Navkalevar

This is probably the most mysterious method performed in any Hindu temple in the world. The last rites of wooden idols of Bhagwan Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra are performed every twelve to nineteen years. After this, the soul of the deities resides in the newly made idols. This way the body or Brahma Padard of Shri Krishna, which has been residing for hundreds of years inside the idol of Bhagwan Jagannath, is installed from the old to the new idols. This process is called Brahma-Parivartan, which is done in a very secretive manner in the night.

The new idols of God cannot be made from any common wood. For this, Daitapati, the servant of the Bhagwan, takes refuge of Maa Mangala. Devi shows Daitapati in the dream the place of wood that resembles Bhagwan. After this, those trees are found at the places directed by the goddess. The bark of tree used for Bhagwan Jagannath’s idol have the structure similar to that of conch, chakra, mace and padma and the tree with which the idol of Dev Balabhadra is to be made have the shape of plow, pestle and Sheshnag etc.

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