Odana Sasthi is not just a festival; it's a moment in time when the spirit of devotion permeates the air, and the hearts of devotees resonate with love for the Supreme Lord. It is a time of joy, gratitude, and an opportunity to deepen our connection with the divine.
In the spirit of devotion, we invite you to join us in celebrating Odana Sasthi on the 18th of this month. As we come together to honour and serve the Lord, there are various seva opportunities awaiting your participation such as Prasadam Seva, Decoration Seva, Deity Seva etc.
Your involvement in any of these seva opportunities will not only make Odana Sasthi truly special but also contribute to the spiritual tapestry of our community.
Let us gather as one, bound by the thread of devotion, and make Odana Sasthi a celebration to remember.
Odana Sasti Lila!
One year, when Lord Caitanya and His associates celebrated this festival in Puri, Pundarika Vidyanidhi, who is Vrsabhanu Maharaja, Srimati Radharani’s father, in krsna-lila, received some special mercy. His experience is instructive for us all. Srila Prabhupada explains, “At the beginning of winter, there is a ceremony known as the Odana-sasthi. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to Lord Jagannatha. That covering is directly purchased from a weaver. According to the arcana-marga, the cloth should first be washed to remove all the starch, and then it can be used to cover the Lord. Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that the priest neglected to wash the cloth before covering Lord Jagannatha. Since he wanted to find some fault in the devotees, he became indignant.” (Cc Madhya 16.78 purport)
“At the beginning of winter, there is a ceremony known as the Odana-sasthi. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to Lord Jagannatha.” – Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya-lila16.79,
So, on this day in Rajapur Jagannatha Mandir in Sri Dham Mayapur, which is none different from Sri Kshetra Puri dham, Lord Jagannatha will be beautifully dressed in starched clothes, His altar beautifully decorated with blooming flowers and the Lord will be offered opulent worship. There will be ecstatic kirtan, wonderful katha and delicious prasadam. Devotees can ecstatically participate in this physically or join us on Mayapur TV.
The Odana-sasthi festival is most definitely a favourite winter festival in Sri Jagannatha Manidr.
To make this occasion and celebration come to live, we invite devotees worldwide to contribute for this year Odana Sasti festival and prasadam distribution & receive the blessings of Lord Jagannath. A Puja to Sri Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra devi shall be offered on your behalf and your prayers shall be read out to Sri Jagannath.
Hare Krishna!
Source: https://www.mayapur.com/serve-mayapur/odana-sasti-sevas/
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