The Divine Festival of Nabakalebara – A Renewal of Lord Jagannath’s Body

In the sacred land of Purushottam Kshetra (Puri), Lord Jagannath, who resides in a wooden form, is considered the Supreme Brahman of the Kali Yuga.

Yet, from morning to night, and throughout the seasons, He performs divine pastimes just like an ideal householder.

He eats, drinks, enjoys water sports during summer, bathes, falls ill, consumes herbal medicines and decoctions, and when He recovers, He embarks on the famous Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) to visit His aunt’s house.

During the Rath Yatra, when Goddess Lakshmi is not taken along, she gets upset. Like an ideal husband, Lord Jagannath lovingly pacifies her.

Thus, despite being the Parabrahma, Lord Jagannath lives among His devotees as one of their own, residing in Puri.

🕉 Who is Lord Jagannath?

To understand the significance of the Nabakalebara Festival, it’s important to know who Lord Jagannath truly is.

In the Treta Yuga, when Lord Rama incarnated on earth, He killed Vali, the monkey king. Seeing Vali’s son Angad sorrowful, Lord Rama said:

“I have committed a sin against you. In the next era, the Dwapara Yuga, during My incarnation as Krishna, you shall be born in the Shabara (tribal) lineage and strike Me with an arrow as penance.”

Accordingly, Angad was reborn as Jara, the tribal hunter, during the Krishna avatar. Mistaking Krishna for a deer in Prabhas Kshetra, he struck Him with an arrow, leading to Lord Krishna’s divine departure from the world.

Jara later informed the Pandavas in Indraprastha of Krishna’s passing. The Pandavas, along with Arjuna, came and performed the final rites. Dwarka submerged into the ocean, and as Arjuna entered the waters in grief, he found a divine blue gem (Indraneelamani) emanating from Krishna’s energy.

This sacred gem was later immersed in the ocean itself.

🌊 The Journey of the Divine Gem

By the Lord’s divine will, this Indraneelamani, carried by ocean currents, drifted from the western sea to the shores of Jagannath Puri on the eastern coast.

There, a descendant of Jara named Vishvavasu, a devout Vaishnava, discovered the gem and enshrined it secretly in a cave. He began to worship it with his family and named the deity Neelamadhava.

Eventually, the hair from Neelamadhava’s body transformed into a divine tree. From this tree (a neem tree), Lord Vishnu manifested Himself as Darubrahma, the divine in wooden form, and from this form emerged the sacred idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra.

Inside the wooden idol of Jagannath resides the sacred Indraneelamani, making Him none other than Lord Krishna Himself.

🪵 What is the Nabakalebara Festival?

The word ‘Nabakalebara’ means “New Body” – a rare and grand ritual where Lord Jagannath and His siblings are given new wooden forms, symbolizing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

Just like a human discards old clothes and dons new ones, as said in the Bhagavad Gita (2.22):

“As a person gives up worn-out garments and accepts new ones, similarly, the soul discards the old body and takes on a new one.”

Likewise, Lord Jagannath undergoes a divine renewal of form.

🔱 Rituals of the Nabakalebara Festival

This festival only occurs in a year when there are two Ashadha months (as per the Hindu lunar calendar). Here’s how it unfolds:

1. Permission and Command

On Chaitra Purnima, the king of Puri offers a betel nut to the Daitas (a special class of servitors), who then seek permission from Vaseli Devi to begin the rituals.

They pray to Mangalamai Devi to reveal the location of the sacred trees (Darus) through dreams.

2. Sacred Tree Selection (Daru Chhedan)

The Daitas split into three groups to search for the Darus (sacred neem trees) with specific divine marks:

• Balabhadra’s Daru: White in color, marked with a conch, having five branches.

• Jagannath’s Daru: Marked with a chakra, with seven branches.

Once found, the trees are worshipped, then gently felled with golden and silver axes first, followed by iron axes.

The logs are carried in decorated carts to Koili Vaikuntha, the divine garden inside the temple.

3. Sculpting the New Idols

In Koili Vaikuntha, expert craftsmen and priests carve the new idols over several days. The rituals continue in secrecy and with utmost sanctity.

4. Ghata Parivartan (Transference of the Soul)

On the Krishna Chaturdashi of Ashadha, the most sacred ritual called “Brahma Parivartan” (soul transference) takes place.

At midnight, when all is silent, the Daitapatis remove the Brahma Padartha (Indraneelamani – representing Krishna’s divine soul) from the old idols and insert it into the new ones.

Before this, the Daitas observe 13 days of mourning, just like for a deceased family member – including rituals like head-shaving, Shraddha, and Tarpan.

The old idols are respectfully buried in Koili Vaikuntha.

5. New Youthful Form – Nava Yauvana Darshan

From Ashadha Krishna Chaturdashi to Shukla Navami, sacred paints and offerings are applied to the new idols.

On Amavasya, the new idols are revealed to the public in a grand event called “Nava Yauvana Darshan” – the divine first sight of the Lord in His youthful form.

With His large round eyes, Lord Jagannath bestows blessings upon all devotees and destroys their sins, granting them liberation.

🙏 A Symbol of Unity and Devotion

This entire festival is a testament to the unity of all traditions. The role of the Shabara tribe, Brahmins, royalty, and devotees blends beautifully to uphold a divine tradition.

Even today, Lord Jagannath’s worship reflects the unity of all castes, creeds, and faiths — showing that in the eyes of the Lord, everyone is equal.

📿 Final Shloka:

“Svālīlayā jagat trātum āvirbhūtam ajaṁ vibhum,

Praṇato’smi Jagannāthaṁ kiṁ me mṛtyuḥ kariṣyati?”

“I bow to Lord Jagannath, the unborn and all-pervading One who manifested to save the world by His divine play. What harm can death do to me now?”

🌟 Jai Jagannath! 🙌

May the Lord of the Universe bless all beings with peace, devotion, and liberation.