calling, a guru of a powerful American culture. If you were a surfer, or even one of the tens of millions of Highway Surfers who never set foot on a board, Dewey Weber was a god, the Pan of the Pipeline. The Beach Boys’ music and Hollywood movies promoted the Southern California surfing culture. A small, energetic towhead, laid-back but filled with bravado, Weber was the quintessential surfer who spent his life pursuing the endless summer of California and Hawaiian beaches. He was the undisputed champ of the 1950s and ’60s . . . a legend.

In 1993, after I had been a devotee of Lord Krishna for more than a decade in Texas and had pretty much forgotten about surfing, I received a letter from my mother that included a newspaper clipping: “Surfing’s Dewey Weber Dies at 53.” I was shocked, because Dewey had always seemed to be on top of the world; on a surfboard he literally played with the waves, as a cat toys with a mouse. But now he had “wiped out,” surfing slang for when a surfer loses control or balance and falls hard or crashes in the water. And his was the ultimate loss of control – the final wipeout – death. Although Weber did not die while surfing, the article seemed to support Srila Prabhupada’s conclusion that material life itself inescapably involves suffering; nobody can avoid its existential distresses (kleshas) – by surfing or any other mundane means.

Recently, Mr. Weber had been ill with what his doctor reported was a failing liver, says Hermosa Beach police Cmdr. Mark Lavin. In recent years, Mr. Weber ran a surf shop in Hermosa Beach but . . . suffered setbacks because of a drinking problem, a divorce and the death of his father, his friends say. Dewey’s surfing friend Lance Carson recalled, “He had these personal things that were like his millstone around his neck. It is a sad story, but he will be remembered for all the good things he did for surfing.”

As a former surfer, I’ve always marveled at the mystery and power of the ocean. Sometimes the weather is sunny and the ocean bestows beautifully formed waves, causing a surfer to feel giddy. At other times, the same sea can be dark and foreboding, spewing treacherous riptides, tidal waves, tsunamis, sharks, or stinging jellyfish. It is no surprise that Govinda Dasa, a great Vaishnava poet of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, characterized material existence as bhava-sindhu, an “ocean of nescience.” That ocean is cancala, or unpredictable. It is a watery juggernaut that can easily wipe us out, as evidenced by the calamity of the Titanic: The state-of-the art luxury liner, touted as a ship that could never sink, was swallowed by the frigid North Atlantic Sea.

Trouble in the Waves

As a teenager I enjoyed many pleasant surfing experiences, but my two most memorable ones each proved to be traumatic. Once when I was twelve years old, a huge Pacific Ocean swell hit the California coast, generating powerful fifteen-foot waves. I enjoyed surfing, but was afraid of really massive surf, so I decided to stay home.

Then Bill Leis, one of my friends and quite a daredevil, came to my parents’ home and said, “Hey, man – surf’s up! Let’s go.”

I presented various excuses, but Bill could see that I was afraid, and we started to argue. My father told us to be quiet, so we went outside, where our argument turned into a fistfight. Bill was taller than me and tough, and he bullied me into submission. My penalty? I had to carry my surfboard behind him for a showdown with the furious ocean. I had no illusions about who was going to win.

It took me about ten minutes – a tremendous struggle – just to paddle out beyond the incessant breakers. Once I got past the crashing waves, I felt relieved, but a bigger challenge confronted me: Now I had to catch one of those massive walls of water, stand up on the board, and try to be an ishvara (controller) as I rode it to shore while trying to avoid getting wiped out.

I froze up, unable to muster the nerve to “go for it.” For more than an hour I hesitated and stalled until it became noontime, when lifeguards hoisted a yellow flag, signaling that all surfers had to immediately get out of the water. The other remaining surfers quickly caught waves to shore, leaving me as the last one in the water. Finally, a lifeguard shouted over a megaphone: “Hey you in the green trunks! Come in now. Catch the next wave, or else you’re in trouble!”

I had no choice. To my chagrin, the next wave was awesome, one of the biggest of the day. As I paddled towards the shore in front of that massive mountain of water, suddenly my board picked up speed and I stood up, plummeting down the steep face of the wave. After a dizzying drop of about fifteen feet, I hit the bottom of the monstrous wave, slipped off the board, and was crushed by an avalanche of water. Wipe out!

For ten or fifteen frantic seconds I was trapped underwater, fighting for air, upside-down, and ripped helplessly by the violent currents, unable to reach the surface. I didn’t think of God or anything sublime; my only emotion was gut-wrenching fear for my life. I probably felt very much like a fish must feel when caught in a net and pulled out of the water.

Years later, I was struck by a passage in Srila Prabhupada’s Teachings of Lord Chaitanya:

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gives a very nice example . . . Formerly a king used to punish a criminal by dunking him in the river, raising him up again for breath, and then again dunking him in the water. Material nature punishes and rewards the individual entity in just the same way. When he is punished, he is dunked in the water of material miseries, and when he is rewarded, he is taken out of it for some time.

Even after this miserable experience, whenever the ocean displayed a more friendly face I continued to surf. One day about a year later, thousands of surfers were enjoying ideal conditions in gorgeous medium-sized waves all along the southern California coast. On that beautiful sunny day I was surfing off Tenth Street in Manhattan Beach. It was so enjoyable that it would be difficult for any of us surfers to agree that “surfers are sufferers.” But then one of my surfing companions noticed something strange: A surfboard had washed up on the shore near Ninth Street, but the boy who owned the board was nowhere to be seen. When informed of this, the lifeguards suspected the worst: Perhaps the boy had been struck in the head by his surfboard, had been knocked unconscious, and had drowned.

Suddenly, our “perfect” day of surfing turned grotesque. On their megaphones, the lifeguards requested all of us to bring our surfboards in to the beach. We were asked to reenter the water, link hands to create a human chain, and wade through the shallow water in an attempt find the corpse of the wiped-out surfer. I remember the eerie feeling of walking in that chain; I desperately hoped that we wouldn’tfind that corpse. I certainly didn’t want to be the one whose legs brushed against it. How dramatically our enjoying spirit was extinguished by the waves of material existence that day! Eventually, the Coast Guard recovered the boy’s bloated body a few miles away. Momentarily we were forced to think seriously about material life. Although this calamity severely jolted our ability to enjoy the material world – in this case, through the sport of surfing – for most of us our sense of gravity or sobriety did not last very long. Srila Prabhupada explains this phenomenon:

Smashana-vairagya [“crematorium detachment”] means that in India, the Hindus, they burn the dead body. So relatives take the dead body for burning to the burning ghata, and when the body is burned, everyone present there, for the time being, they become [a] little renounced: “Oh, this is the body. We are working for this body. Now it is finished. It is burnt into ashes. So what is the benefit?” This kind of vairagya, renouncement, is there. But as soon as he comes from the burning ghata, he again begins his activities. In the shmashana, the burning ghata, he becomes renounced. And [yet] as soon as [he] comes home, again he is vigorous, vigorous, how to earn, how to get money, how to get money, how to get money. So this kind of vairagya is called shmashana-vairagya, temporary.
(Lecture, London, July 24, 1973)

Our vairagya, or detachment, was temporary: Quickly this ghastly experience retreated to our subconscious minds and we were out surfing again.

In his introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srila Prabhupada explains how everything in material existence ultimately entails suffering, because material pleasures exist on a flimsy background of impermanence.

The purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence. Every man is in difficulty in so many ways, as Arjuna also was in difficulty in having to fight the Battle of Kurukshetra. Arjuna surrendered unto Sri Krishna, and consequently this Bhagavad-gita was spoken. Not only Arjuna, but every one of us is full of anxieties because of this material existence. Our very existence is in the atmosphere of nonexistence. [my italics] Actually we are not meant to be threatened by nonexistence. Our existence is eternal. But somehow or other we are put into asat. Asat refers to that which does not exist.

Another View of Dewey Weber

When our surfing peer died that day, a naked truth graphically hit home: However alluring it appears, surfing can never be a panacea for the tribulations of material existence. Reflecting on Srila Prabhupada’s opinion of surfing and my own experience, I now see Dewey Weber in a different light. While I still admire him as a great surfer and a creative, free spirit who searched for the perfect wave, according to Prabhupada, “Unless one is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesn’t want suffering but rather wants to make a solution to all suffering, then one is not to be considered a perfect human being.” (Gita, Introduction)

Sometimes I wonder about Dewey Weber’s fate. Has he actually taken birth as a fish? At this very moment is he swimming in the waves of Malibu, Bondi Beach, or Hawaii, or does he find himself in the belly of a shark or pelican? Perhaps. But due to Srila Prabhupada’s mercy there is another possibility: Because Weber flew many times to Hawaii from Los Angeles International Airport during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s – when Hare Krishna devotees were distributing thousands of copies of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and other transcendental books at that airport – there is a strong likelihood that he received at least one of Prabhupada’s transcendental books. At the ignoble end of his life, he had every reason to question his suffering and may have turned to one of those books for answers. In that case, a better future awaited him, perhaps similar to that of Alalanatha Dasa.

Surfing in the Nectar of Devotion

Alalanatha Dasa was one of the many surfers who became devotees of Lord Krishna in Melbourne, Australia, in the 1970s.

“Surfing was the only life I knew, [but] my anxiety increased day by day as I watched the force of time taking it all away from me. As my powers began to ebb, I had to face the fact that younger surfers would replace me. The life of professional [surfing] competition had meant a constant effort at building up a false ego – an image of myself as the supreme enjoyer. Now I saw my real identity as just a servant of the actual Supreme Enjoyer – God. By the time I finished the Bhagavad-gita in early 1976, I was a full-time devotee of Krishna in the Melbourne temple.”

Hari-shauri Dasa recalls another Australian young man, Charles, who was so addicted to surfing that he legally changed his last name; he became Charles Ofthesea [“of the sea”]. By this adjustment, Charles seems to have been moving closer to becoming an aquatic in his next birth, just as countless surfers or scuba-divers who wear fishlike rubber wet-suits are tangibly transforming even in this life to be more like aquatics –psychologically and physically. Fortunately, however, like Alalanatha Dasa, Charles seriously took up bhakti-yoga. Eventually, Srila Prabhupada blessed him with spiritual initiation and gave Charles a second, devotional name-change: Praceta Dasa. The Pracetas are described in theSrimad-Bhagavatam as spiritually inclined brothers who performed austerities in the water – not in the mood of material enjoyment like surfers, but for spiritual advancement. Like the Pracetas, we can use water or other material things Krishna consciously to get out of suffering, or we can misuse them and drown in the ocean of material existence, where there are no perfect waves but plenty of wipeouts.

Although Srila Prabhupada was rightly pessimistic about the material sport of surfing, on a morning walk in Durban, South Africa, in 1975 his disciple Pushta Krishna Dasa shared a realization with him about how Krishna conscious devotees enjoy a higher form of surfing.

“We tell them [surfers], ‘Yes, we surf in the ocean of bhakti-rasa [the sublime taste of devotional service].’”

From a similar perspective, Jayananda Prabhu, an exemplary disciple of Srila Prabhupada who passed away in 1977, sought to befriend surfers and to attract them to experience that higher spiritual taste, as Hari-vallabha Dasa recalls in the book Radha-Damodara Vilasa:

“Jayananda would quote Prabhupada, but he was always really interested to hear what you had to say. ‘Oh, you surf? Wow! What’s it like to ride those big waves?’ He’d get right into it with you. He didn’t say that surfing is maya. He was never like that. ‘Yeah, I’d like to do that – ride those big waves.’ He would just be your friend.”

Unlike my bullying “friend” Bill, who inadvertently tried to coerce me to “wipe out” in the waves of material existence, Srila Prabhupada and his sincere servants such as Jayananda Prabhu are our true friends and eternal well-wishers. Motivated solely by causeless mercy and compassion, they invite us to sport and surf in bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, the ocean of the nectar of devotion, in the mood of seva(service), as blissful servants rather than self-centered sufferers.

Lecture on Bhagavad Gita Chapter 03, Text 34, Krishna Consciousness is Tapasya and Penance for our Purification and Glories of Vijaya Ekadashi by HG Jagadhananda Caitanya Prabhu 

(HG Jagadhananda Caitanya Prabhu was born on 12th January 1979 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, He is Automobile Engineer was working with MRF Tyers until 2002. He is introduced to Krishna Consciousness in 2002 He is very much attracted to Krishna Consciousness so he decided to Join Coimbatore ISKCON )

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Lecture on Emotion Commotion Devotion by HG Chaitanya Charan Prabhu on Jun 2015

(His Grace Caitanya Charan Prabhu is a monk and spiritual teacher in the time honored tradition of bhakti yoga. He is a editor of Back to Godhead, which is the official international magazine of the Hare Krishna movement.)

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Lecture on Liberation or Women by HH Bhakti Vikas Swami on 09 April 2007 

(His Holiness Bhakti Vikasa Swami appeared in this world in 1957 in England. He joined the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in London in 1975 and was initiated in that year with the name Ilapati dasa by ISKCON’s founder-acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. )

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Lecture on How thoughts of Krishna are Spiritual by HH Sivarama Swami on 13 Jul 2015 

(Sivarama Swami was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1949. His family immigrated to Canada where some years later in 1970 he first came in contact with Srila Prabhupada's teachings, via his transcendental books. He became an initiated disciple of His Divine Grace in 1973 and accepted the renounced order of life in 1979.)

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For those devotees not familiar with the name Sadaputa Dasa (Dr. Richard L. Thompson, PhD), he was one of Srila Prabhupada’s foremost preachers to the scientific community, one of the founding members of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, author of numerous science-based books presenting the Vedic view of reality, international lecturer, a respected Vaishnava, and a veritable transcendental genius. He is also responsible for much of the current design of the Vedic planetarium in Mayapur and many other exhibits planned for the TOVP. It was the world’s great misfortune that in 2008 he passed away from this world, leaving much work undone in his life’s mission and service to Srila Prabhupada.

 In an effort to collect, preserve, and disseminate his vastly important legacy, the Sadaputa Archives has several projects underway, one of which is to present our collection of his recorded lectures in book form to facilitate serious study and research. To accomplish this we need to first transcribe almost 100 lectures and are looking for experienced transcribers that would be able to give some of their time for this. Please contact Sunanda das at spchannel108@gmail.com.

 Additionally, we have our eyes and ears open for audios of Sadaputa that are not yet in our possession. If you have any, please contact us at the email address above.

 Lastly, please visit the Sadaputa Digital Channel on Youtube and fill your mind and intellect with some of the most fascinating and revealing discussions of Krishna consciousness you will ever hear:

 www.youtube.com/user/SadaputaChannel

 Yours in Srila Prabhupada’s service,

The Sadaputa Archives Team

rlthompsonarchives@gmail.com

spchannel108@gmail.com

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 01, Chapter 10, Text 22 by HH Bhakti Prabhava Swami at Bhaktivedanta  Manor on 05 Jul 2015

(Sesa Dasa was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1974 while he was traveling as a member of the initial Bhaktivedanta Book Trust library party. Sesa Dasa has a portfolio of two ministries: Minister of Educational Development and Minister of Justice, under which ISKCON Resolve works.)

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Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya Lila 09-117-121 by HG Sesa Prabhu at ISKCON Alachua on 11 Jul 2015

(Sesa Dasa was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in 1974 while he was traveling as a member of the initial Bhaktivedanta Book Trust library party. Sesa Dasa has a portfolio of two ministries: Minister of Educational Development and Minister of Justice, under which ISKCON Resolve works.)

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Lecture on I did something useful with my life by Sivarama Swami on 11 July 2015

(Sivarama Swami was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1949. In 1956, during the failed Hungarian revolution, he emigrated with his family to Canada.)

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Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam Class (10.69.07-15) by HG Tamohara Dasa on 07 July 2015 at ISKCON Alachua

(His Grace Tamohara Dasa has been involved in ISKCON leadership for many years. In addition to services of temple president, BBT manager and director of two gurukulas, he served as the director of the ISKCON Child Protection Office,He has been a GBC member since 2006 and currently serves on the executive committee of the international GBC.)

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“O unborn one, learned Vedic scholars who are advanced in spiritual knowledge certainly know that this material world is perishable, as do other logicians and philosophers. In trance they realize the factual position of this world, and they preach the truth as well. Yet even they are sometimes bewildered by Your illusory energy. This is Your own wonderful pastime. Therefore, I can understand that Your illusory energy is very wonderful, and I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”  Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.4

That the Supreme Lord who is birthless and deathless, also takes rebirth, must be astounding! Yes, this indeed is the transcendental, divine pastime of the archa-vigraha – the deity form of the Lord in the temple. The temple city of Puri, in Odisha, known the world over for its annual car festival (the oldest and biggest festival in the world), is also known for celebrating Navakalevara, with as much religious fervour, if not more.  Nava means new and kalevara means body, thus Navakalevara is a ceremony in which the old deity forms of Lord Jagannathaa, Baladeva and Subhadra are replaced by new deity forms. This however does not, like the car festival, occur every year, but only once every 12 or 19 years. This year Their Lordships will thus, after ‘rebirth’, grant Their first audience on July 17^th  to tens of thousands of devotees who assemble from everywhere for this purpose. We invite you to join us in this glorious festival and receive the Lord’s blessings.

Significance of Navakalevara

As Srila Prabhupada explains, although God is inconceivably great, He appears visibly in forms made of stone, metal and wood, to mercifully receive the devotees’ service. As nothing is impossible for the omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient Lord, if someone out of impudence or sheer foolishness considers the deity form to be just a statue or a doll, he is the most condemned, unfortunate individual.

The scriptures prescribe replacement of metal and stone deities if and when they are damaged. Wooden deities however are replaced regularly as they wear out faster. Once in 12 to 19 years, an extra month appears called ashadha, and this time period is recommended for observing Navakalevara. As there are 365 days in the solar calendar and 354 days in the lunar, an extra month is added to the latter once in 32 months in order to sync both. This extra month is called the adhikamonth. The last Navakalevara happened in 1996.

The Navakalevara ceremony consists of 4 principal stages: 1. Search for the Daru (divine wood), 2. carving of the forms, 3. consecration, and 4. giving final shape to the deities. The scriptures and previous experience serve as guides at every stage.

The Great March

The great march in search of Daru commences on the 10^th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra, more than 2 months before the Snana Purnima (bathing festival). The party usually consists of Daitas – descendants of Vishwavasu, Pati Mohapatra – descendant of Vidyapati (see separate description), 4 Viswakarmas (carpenters), the Lenka (carrier of Vishnu disc on long wooden shaft),brahmana priests for performing forest sacrifice, temple functionaries, and various others to look to the party’s worldly needs. Before proceeding on the journey the party obtains ajnamala – blessing of the Lord. The temple management gives sandal paste and vermilion in consent. The whole party then moves out of the temple to the accompaniment of conches, drums and gongs and proceeds to the palace of the King of Puri. Through the Rajaguru, the King gives coconut, arecanut, rice and gold to the party and sees them off. After obtaining blessings of spiritual as well as temporal power, the party proceeds on their sojourn in a joyous mood. The journey being full of hazards and tasks extremely onerous, only those who are found mentally and physically equipped to handle the job are selected as members of the group, and once selected they undertake their respective jobs to the best of their ability. The party proceeds to Kakatpur – 50 km from Puri – barefoot, taking only one frugal meal a day.

Camp at Kakatpur

On reaching Kakatpur, the party sets up camp and stays there till the last Daru – the Daru of Lord Jagannatha is sent to Puri. The presiding deity of Kakatpur, Goddess Mangala, is worshipped extensively, seeking her favour in the search. It is said that the Goddess appears in the dream of one of the devotees and reveals the locations of the Darus. If no instruction is received in 3 days, another extensive worship of the Goddess is performed in which the deity is completely bedecked with flowers. The first fall of flower from the body of the Goddess gives the clue as regards the direction the Darus are to be searched. Thereafter the members of the party move out in that direction to search out the Darus.

Selection of Daru

Although neem wood is used to carve the deity forms of Jagannatha, just any neem tree will not do. The trees must fulfill certain criteria in order to qualify as ‘Daru Brahman.’ Some of them are as follows:

• Lord Jagannathaa’s tree must be blackish.
• There must be four principal branches indicating Narayana’s four arms.
• There must be a cobra snakehole near the tree.
• No birds should have built nests in the tree.
• There must be natural impressions of shankha-chakra.
• Lord Shiva’s temple must be in the vicinity.
• No creepers must have grown on the tree.
• No branches should be broken/cut.

Baladeva’s tree must be light brown in colour with 7 branches like the hoods of a snake. Moreover, there should be natural impressions of the plough and other weapons Lord Baladeva carries. Subhadra’s tree must be yellowish, have 5 branches and a natural impression of a five-petalled lotus. Lord Sudarshana’s tree must be reddish with 3 branches and an impression of the chakra. In the order of tree selection, Sudarshana comes first, followed by Baladeva and Subhadra. Lord Jagannathaa’s tree is obtained last. The Daru is transported to Puri, also in the same order.

Vanayaga and Tree Cutting

As soon as the first Daru in the order noted above is found out, the place surrounding the tree is swept clear, sanctified with water, cowdung and clay. Sandal paste and vermilion are then applied to the tree and the tree is wrapped with a piece of new cloth and ajnamala of the Deity brought from the temple is placed on it, thus symbolizing the identity of the Deity and its Daru.

Before cutting the tree, a forest sacrifice, vanayaga is performed. Ankuraropana, sowing of seeds for germination, is an important rite, which is almost invariably observed in every significant religious ceremony. After a 3- day fire sacrifice, the trees are cut. The trees are cut a bit by the Pati Mohapatra with a golden axe while chanting the Sudarshana mantra. The Daitas then cut a little more using a silver axe, and the carpenters next use their iron axes to fully cut down the trees, all the while chanting the holy names of Hari. After the Darus are cut, the trunk of the tree as well as thick branches are transported to Puri for fashioning of the images.

The Darus are transported in carts constructed indigenously with the wood of kenda, vata and tamarind trees. The Darus are covered with coloured cloth pieces and tied up with silken cords firmly with the carts. The carts are pulled by devotees and brought to the Puri temple in the same order as they are collected and they reach the temple before the annual bathing festival, Snanayatra.

Carving of the Deities

Before the Darus reach the temple, the administration constructs special structures for housing the Darus and carving the Deities. This work is performed in the first two weeks following Snana Purnima. The processes of carving the images, as well as measurements of different parts of the Deities, are considered closely guarded secrets. No one is allowed to see the fashioning of the images or even hear the sound. The fashioning is done within a closed enclosure and nobody except the Daitas and Pati Mohapatra are allowed entry.

Parallel to the fashioning of the images, the brahmana priests of the temple, the Rajguru and some others selected by the temple administration undertake the ceremony of consecration, pratistha. Thepratistha ceremony starts from the second day of Ashadha. Since the construction of the deities is not yet over, the consecration ceremony is performed on a piece of wood cut from any one of the four Darus, known as Nyasa Daru. After an extensive ceremony of consecration lasting for 2 weeks, the Nyasa Daru is cut into four pieces of prescribed size and each one of these four parts serves as lid to cover the cavity in the belly (or heart) of the deities after the Brahmapadartha has been inserted into it.

Brahmaparivartan

By the 14^th day, the consecration of the Nyasa Daru, as well as fashioning of wooden deities being over, on the night of that date, the Nyasa Daru is taken in a small cart to the temple and handed over to the Daitas, and then it is cut into four pieces according to the measurement laid down in theshastras. On the next night, i.e. new moon night, the wooden deities are taken around the temple, subsequently brought inside, and placed in front of the old Deities. In the illumination of small ghee lamps the mysterious Brahmapadartha is transferred from the old to the new Deities. The person entrusted with this job is blind-folded and his hands wrapped up to elbows so that he can neither see nor touch the Brahmapadartha. This work is done at dead of the night after ensuring that no outsider remains present during this ceremony.

After the transfer, the cavity of the new Deities is covered with one of four pieces of the Nyasa Daru which was consecrated earlier. This year Brahmaparivartan was observed on June 15^th.

Purificatory Rites

One of the finest features of the Jagannatha culture is the feeling of oneness of the devotees with the Deities. After the Brahmapadartha is removed from the old Deities and the images are buried inside the temple premises, the Daitas and their family members mourn the loss and observe purificatory ceremony for a period of 10 days. They take one meal per day and observe all the obsequies mentioned in the shastras. Their houses are given fresh coat of colour, and on the 11^th day they wear new clothes.  On the 12^th day they feed the brahmanas, poor, co-sevayats and others who attend. This year on June 27^th, the Daitapati Niyog and the Puri temple administration fed prasadam to over 2 lakh pilgrims.

Giving Final Shape

After Brahmaparivartan, the Deities are still not complete and Their bodies are compared to skeletons over which various limbs are added with the help of silken cord, resin, sandal paste, perfumed oil, camphor, musk, etc. The process of infusing ‘flesh’ and ‘blood’ in the new Deities starts after theasaucha (ritual impurity) period is over, i.e. from the dark fortnight of the extra Ashadha. Since the wooden Deities are identified with bones, perfumed oil is rubbed which represents the marrow inside the bones. Strips of coloured cloth representing blood and veins are wrapped around the Deity. A thick paste of resin with oil, camphor, musk and sandal paste is then applied to represent the flesh. Strong cords of cloth are wrapped up, representing the skin. In the process due care and attention is given to bring out specific features and contours of each Deity.

Next, They are made over to the chitrakaras (painters) for colouring using indigenous material according to the prescribed specifications. The painters are not allowed to paint the pupils of the eyes of the Deities, which work is left to brahmana priests to be performed on the auspicious day of Netrotsav – the most auspicious of all rituals performed during Navakalevara, carrying a great deal of sanctity and religiosity. This Netrotsav ritual is also performed every year after the termination of theanavasara period.

After the Netrotsav, the Lord gives first darshana in His Navayauvana vesha. This year this event is on July 17^th.  On the next day, July 18^th, is the Ratha yatra of Lord Jagannatha.

Conclusion

The merciful Supreme Lord has thus been manifesting His ‘rebirth’ pastime and blessing His devotees. The essence of this mercy is mentioned in the Uttarakhanda of the Narada Purana. There, Lord Narayana speaking to mother Lakshmi, says, “In that great abode known as Purusottama-kshetra, which is rarely achieved among all the three worlds, the Keshava Deity, who was fashioned by Me, is situated. If men simply see that Deity, they are easily able to come to My abode.” Let us offer our respectful obeisance to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 Jai Jagannatha!

HISTORY OF RATHA-YATRA 

Ratha Yatra, the Festival of The Chariots, originated thousands of years ago in Jagannatha Puri in Orissa on the North Eastern coast of India, where it is still observed by the entire population. Over 5 million people attend the event, and it is also celebrated in every town across India. The main event is the enthronement of three large deities – Jagannatha (Krishna), His brother Balarama and Their sister Subhadra – each onto Their own wooden chariot. These three huge chariots are then hauled by ropes held by hundreds of Their devotees along a parade route lined by admirers, worshippers and spectators. 
The carved and colourfully-painted chariots, liberally bedecked with flowers and garlands, are accompanied by enthusiastic kirtana (congregational chanting) sung by tens of thousands of devotees. After the procession there is, as at all Vaisnava festivals, a large feast of Krishna prasadam for all participants. 
The deities who grace the chariots are kept throughout the year within temples where They are worshipped daily in a regulative way. But once a year They emerge in order that the public may see Them. Krishna thus presents Himself as Jagannatha, the Lord of the Universe (from which we get the English word "juggernaut" meaning a large truck or chariot). 
Over the last thirty five years Ratha Yatra has been introduced into many cities around the world such as New York, London and Sydney by ISKCON's founder Srila Prabhupada, and his followers. As an outdoor street festival it never fails to attract the attention of the public and media and has become a much loved and appreciated event in many urban calendars to the delight of members of ISKCON. 

RATHA-YATRA WORLDWIDE 
Since Srila Prabhupada organised the first Ratha-Yatra in the Western world in 1967 in San Francisco, the festival has been celebrated yearly in all corners of the world. Apart from dozens of cities across the United States, it has been held in over 60 countries such as Canada, South America, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Europe, Poland, New Zealand and Australia, to name a few. 

SIGNIFICANCE AND BENEFITS OF RATHA-YATRA 
500 years ago, the festival became the center of the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, who is Krishna Himself appearing in the guise of a great devotee. Each year Lord Caitanya danced and chanted in the Ratha-Yatra festival along with His associates. The Vedic scriptures state that anyone who sees Lord Jagannatha or pulls His chariots achieves immense spiritual benefit, attaining liberation from the material world and entrance into the eternal blissful pastimes of the Lord. 
The special benefits one can derive in participating in this festival are immeasurable: 
** By seeing the most merciful form of Lord Jagannatha, mainly recognizable by His two large round eyes, one will make rapid spiritual progress and gain instant purification. 
** if anyone just sees the Rathayäträ cart passing and stands up to receive the Lord, he can purge all sinful results from his body. 
** if anyone follows the Rathayäträ cart when the Deities pass in front or from behind, even if he is born of a lowly family, he can achieve opulence equal to that of Visnu (God). 
** By engaging in dancing and chanting during the Ratha Yatra parade, one can uplift one’s soul beyond all meditations. 
** By performing any activities to help making this festival a success, one is granted the full blessings of the Lord. 
** By donating one’s time, one’s efforts or one’s money - One’s home, family and friends will be fully blessed forever. 
Although one may think such statements to be exaggerations, expert devotees who know the intricacies of transcendental science do not doubt them. 

Yoga means to link with God in loving exchange. Lord Krsna teaches in Bhagavad-gétä (6.47) that the highest yogé is “he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service.” The Rathayäträ Festival is a potent transcendental stimulus for developing love of Godhead. The Rathayäträ procession—the gigantic, opulently decorated Deity cars and thousands of people chanting Hare Kåñëa and dancing ecstatically—can attract even the materialistic person. By becoming attracted to the Supreme Lord in His form as Jagannätha one loses his attachment to the illusory happiness of the mundane world. Thus simply by seeing the Deities, simply by hearing the transcendental sound vibration of Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare, or simply by tasting foodstuffs offered to Krsna, anyone can begin his progress back to Godhead without difficulty. And by applying his energy in understanding the Krsna consciousness movement and participating in glorifying the all-blissful Lord of the universe, one can revive one’s eternal loving relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 
Rathayäträ is a love festival. God, Krsna, is the ultimate object of love, and we are meant to love Him. Such spiritual loving ecstasy as was felt by the thousands who took part in the Rathayäträ Festival does not come from idol worship, but is an authorized transcendental feeling. Only a stone-hearted man could not react with delight to see the Deity of Lord Jagannätha drawn on His huge cart, surrounded by hundreds of chanting devotees. Idol worship means to pay obeisances to some whimsical material object, like a wood carving or stone sculpture of an imaginary God created within the mind. The Christian scripture, for example, declares that one should not worship any graven image. Lord Jagannätha, however, is certainly not in the category of imagination. Jagat means universe, and nätha means Lord, so Jagannätha means the Lord of the universe—Krsna. Krsna is accepted by all the followers of the Vedas, the oldest scriptures known to man, as the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead. As stated in the Brahma-saàhitä, “Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes.” 
In India there are thousands of Krsna temples, and millions of people acknowledge Him to be the original God, the one without a second. Krsna Himself declares in Bhagavad-gétä that He is the father of all living entities. So He is nothing like “a Hindu deity,” but He is the source and sustainer of all entities, be they Christian, Hindu, atheist, or lower animals and plants. Moreover, it is stated in Vedic scripture that Krsna appears in the incarnation known as arca-vigraha, the Deity form, just so the devotee may worship Him easily in His personal form. Because in our conditioned state we cannot see Kåñëa in His original spiritual form, with two hands holding a flute, He kindly appears in the natural elements such as wood or brass or oil paint. The Deity incarnates in this way just so the devotees can worship Him, dress Him, offer Him foodstuffs and look upon His grace-giving countenance. This is not a matter of imagination; rather, it is Krsna's grace. God is so kind that He becomes pliable to the devotees’ worship, He allows the devotees to feed Him, and whatever they offer Him with love and prayers, He accepts (Bg. 9.26). Similarly, the Lord is pleased to ride on the Rathayäträ cart and be seen by thousands of His subjects. 
We request everyone to try to understand the transcendental nature of the Rathayäträ Festival. God is actually able to ride on the Rathayäträ cart, and in His form as the Deity, bestow His blessings upon all. Who can deny God if He wishes to appear before us? According to all authorized statements and the experience of great devotees and scholars of spiritual love, Lord Jagannätha is Krsna Himself. We may believe or not believe; that is a different matter. But Lord Jagannätha rides on, and the devotees feel pleasure at heart, and all persons factually receive His blessings on the occasion of Rathayäträ.

(1970's BTG Article on Iskcon's Holy Rathayäträ Festival)

The Jagannatha Puri temple is built on a gigantic raised platform in the heart of the city. The temple complex is bounded by a wall about seven meters high; this includes the height of the platform. The surface area of this platform is over 420,000 sq. ft. This enclosure has 4 gates, facing the 4 directions. On the east-facing gate, there are stone images of 2 lions and it is called the Lion Gate. The north, south and west facing gates are called the Elephant Gate, Horse Gate and the Tiger Gate respectively. The Lion Gate is mainly meant for the Lord Himself in as much as, the logs of wood out of which the Deities are made of make their entry into the temple when the Nava-kalevera ceremony takes place. There are pyramidal erections over the four gates.

As we arrive at the vast open area in front of the Lion Gate, we see a ten meter tall monolithic pillar known as Aruna Stambha. According to scriptures, Aruna is the charioteer of the Sun-god. The world renowned Konark temple (also called Sun temple) was designed in the form of a breathtaking chariot and this pillar with the beautifully carved Aruna sitting on its top was installed right in front of the temple’s porch. When the temple was forsaken and there was no presiding deity in it, this pillar was removed from Konark and was fixed in front of Jagannatha temple in Puri where we see it now. 

Immediately after we get into the main gate and go forward, we find a flight of steps. They are locally called Baisi Pahaca, literally meaning, 22 steps. The history of this flight of steps has not been revealed. Great reverence is shown to this flight of 22 steps. Parents bring their kids and make them roll over the steps from top to bottom in anticipation of spiritual bliss and devotees also walk on the steps which are believed to throb with spiritual vibrancy. 

As we cross the main entrance and ascend the flight of steps to the main temple, we find to our left, the huge kitchen area of the temple. Some tourists comment that due to this kitchen, the Puri temple can be termed as the biggest hotel in the world. The kitchen can feed even one lakh people with only 2-3 hours' notice. The process of preparation is hygienic and the traditional method of preparation of food for so many people in so short a time, surprises many people. To the right, within the enclosure is the market where prasadam is sold and it is popularly called Ananda Bazar. Ananda Bazar literally translates as pleasure market. At the end of the stairs, we have to cross another gate that enters a second compound wall and then we have to turn left to go towards the Ganesh temple. There are attractive carvings on the sides of this entrance of the inner compound wall.

As we cross the gate, we can see immediately in front of us, the first section of the Jagannatha temple which is called Bhoga Mandapa (Refectory). The other sections that are located to its west alongside are – Mukhasala, Nata Mandira and Bada Deula. On the tiled surface of the enormous Bhoga Mandapa, there are several sculptures that portray stories from the scriptures and they are very much appreciated by art-critics and pilgrims. There are about 30 temples around the main temple and to follow a time-honored practice; a devotee has to circumambulate the main temple. If one wants to see the main temple quickly, he has to visit at least three of the most important temples before coming to see Lord Jagannatha. The 3 main shrines are (i) Vimala temple (ii) Ganesh temple at the foot of the Kalpavata (a very old banyan tree) and (iii) Lakshmi temple. 

The Kalpavata is an ancient banyan tree believed to be present here since the installation of Jagannatha. In the scriptures, there is a narrative of a heavenly tree known as Kalpavata, believed to fulfill the desires of people seeking mercy.

Devotees stand at the foot of the tree for a minute or so to convey their desire in mute voice to the Kalpavata. At the foot of this tree, is the Ganesh temple. Ganesh is the one who destroys all obstacles. The mouse (the vehicle of Ganesh) mounted in front of the deity is an interesting object. Millions of palms have passed over it is as nearly every pilgrim touches it, but the hair like thorny projections present on its body have not become blunt even to this day.

From here, as we proceed towards the Vimala temple, to our left there is a raised platform with a roof. It is the famed Muktimandapa, the seat for the most learned scholars of Odisha, honored by the kings of the State in a traditional manner. On important debatable issues related to the rituals of the temple, references are made to this association of priests for a final decision. The Vimala temple is one of the most important centers of Shakti worship in India. The 16 days Durga Puja takes place here every year. This temple plays a significant role in giving special spiritual sanctity to the food offered to Lord Jagannatha. The food is referred to simply as Prasadam when it is offered to Jagannatha, but after some religious rites are performed in the Vimala temple, this very Prasadam turns into Mahaprasadam.

After this, we visit the Lakshmi temple. On our way to this temple, to our left is a small model of the sanctum of the main temple. This is believed to be the model after which the main temple was constructed. We will also see the temple of Sarasvati and Bhubaneshvari to the left. Finally, when we enter into the sanctum of the Lakshmi temple, we see by the left side of the door-way, an image of Narasimha with Shankaracharya standing at the feet of the Lord with his danda (stick which is held by the mendicants of the Shankara order). It is believed that the Sankata Nasana Lakshmi-Narasimha stotra was written here by Shankara when he was in Puri. Lakshmi is the female counter-part of Jagannatha. From the Lakshmi temple, we are to proceed towards the main temple and enter into the Nata Mandira through its north-facing entrance. As we start from the Lakshmi temple towards it, we shall visit the Suryanarayana Mandira, where there is a misshapen image placed behind the presiding deity in the sanctum sanctorum. It is believed that this was the image of the Sun-god that was worshipped in the main temple at Konark, which was shifted to this place before that temple partly collapsed.

Upon entering the Nata Mandira, we have to stand behind a monolithic pillar, about ten feet high, on top of which there is an image of Garuda, the mount of Vishnu. Usually, visitors touch the pillar with both their hands and through centuries of such touching, the centre portion of the pillar has become thinner. The Nata Mandira is a huge hall decorated with paintings and models of the popular characters of the Puranas, about the pastimes of Vishnu and Krishna. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would stand next to the Garuda-stambha, the pillar holding Garuda. It is said that Lord Chaitanya felt such intense ecstasy upon seeing the Jagannatha Deity that His feet melted impressions into the stone floor and of His fingers upon the pillar. The impressions were caused as the stones melted by the transcendental touch of the Lord as He took darshana of Lord Jagannatha in sublime ecstasy. From here, we proceed to the Mukhasala or the veranda. The carvings on either side of the door-frame are made of stone as in the Konark temple. From the veranda, we move towards the sanctum sanctorum. When some rituals are in progress, we are asked to have darshan of the Deities from the veranda itself and not to ask for admittance into the sanctum during that period. At other times, we are permitted to enter the sanctum, have darshan and also allowed to circumambulate the Deities through a narrow passage behind the elevated platform called Ratnavedi, on which the Deities are placed. Lastly, on exiting the temple, we come to the Ananda Bazar where you will find people busy purchasing the Mahaprasadam.

Adjacent to the Ananda Bazar is the Snana Vedi which is located in the north-eastern corner. The dais is about 30 feet high from the ground and the bathing ritual of the wooden Deities takes place here. After this, we come to the Baisi Pahaca for the final exit. There are about 30 temples within the Puri temple enclosure.

Situated inside Lord Jagannath Temple and in front of Vimala Temple is the Rohini Kunda. The water of this kunda is known as Karana water and is strewn on devotees for purification. Behind this is an image of Kakabhusandi (a crow).  Legend has it that Bhusanda fell into this kunda and got transformed to a form of Vishnu with four hands holding a conch, wheel, lotus and mace. 

The following is a list of the other temples in the enclosure (three main temples mentioned earlier).
 

Vishvanatha temple,

Agneyesvara temple

Satyanarayana temple,

Kalpa Ganesha temple,

Sarbamangala temple,

Pancha Pandava temples (It is mentioned in the Oriya Mahabharata written by Sarala Dasa in 15th century, that the Pandavas paid a visit to this place.)

Ananta Vasudeva temple,

Mahavajreshvari temple,

Surya Yantra temple, ­

Kshetrapala temple,

Narasimha temple,

Jogeshvara temple,

Sakshigopala temple,

Kanchi Ganesha temple,

Kshira Choragopinatha temple,

Panchasakti temple,

Nila Madhava temple,

Lakshminarayana temple,

Navagraha temple,

Surya Chandra temple,

Gopalnatha and Ramachandra temple,

Pataleshvara temple,

Padapadma temple,

Ramachandra temple,

Chaitanya temple,

Hanuman temple,

Chaturdhama temple
(The Chaturdhama temple houses the 4 Deities worshipped in the 4 dhamas and the images are in miniature form.)

Jalakrida Mandapa
(All ceremonial bathing of the Deities is conducted here.)

Kutam Chandi temple
(It is mentioned that initially the image of a dog, that is now found here was in the garbha-griha of the main temple. According to Tantric worship, when goddess Bhairavi is invoked; food is offered to her and later on a portion of it is given to a dog. But when Vaishnavism dominated, this dog’s image was removed from there and brought here.) ­

In addition to these temples, there are other places in the temple complex, two of which are as follows:

1) Koili Vaikuntha is located in between the inner and outer compound wall of the north-west corner. It is believed to be the place where Lord Krishna was cremated after being killed by Jara Savara. Hence when the Nava-kalevara ritual takes place, new images are fashioned and the old ones are buried in this place.

2) Niladri Vihar is a small museum where we can witness with the aid of painted models, as to the legendary emergence of Lord Jagannatha as the presiding Deity of the temple. 

Jagannath Ratha Yatra in Puri

Jagannath Ratha Yatra in Puri

by Patitapavan Dasa

“O unborn one, learned Vedic scholars who are advanced in spiritual knowledge certainly know that this material world is perishable, as do other logicians and philosophers. In trance they realize the factual position of this world, and they preach the truth as well. Yet even they are sometimes bewildered by Your illusory energy. This is Your own wonderful pastime. Therefore, I can understand that Your illusory energy is very wonderful, and I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”  Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.4

That the Supreme Lord who is birthless and deathless, also takes rebirth, must be astounding! Yes, this indeed is the transcendental, divine pastime of the archa-vigraha – the deity form of the Lord in the temple. The temple city of Puri, in Odisha, known the world over for its annual car festival (the oldest and biggest festival in the world), is also known for celebrating Navakalevara, with as much religious fervour, if not more.  Nava means new and kalevara means body, thus Navakalevara is a ceremony in which the old deity forms of Lord Jagannathaa, Baladeva and Subhadra are replaced by new deity forms. This however does not, like the car festival, occur every year, but only once every 12 or 19 years. This year Their Lordships will thus, after ‘rebirth’, grant Their first audience on July 17^th   to tens of thousands of devotees who assemble from everywhere for this purpose. We invite you to join us in this glorious festival and receive the Lord’s blessings.

Significance of Navakalevara

As Srila Prabhupada explains, although God is inconceivably great, He appears visibly in forms made of stone, metal and wood, to mercifully receive the devotees’ service. As nothing is impossible for the omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient Lord, if someone out of impudence or sheer foolishness considers the deity form to be just a statue or a doll, he is the most condemned, unfortunate individual.

The scriptures prescribe replacement of metal and stone deities if and when they are damaged. Wooden deities however are replaced regularly as they wear out faster. Once in 12 to 19 years, an extra month appears called ashadha, and this time period is recommended for observing Navakalevara. As there are 365 days in the solar calendar and 354 days in the lunar, an extra month is added to the latter once in 32 months in order to sync both. This extra month is called the adhika month. The last Navakalevara happened in 1996.

The Navakalevara ceremony consists of 4 principal stages: 1. Search for the Daru (divine wood), 2. carving of the forms, 3. consecration, and 4. giving final shape to the deities. The scriptures and previous experience serve as guides at every stage.

The Great March

The great march in search of Daru commences on the 10^th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Chaitra, more than 2 months before the Snana Purnima (bathing festival). The party usually consists of Daitas – descendants of Vishwavasu, Pati Mohapatra – descendant of Vidyapati (see separate description), 4 Viswakarmas (carpenters), the Lenka (carrier of Vishnu disc on long wooden shaft), brahmana priests for performing forest sacrifice, temple functionaries, and various others to look to the party’s worldly needs. Before proceeding on the journey the party obtains ajnamala – blessing of the Lord. The temple management gives sandal paste and vermilion in consent. The whole party then moves out of the temple to the accompaniment of conches, drums and gongs and proceeds to the palace of the King of Puri. Through the Rajaguru, the King gives coconut, arecanut, rice and gold to the party and sees them off. After obtaining blessings of spiritual as well as temporal power, the party proceeds on their sojourn in a joyous mood. The journey being full of hazards and tasks extremely onerous, only those who are found mentally and physically equipped to handle the job are selected as members of the group, and once selected they undertake their respective jobs to the best of their ability. The party proceeds to Kakatpur – 50 km from Puri – barefoot, taking only one frugal meal a day.

Camp at Kakatpur

On reaching Kakatpur, the party sets up camp and stays there till the last Daru – the Daru of Lord Jagannatha is sent to Puri. The presiding deity of Kakatpur, Goddess Mangala, is worshipped extensively, seeking her favour in the search. It is said that the Goddess appears in the dream of one of the devotees and reveals the locations of the Darus. If no instruction is received in 3 days, another extensive worship of the Goddess is performed in which the deity is completely bedecked with flowers. The first fall of flower from the body of the Goddess gives the clue as regards the direction the Darus are to be searched. Thereafter the members of the party move out in that direction to search out the Darus.

Selection of Daru

Although neem wood is used to carve the deity forms of Jagannatha, just any neem tree will not do. The trees must fulfill certain criteria in order to qualify as ‘Daru Brahman.’ Some of them are as follows:

• Lord Jagannathaa’s tree must be blackish.
• There must be four principal branches indicating Narayana’s four arms.
• There must be a cobra snakehole near the tree.
• No birds should have built nests in the tree.
• There must be natural impressions of shankha-chakra.
• Lord Shiva’s temple must be in the vicinity.
• No creepers must have grown on the tree.
• No branches should be broken/cut.

Baladeva’s tree must be light brown in colour with 7 branches like the hoods of a snake. Moreover, there should be natural impressions of the plough and other weapons Lord Baladeva carries. Subhadra’s tree must be yellowish, have 5 branches and a natural impression of a five-petalled lotus. Lord Sudarshana’s tree must be reddish with 3 branches and an impression of the chakra. In the order of tree selection, Sudarshana comes first, followed by Baladeva and Subhadra. Lord Jagannathaa’s tree is obtained last. The Daru is transported to Puri, also in the same order.

Vanayaga and Tree Cutting

As soon as the first Daru in the order noted above is found out, the place surrounding the tree is swept clear, sanctified with water, cowdung and clay. Sandal paste and vermilion are then applied to the tree and the tree is wrapped with a piece of new cloth and ajnamala of the Deity brought from the temple is placed on it, thus symbolizing the identity of the Deity and its Daru.

Before cutting the tree, a forest sacrifice, vanayaga is performed. Ankuraropana, sowing of seeds for germination, is an important rite, which is almost invariably observed in every significant religious ceremony. After a 3- day fire sacrifice, the trees are cut. The trees are cut a bit by the Pati Mohapatra with a golden axe while chanting the Sudarshana mantra. The Daitas then cut a little more using a silver axe, and the carpenters next use their iron axes to fully cut down the trees, all the while chanting the holy names of Hari. After the Darus are cut, the trunk of the tree as well as thick branches are transported to Puri for fashioning of the images.

The Darus are transported in carts constructed indigenously with the wood of kenda, vata and tamarind trees. The Darus are covered with coloured cloth pieces and tied up with silken cords firmly with the carts. The carts are pulled by devotees and brought to the Puri temple in the same order as they are collected and they reach the temple before the annual bathing festival, Snanayatra.

Carving of the Deities

Before the Darus reach the temple, the administration constructs special structures for housing the Darus and carving the Deities. This work is performed in the first two weeks following Snana Purnima. The processes of carving the images, as well as measurements of different parts of the Deities, are considered closely guarded secrets. No one is allowed to see the fashioning of the images or even hear the sound. The fashioning is done within a closed enclosure and nobody except the Daitas and Pati Mohapatra are allowed entry.

Parallel to the fashioning of the images, the brahmana priests of the temple, the Rajguru and some others selected by the temple administration undertake the ceremony of consecration, pratistha. The pratistha ceremony starts from the second day of Ashadha. Since the construction of the deities is not yet over, the consecration ceremony is performed on a piece of wood cut from any one of the four Darus, known as Nyasa Daru. After an extensive ceremony of consecration lasting for 2 weeks, the Nyasa Daru is cut into four pieces of prescribed size and each one of these four parts serves as lid to cover the cavity in the belly (or heart) of the deities after the Brahmapadartha has been inserted into it.

Brahmaparivartan

By the 14^th day, the consecration of the Nyasa Daru, as well as fashioning of wooden deities being over, on the night of that date, the Nyasa Daru is taken in a small cart to the temple and handed over to the Daitas, and then it is cut into four pieces according to the measurement laid down in the shastras. On the next night, i.e. new moon night, the wooden deities are taken around the temple, subsequently brought inside, and placed in front of the old Deities. In the illumination of small ghee lamps the mysterious Brahmapadartha is transferred from the old to the new Deities. The person entrusted with this job is blind-folded and his hands wrapped up to elbows so that he can neither see nor touch the Brahmapadartha. This work is done at dead of the night after ensuring that no outsider remains present during this ceremony.

After the transfer, the cavity of the new Deities is covered with one of four pieces of the Nyasa Daru which was consecrated earlier. This year Brahmaparivartan was observed on June 15^th.

Purificatory Rites

One of the finest features of the Jagannatha culture is the feeling of oneness of the devotees with the Deities. After the Brahmapadartha is removed from the old Deities and the images are buried inside the temple premises, the Daitas and their family members mourn the loss and observe purificatory ceremony for a period of 10 days. They take one meal per day and observe all the obsequies mentioned in the shastras. Their houses are given fresh coat of colour, and on the 11^th day they wear new clothes.  On the 12^th day they feed the brahmanas, poor, co-sevayats and others who attend. This year on June 27^th, the Daitapati Niyog and the Puri temple administration fed prasadam to over 2 lakh pilgrims.

Giving Final Shape

After Brahmaparivartan, the Deities are still not complete and Their bodies are compared to skeletons over which various limbs are added with the help of silken cord, resin, sandal paste, perfumed oil, camphor, musk, etc. The process of infusing ‘flesh’ and ‘blood’ in the new Deities starts after the asaucha (ritual impurity) period is over, i.e. from the dark fortnight of the extra Ashadha. Since the wooden Deities are identified with bones, perfumed oil is rubbed which represents the marrow inside the bones. Strips of coloured cloth representing blood and veins are wrapped around the Deity. A thick paste of resin with oil, camphor, musk and sandal paste is then applied to represent the flesh. Strong cords of cloth are wrapped up, representing the skin. In the process due care and attention is given to bring out specific features and contours of each Deity.

Next, They are made over to the chitrakaras (painters) for colouring using indigenous material according to the prescribed specifications. The painters are not allowed to paint the pupils of the eyes of the Deities, which work is left to brahmana priests to be performed on the auspicious day of Netrotsav – the most auspicious of all rituals performed during Navakalevara, carrying a great deal of sanctity and religiosity. This Netrotsav ritual is also performed every year after the termination of the anavasara period.

After the Netrotsav, the Lord gives first darshana in His Navayauvana vesha. This year this event is on July 17^th.  On the next day, July 18^th, is the Ratha yatra of Lord Jagannatha.

Conclusion

The merciful Supreme Lord has thus been manifesting His ‘rebirth’ pastime and blessing His devotees. The essence of this mercy is mentioned in the Uttarakhanda of the Narada Purana. There, Lord Narayana speaking to mother Lakshmi, says, “In that great abode known as Purusottama-kshetra, which is rarely achieved among all the three worlds, the Keshava Deity, who was fashioned by Me, is situated. If men simply see that Deity, they are easily able to come to My abode.” Let us offer our respectful obeisance to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 Jai Jagannatha!

The previous day of Ratha Yatra (today) marks the performance of the festival of Netrotsava. This great festival is the life and soul of the devotees. On this occasion, greatly happy, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took all the devotees with Him and visited the Lord in the temple. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very thirsty to see the Lord, and His eyes became like two bumblebees drinking the honey from the lotuslike eyes of Lord Jagannātha, who is Kṛṣṇa Himself. The eyes of Lord Jagannātha conquered the beauty of blossoming lotus flowers, and His neck was as lustrous as a mirror made of sapphires. The chin of the Lord, tinged with buff color, conquered the beauty of the bāndhulī flower. This increased the beauty of His mild smiling, which was like lustrous waves of nectar. The luster of His beautiful face increased at every moment, and the eyes of hundreds and thousands of devotees drank its honey like bumblebees. As their eyes began to drink the nectarean honey of His lotus face, their thirst increased. Thus their eyes did not leave Him. Thus Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His devotees enjoyed transcendental bliss upon seeing the face of Jagannātha. (Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita)