Nabakalebara of Lord Jagannth in Puri, Odisha

Nabakalebara is the reincarnation of Lord Jagannath of Puri. Though in every Jagannath temple Nabakalebara takes place, the one meant for the famous temple of Lord Jagannath in Puri is the most important. The great sacred and divine festival is celebrated amid a number of rituals where the sacred woods, called Daru (out of which the idols are made) are searched, cut and brought to the main temple (Sri Mandira).

Daru (neem tree) of Lord Balabhadra near Goddess Sarala temple at Jhankada in Jagatsinghpur district

  

Yagnyas are done at the site where the ‘most sacred’ trees are found. These yagnyas are done with ‘Patala Nrusingha mantra (hymn)’. During Nabakalebara new idols are made not only for Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and mata Subhadra, but idols of ‘Parswa Debatas’, weapons of the God (Ayudha) and carriers (Bahana) are also prepared on this occasion. The old idols are buried at the ‘Koili Baikuntha’, a garden inside the temple. Nabakalebara can be considered as the end of an era.

Akin to the life of Lord Srikrishna, whose all living and non-living elements vanished with his demise in the Dwapara Yuga, all devatas as well as stuff related to Lord Jagannath are buried during each Nabakalebara.

Nabakalebara falls in an interval of 12 to 19 years. The year that has two ‘Asadha’ months is selected for Nabakalebara. As per mythological texts the idols were first made in the ‘Aadapa Mandapa’. And they were brought to the temple (Srimandira) in a chariot by the then king (Gajapati) of Odisha Indradyumna Deba. It is an amazing fact that though a number of idols are buried in a small place, these are not found in the next Nabakalebara.