Huge sand painting for Lord Jagannath daru by Sudarsan

Noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a huge sand painting to welcome the sacred neem tree log for making of the new idol of Lord Jagannath for Nabakalebara festival at Puri today. 

As the daru (tree log) reached the pilgrim town after a nine-day journey from Kharipadia in Jagatsinghpur district, the painting was created on the Grand Road in front of the Gundicha Temple, Pattnaik said. 

Stating that this is a first of its kind, he said the painting is around 40 feet long and 60 feet wide depicting a neem tree with Sankha, Chakra in it. 

Around one ton sand was used with some colour sand for the sand painting which took 5 hours to complete, Pattnaik said adding students of his sand art school helped him to create the sand painting. 

"I always create sand sculptures on the beach. For the first time I have created such a huge sand painting on street. I have used special sand from the golden beach of Puri," said Sudarsan. 

The internationally acclaimed sand artist has created many sand sculptures during this Nabakalebara festival. Recently he animated a small film on Nabakalebara through sand animation which was highly appreciated.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/huge-sand-painting-for-lord-jagannath-daru-by-sudarsan-115052200837_1.html

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Odisha Govt Must Rush to Salvage Nabakalebar Festival

The felling of divinely ordained neem trees and shifting of wood (daru), which would be used for making new idols of Lord Jagannath and siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra at Puri, has heralded the Nabakalebar festival that will start in June and likely see over five million pilgrims, devotees and tourists from across India and the world. Yet, with less than a month to go for one of India’s largest religious gatherings, Odisha appears to have failed woefully in prepping infrastructure and facilities to absorb the pressure.

A majority of key projects from roads, highways and railways to sprucing up of Puri town with accommodation, food and shelter, health and sanitation facilities are still lagging behind. While the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway which would be the main entry to the pilgrim city is uncertain of completion within June 15, when the festival would start, doubling of the rail line is certainly missing the deadline. The government also appears to be clueless on providing accommodation to the mammoth congregation at Puri during the festival as all its proclamations of increasing hotel beds and establishing allied facilities like bed and breakfast, tents, etc. are yet to be visible.

Nabakalebar falls once in more than a decade. This time almost 19 years after 1996, which is far too long a period to be ready with all infrastructure and facilities. That Naveen Patnaik has been at the helm of around 15 of those years is all the more binding on his government to have ensured adequate and top class arrangements for the fest. UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav took only a couple of years to successfully host the world’s largest religious congregation of Kumbh Mela, which attracted more than eight crore people in 2013. He set up a massive temporary city laced with all basic amenities to hi-tech facilities for pilgrims and visitors. The Patnaik government had begun planning for Nabakalebar in 2011. Sadly, it has not only failed to put up minimum infrastructure and instead now has begun to needlessly shift the blame on Centre over non-release of funds. It is now upon the government to devote all its time in ensuring completion of as many projects as possible.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/editorials/Odisha-Govt-Must-Rush-to-Salvage-Holy-Festival/2015/05/21/article2824771.ece

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Puri priest held for assaulting couple

BHUBANESWAR: A Puri priest was arrested on Tuesday for assaulting a couple and misbehaving with their daughter when they refused to take his assistance to enter the Jagannath temple.

Singhadwar police nabbed the priest, Chandan Khuntia, 30, after receiving a complaint from the victim, Sanatan Nayak, a retired army officer from Bhadrak.

"Khuntia forced us to take his assistance while offering puja and then demanded dakshina. When we refused, he abused us," said Nayak. "The priests called two others who misbehaved with us. Khuntia pulled the hands of my daughter and wife. My wife sustained injuries. When I intervened, he rained punches on my nose and face. Nobody came to our rescue," Nayak said. A profusely bleeding Nayak came out of the temple and went straight to Singhadwar police station. "We took him to Puri district hospital. Based on his complaint, we arrested Khuntia," said Krushna Chandra Sethi, the IIC of Singhadwar police station.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Bhubaneswar/Puri-priest-held-for-assaulting-couple/articleshow/47351228.cms

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Puri priests threaten boycott of rituals over temple order

BHUBANESWAR: A section of servitors of Jagannath Temple in Puri on Tuesday threatened to boycott rituals on Debasnan Purnima (June 2), protesting the shrine administration's ban on devotees from touching the deities on the bathing mandap. Debasnan Purnima is a vital ritual in the run-up to Rath Yatra.

"On Monday, the temple administration announced the ban. We will protest if the devotees are barred from touching the deities," Daitapati Nijog's assistant general secretary Binayak Dasmohapatra told the media.

The nijog demanded that the temple administration revoke the decision. "The temple body took the decision without consulting us. Many of our members are outside Puri as part of Banajaga Yatra," said Narasingha Patimohapatra, another servitor.

Temple's chief administrator Suresh Mohapatra said the administration will go ahead with the restriction. "We will hold discussions with the Daitapati Nijog soon and seek its cooperation for smooth conduct of the ritual," said Mohapatra.

The temple administration said devotees would be given more time to see the deities on the Snana Mandap, facing Grand Road.

This time the temple administration has also decided to stop Nabajouban Darshan (first sight of deities in newly-created idols a day before Rath Yatra), much to the chagrin of priests.

"On Nabajouban Darshan day during 1977 Nabakalebara, lakhs of devotees entered the temple, creating chaos. It was not possible for the authorities to control the mob. During 1996 Nabakalebara, the public darshan was stopped. We will adopt the same preventive measure this time too," Mohapatra had told. However, devotees will be allowed to enter sub-shrines and Ananda Bazaar inside the temple, he said.

"Last year, we did not allow devotees to climb onto chariots during Rath Yatra going by the Orissa high court order," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Puri-priests-threaten-boycott-of-rituals-over-temple-order/articleshow/47351215.cms

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Ritual to replace new set of Deities begins in Puri

An ancient ritual to replace a new set of idols for the famed Lord Jagannath temple has begun in Puri city. Thousands of people joined the 'Daru yatra' or the holy journey to have a glimpse of a sacred wood which would be used to make the new idols. The 'daru' or sacred neem wood is used to create the new idols. The journey called "Nabakalebara" is a ritual when the holy wood is transported from Jagatsingpur district in Orissa to Jagannath temple in Puri. The journey is expected to culminate at the temple on Wednesday. Devotees of lord Jagannath were seen dancing on the streets as the cart moved along amidst a massive security cordon. More than 15,000 police personnel were deployed by the state government as the cart passed through several districts.

http://www.aninews.in/videogallery2/37652-ritual-to-replace-new-set-of-idols-for-famed-lord-jagannath-temple-begins-in-puri.html

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Ventilation system soon in Odisha’s Jagannath temple sanctum

The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) is contemplating installing an effective ventilation system in the sanctum sanctorum of the Lord to minimise the heat generated inside it which is posing a threat to the idols.

The technical modalities, however, have not been chalked out yet. A meeting between the experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and members of the statutory technical advisory committee for conservation of the Jagannath temple was held this Monday where the participants recommended Metallurgical & Engineering Consultants (India) Ltd (MECON) to submit a detailed project report (DPR) in this regard.

Sources in the know revealed, strong cold air would be blown from the northern end of the temple to the sanctum sanctorum through pipes as a result of which the hot air inside would be pushed out through the exit points of the temple.

After the MECON submits the DPR, it will be analysed and a final decision would be taken on this, sources said.

The committee was of the view that the project would be implemented post approval during Rath Yatra when the presiding deities of the temple go for a nine-day sojourn.

Notably, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Sri Dibyasingha Deb had advised the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee and the technical advisory committee for conservation of the Jagannath temple to look into the matter. Though a ventilation system in the sanctum sanctorum was set up, the noise generated from the device forced the authorities to stop operating it. Besides, there was a technical flaw that forced the temple authorities to uninstall the ventilation system.

It may be mentioned here that the MECON is a Government of India enterprise under the Ministry of Steel & Mines. The company is a multi-disciplinary enterprise and undertakes design, planning, engineering, consultancy, and engineering activities for clients in the public and private sector.

Source: http://odishasuntimes.com/127638/ventilation-system-soon-in-odishas-jagannath-temple-sanctum/

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Identification of Daru to be Completed by Next Week

PURI: The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) is hopeful of announcing the location of Daru (the Neem trees to be used for carving out the divine idols) by April 14. The location of Daru for Sudarshan will be announced first followed by the announcement regarding location of the second Daru after a gap of seven days.

Informing this to media persons on Wednesday, SJTA Chief Administrator Suresh Mohapatra said till today the Daitapatis have come across around 100 probable trees with symbols embedded on their trunks which are similar to those prescribed in Nabakalebara manual that is a closely guarded document maintained by the family of Jagannath Swain Mohapatra, the chief servitor of Lord Jagannath.

As per the manual, the Neem trees should bear holy symbols like mace, lotus, conch and wheel on their trunks and should be mature enough for carving out the idols. Besides, there should be a river and a cremation ground near the tree surrounded by Sahada and Bakul trees. While the tree should not have any bird’s nest on its branches, there should be an ant hill at its base.

“In a day or two, they will shortlist 10 to 15 trees which will be once again checked by the Dalapati, Upadalapati, four Badagrahis and seniors in the Banajaga team. Subsequently, they would come down to four trees that match all the criteria prescribed in the Nabakalebara manual. The team members will inform the temple administration about the locations in writing through their Dalapati by April 12 or April 13 and we will first announce the location of Daru for Sudarshan by April 14,” Mohapatra informed. The announcement will be made only after all security arrangements for protection of the identified tree and basic facilities are made at the spot. After the group of Banajaga members complete ‘yagna’ near the short-listed tree, it will be felled and placed on a wooden cart that would be dragged back to the Jagannath temple by the Daitapatis.

Subsequently, the announcement for location of Darus for Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will be made one after another. “The entire process of announcing the location of Darus for the Trinity, felling and bringing them to Jagannath temple will take another month,” Mohapatra added.

While the Banajaga Yatra had started on March 29, the search for the trees began three days back.

The Banajaga team members are fanning out to different places in different directions from the Deuli Mutt at Kakatpur on a daily basis by splitting themselves into small groups. Each team is led by a Badagrahi. The Shrotriya Brahmins accompanying the Banajaga team stay behind at the Kakatpur Mangala temple and Deuli Mutt and perform ‘Saptasati Chandi Patha’ besides chanting the Vedic hymns to make the search mission easier for the servitors.

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