Nabakalevara

Nabakalebara (Odia: ନବ କଳେବର) is symbolic recreation of wooden forms of the four deities at Jagannath Temple, Puri. In Jagannath cult this is a periodical renewal of the wooden forms of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana. The occasion occurs every 8th or 12th or 19th year of the previous Nabakalebara.

The term Nabakalebara is a combination of two Odia words "Naba" (new) and "kalebara" (body) that means change of the physical form.

The principle adopted to fix the year of Nabakalebara is to find a year in which there are two Ashadhi(Doshas), or the month of Ashadha in which there are two full moons.In the Lunar Hindu calendar in every three years, a lunar month is excluded from calculation to strike a balance between lunar and solar years.This period is called 'Ahimsa' or 'Malamasa'. A year with an extra (Adhika masa) Ashadha masa/month as per Hindu Calendar is considered highly auspicious for conducting the ceremony. This usually occurs every twelve to nineteen years.The four deities undergo the process of Nabakalebara in the year in which falls the Adhimasa. The Deities are made from a special type of Neem wood known as Daru Bramha. Preparations for the ceremony start in the month of Chaitra. The most recent ceremony was done in the year 2015 and the one before that was in 1996. More than 3 million devotees are expected to visit the temple during the Nabakalevara of 2015.

Jirna Bera Parityaga (Odia: ଜୀର୍ଣ୍ଣବେର ପରିତ୍ୟାଗ) literally meaning leaving the old deity and consecration of new one. As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. According to different secret protocols followed from time immemorial in the temple, the provision is there for changing of the deities. As the deities are made up of neem tree basically,along with musk, sandalwood and many other rare combinations, they undergo change of the idol before the "adhika ashadha" ends. Different "agama shastra" followed in other parts of India for Vishnu worship, such as Vaikhanasa also prescribe change of deities made up of wood under specific astrological combination. It is to be noted that the deities made of stone or metal need not be changed unless damaged, but the wooden deities are to be changed within specific gap of years and the supreme power must be installed from the old one to the new one, by secret rituals.Nabakalebar is all about transformation of Puri temple, Odisha lords into the new body. The new wooden idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Sudarshan are welcoming to the temple with great celebration and it is a great occasion for Odisha people. The new idols are carved and old ones are cremated with rituals mentioned in the century old Odia scriptures.

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Wikipedia