The Ritual System - Odisha.gov.in

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July - 2013 curd etc. over the mirrors placed in front of the deities. After abakasa the deities are adorned with silken cloths, flowers and ornaments, after which Sahana Mela or Sarva Sadharana Darshan (free entry of pilgrims to the inner sanctuary) takes place. It provides an opportunity to devotees and pilgrims to go near the Ratna Singhasana to have a closer view of the deities and circumbulation (pradakhina) of the Ratnasinghasana. If during this time any person touches the holy bodies, spits, passes stool or urine or vomits, then the deities are given a purificatory bath called Mahasnana. There is provision for penalty on the person for doing so. Usually children of tender age are not allowed to go inside. From 8 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. the deities are dressed in different coloured dresses prescribed for different seasons and occasions. Simultaneously in the meantime roso homo or putting sacred fire in the kitchen, Surya Puja (Worship of the Sun God) and Dwarapala Puja (worship of the door guarding deities – Jaya and Vijaya) are held. Then the breakfast is offered to the Lords called Gopal Ballava Bhoga. It consists of sweets, fruits, curd, butter, green coconut, sweetened coconut balls (laddu), plantains, Khua Manda (cream ball) and Ballava Khai (twice fried rice mixed with ghee and sugar) etc. The next cooked food offering to the Lords is known as Sakala Dhupa or Raja Bhoga. Besides the rice of different varieties, the cakes of black gram (biri) and other prescribed items are served in limited quantities and number. Then the deities change their dresses, decorated and take the next food offering called Bhoga Mandapa in the refractory hall behind Garuda stambha. This Bhoga or food offering has been introduced to cater Mahaprasad to the pilgrims, various Matha and other institutions, private individuals in huge quantities. This is mainly meant for sale. Odisha Review Madhyanha Dhupa or principal mid day Bhoga is offered at 1 p.m. in which different types of rice, pulses, vegetables and variety of cakes are offered. District Gazetteer (Pp.809) records that 435 food items were offered in this dhupa in 1910. It consists of rice of various kinds, pulses and vegetables with varieties of cakes and sweets. Then the deities retire for a mid-day siesta (diba pahuda) after being offered green coconut, perfumed water and beetle nut. They get up at 6 p.m. when Sandhya Alati or evening offering of sacred lamp in camphor, ghee wigs and pasted rice is done. The devotees and pilgrims eagerly stand awaiting to see this ritual. At 8 p.m. Sandhya Dhupa or night food offering is served which consists of ghee rice (gheeanna) and fragrant sweetened soaked rice (subasa pakhala), sweets, cakes of black gram, etc. Then at 9.15 p.m. the Gods appear for public Darshan. The Gods then change dresses after being smeared with fragrant sandal paste mixed with Karpura (camphor), Keshar and Kasturi in silver pots called Chandan Lagi. At 10.30 p.m. the deities again change their dresses and wear Baralagi Pata (the silken cloth with prescribed colour of the day). The Lords are then decorated with flower decoratives called Chandrika on head, Nakachana on nose, Karapallava on hands and padaka on the chest along with lots of other flower garlands. Some selected stanzas of Gita Govinda, composed by Odia poet Jayadev are woven on the body of the saree called Gita Govinda khandua, which the Lords put on during this ritual. After that Bada Singhara Dhupa or last food offering takes place. A particular cake prepared by green banana called Kadali Bada, pitha of black gram, khiri (milk made sweetened item), kanji (a curd preparation), soaked rice, etc are offered in this Dhupa. The last rite is at 12 p.m. when the musical instruments like veena and drum are played with Gita Govinda music, dance by Mahari or 29
Odisha Review July - 2013 Debadasi, puspanjali (offering of flower) is held. The golden cots are brought inside and the Sayana Thakura or the sleeping deities (Ardhanariswara – a composite figure of Lord Vishnu and Laxmi) are brought to Jaya-Vijya Dwara (entrance door to the inner sanctuary) where green coconut, fragrant water (ghasa jala) and beetlenut are offered and the deities retire to sleep. The doors are closed and sealed by Talichu Mahapatra, a specific servitor with this responsibility. All people inside the temple premises are made to go out except the security people. This is in brief the daily routine rituals of the Gods. Now of course the Diba Pahuda or the mid day siesta is periodically done particularly during the months of Kartika and pausa when the deities rise very early in the morning. Periodical Nitis (Rituals) On Thursday or Gurubar, the festive deities of Lord Jagannath, Madanmohan goes to the temple of Goddess Mahalaxmi for ekanta or exclusive meeting rituals. According to constellation of stars (suanakashera), specific rituals are performed. According to astrological calculations following are the birth stars of the deities. Sri Balabhadra Sri Jagannath Goddess Subhadra – Shrabana Makara. – Rohini Brusha. – Jyestha Bichha. On each Ekadasi or the 11 th day of the month, after sandhya dhupa lamps are taken to the top of the temple and circumbulated around Nilachakra called Mahadipa. The devotees particularly the widows who observe ekadasi by fasting etc. wait to see this rituals after which they are supposed to take food. Ekadasi niti also varies according to days on which it falls. If it falls on a Thursday some specific Nitis are performed, called Danda-Chhatra Niti and if it falls on a Monday it is called Sambhu-Ekadasi and Nities are performed by Sri Madan Mohan going to Sri Loknath Temple. Amabasya niti (last day of dark fortnight) is very interesting and reflects a typical Hindu social custom of son-in-law visiting the house of the father-in-law. The sacred sea or Mahodadhi is believed to be the house of the father in law of Lord Jagannath. Narayana, the representative of Lord Jagannath goes on this day to the seashore near Swargadwara where some prescribed rituals of offering of bhoga and bandapana are done by Sabat Nijoga, a particular class or servitors earmarked for performing this ritual. Banaka Lagi or Srimukha sringara or painting of the deities is performed by a particular class of servitor called Datta Mahapatra. Once in a week either on Wednesday or Thursday the deities are painted in white, yellow and black by indigenous colours. The sanctumsanctorum remains closed and no other person is allowed to go inside. This ritual takes more than 2 hours and done through 5 to 6 servitors of Data Mahapatra group. Benta or sikara (hunting) – it is one of the interesting ritual done on Basant Panchami day and in three other days in a year signifying the royal status of the Lord. He being worshipped as a Supreme Sovereign King, some rituals are in tune with the royal status. Benta or going for hunting is one among them. Here the representative of the Lord Sri Dola Govinda goes to Jagannath Ballava Math, the pleasure garden of Lord Jagannath. There is a pond inside the Math called Benta Pokhari or hunting pond. On the bank of the pond green coconuts are placed symbolizing the hunting prey Deers. Benta Paika a class of servitors pierces with golden arrows on behalf of the Lords. Solar and Lunar eclipses – When it takes place special Nitis are observed in the temple. 30
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The Ritual System - Odisha.gov.in

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