'Netrotsava' - the Festival for the Eyes, originally celebrated at Puri Jagannath Temple in India is a sacred ritual performed before Rath Yatra: The Grand Festival of Chariots. After Snana Purnima - the royal bath of the dieties, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra are believed to fall ill with fever and do not return to their pedestal in the main temple. The Deities are kept in a special room called the 'Ratan bedi' inside the temple. The dieties stay away from public view for a period of 15 days. During all these days the daily rites of the temple remain suspended.
Due to the sacred bath with 108 pitchers of water, the colours painted on the deities fade out. During the fifteen day period, they are repainted with fresh coats of new colors On the 16th day, the Deities after complete recuperation become ready for public darshan.
The festival of this first appearance of Lord Jagannath for his devotees is called 'Netrotsava' (festival for the eyes) or 'Nava Yauvanotsava' (festival of the ever-fresh and always youthful Lord).
Genesis of this Sacred Festival
Everyone in the Holy Purushottama Dhama were unhappy for a fortnight because they could not see the Deity of Lord Jagannatha. The glorious festival of Netrotsava was the life and soul of the devotees, who suffered pangs of seperation from the Supreme, during this period of isolation of the Lordships.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was very thirsty to see the Lord, and His eyes became like two bumblebees drinking the honey from the lotuslike eyes of Lord Jagannatha, who is Lord Krishna Himself.
The eyes of Lord Jagannatha 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 bandhuli 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 and hence their eyes did not leave Him.
Thus we see that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees enjoyed transcendental bliss upon seeing the all beautiful face of Jagannatha - the Lord of the Universe.
Ceremony
After Snan Yatra - the bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannatha, during the fortnight before the Ratha-yatra ceremony, the deities having been washed, need repainting. This is known as 'anga-raga'. The Netrotsava festival, performed magnificiently during early morning of the Nava-yauvana day, constitutes the life and soul of the devotees.
When the Lords makeovers are complete, a special seva is offered known as 'netronmilanam'. This observance is carried out the day before Rathayatra. As the Lords eyes have been repainted this seva (netronmilanam) opens the Lords eyes.
Ointments are applied to the Lords eyes with a golden wand (or a tulasi stick) as mantras are chanted.
The ointment application involves touching the deities’ right eye with the stick dipped in honey whilst chanting:
om citram devanam udagad anikam
caksur mitrasya varunasya gneh /
a pra dyav aprthivi antariksagm
surya atma jagatas tasthusas ca svaha //
Then touching the deities left eye with the stick dipped in ghee whilst chanting:
om tac caksur devahitam purastac chukram uccarate/
pasyema saradah satam / jivema saradah satagm /
srnuyama saradah satam / prabravama saradah satam //
adinah syama saradah satam / bhuyas ca saradah satate //
Then applying the kajal on the edge of the lower eyelids of both eyes while chanting:
om hiranya garbhah samavartatagre
bhutasya jatah patir eka asite /
sa dadhara prthivim dyam utemam
kasmai devaya havisa vidhema //
After performing 'netronmilanam' the Lords appetite is restored with their return to health and they are offered a full Raj bhoga offering (the first one since Snäna Yatra). Then the Lord is revealed in the following arati and the devotees who have not seen the Lord in two weeks finally receive his darshan. This much awaited beautiful darshan is known as Netra Utsava (Festival for the eyes) as the devotees feast through their eyes on the fresh forms of the Lords.
The next day the Lordships head off for their wonderful and majestic Rathayatra Festival.
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