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By Jaganmohini devi dasi

(The following article meant for URI (United Religions Initiative) community was circulated in their forum by the author few days back. There were Id greetings exchanged within URI community, at that time she felt let them know little bit about Rath Yatra too)

The festive seasons have begun in India.

On Saturday, June 18th, 2015, while our Muslim brotherhood around the world were celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr with great joy and splendour, the devotees of Lord Jagannath from all over the world participated with full vigour in the annual Sri Jagannath Rathyatra festival at Jagannath Puri and elsewhere in India and around the world. This year by the will of the Lord, both the joyous festivals appeared on the same day.

Jagannath Puri is one of the most important holy places of this planet. It was here where this Rath yatra originated and the date of origin goes back to Satya-yuga (beginning of cosmological era) as the temple was inaugurated around that time as per the scripture Skanda Purana. There is also information in other scriptures that mentions about Rath yatra being celebrated in 3rd century BC and credits it to King Pandyavijaya, a devotee of Lord from south India. But with reference to present age, one can say the Rath yatra of Lord Jagannath is going on since time immemorial and there is not much information available regarding the nature of celebrations during yore days.

But approximately around 510 years back, it was Sri Chaitanya, an ardent servant of Lord Jagannath who revived this joyous festival in the right spirit of social oneness, equity and community uplifting through reverence, service and love towards the Lord. Sri Chaitanya also made Jagannath Puri as his head quarters and remained here until his final moments before he departed to Lord’s abode. So, sometimes Sri Krishna Chaitanya is considered by local people to hail from Puri and not Bengal. Later in the 20th century, following in the footsteps of Sri Chaitanya and his servants, Swami Prabhupada, founder of Hare Krishna movement, during early 70’s brought this joyful carnival festival of dance and chants and music to the west to bring together humanity on one platform through one identity, i.e all are part (children) of one God and so all can serve and love God without discrimination. Since then for last few decades, the Rath Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath has witnessed people from varied communities(all classes and castes) and religions(Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Mahayana Buddhists etc.) partaking in the celebration with enthusiasm and reverence and the numbers are indeed growing with the passing of years. The celebrations thus are not restricted to India, but extend to all western countries especially US, Europe, South East Asia, Middle East, Russia etc.

This year as per media report, around 3 million people have landed at Puri to participate in the nine day festival and more than 1 million devouts had converged at the street of holy Jagannath Puri to have a glimpse of the Deities in their chariots on the first day, important day of the festival.

So what is so special about this festival that it is attracting multitudes from all sections of society? Specifically this year was considered very special due to an auspicious occasion called ‘Nava-kalevara’before the Rath-yatra festival. ‘Nava-kalevara’ meaning ‘New Body’ is a festival when the transcendental bodies of the Deities(carved from special sacred Neem wood) of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Mother Subhadra are changed. Lord changing body? This sounds mystical indeed!

As per Bhagavat Purana and other scriptures, Lord Krishna is fondly called as Lord Jagannath and is worshipped as the Lord of the Universe (Jagan+Nath) and his first energy expansion or plenary expansion is Lord Balaram or Lord Baladeva who is known popularly as Krishna’s brother. Bal means strength and so he is responsible for the law of gravity and through his integrative power and immense strength, all objects of universe are sustained and planets are perfectly suspended or floating, moving along their respective orbits without falling down. The suspended objects like planets indeed points to the existence of a superlative or Supreme strength. Mother Subhadra is their sister, also expansion of Lord to oversee the operations within the entire cosmos. With reference to material Universe, she is popularly worshipped as Mother Durga or Mother Parvati. Subhadra means ‘all auspiciousness’. Mother Subhadra is the giver of auspiciousness to one and all who respect the creator and his laws.

These three powerful spiritual forces or Deities are seated in three separate chariots or Rath and are pulled by devouts in the mood of requesting them to enter their hearts during the chariot festival procession. This process is for cleansing the heart of all malice and ignorance and subsequently to realize the relation of self and all others with God and serve his mission in unity through the spirit of brotherhood with entire creation. Also the Deities come out of the temple to shower their blessings to all categories of people who otherwise cannot enter temple for whatsoever reason. Anybody can hold the rope of the chariot with faith and pull the Lord to their heart. Hence the Lord in these Divine forms is considered most compassionate and benevolent and thus attracts all sections of crowd. (There are real stories in this regard that has increased the faith of believers over a period of time.)

This ‘Nava-kalevara’ occasion has occurred after a gap of 19 years (last ‘Nava-kalevara’ took place in 1996), and is considered millennium’s first ‘Nava-Kalevara’ Rath yatra in Puri. One can thus appreciate why a sea of pilgrims and devouts from different parts of India and world converged at Jagannath Puri last week.  The nava-kalevara ceremony proceedings are performed secretly involving only the descendents of the families who established the original worship of Lord Jagannath. An authentic journal on Rathyatra (Sri Krsna-kathamrta Vol. 3 No. 1) throws some light about this confidential ceremony.  Readers interested can find detailed information about the significance of this special occasion. It mentions how change of body takes place by transfer of ‘nabhi-brahma’ or ‘Life force’ of Lord Jagannath from old Deity to new Deity and later old Deities devoid of ‘life force’ are buried near the temple.

<<small brief on deity worship

The ‘life force’ that enters the Deity makes it living and worshippable and relate with devotees unlike ordinary idols which looks externally like Deity but are just like imitation Deity that serves no purpose beyond meditation on any ordinary material object, that lacks spiritual power. Deity worship means there is relation between two spiritual entities, the object and subject and depending on the level of faith, the subject’s objective to worship the Deity(Lord) varies. With the progress of Deity worship, the relation gradually progresses to higher and higher levels until the Lord naturally manifest himself before the worshipper taking the relation to next higher level.

Prior to the entering of life force, the sculptor shapes the wood as per the Supreme personality’s descriptions mentioned in scriptures. Before engaging in this task he follows the procedure for internal and external cleanliness. As such he can belong to any caste or community or religion, but he has to tune himself with appropriate mindset and cleanliness/discipline before he begins the sculpting job.

(As per scripture, Deities can be made from eight different substances – stone, wood, metal, earth, paint, the mind or jewels, but the Deity of Lord Jagannath in Puri must be made from wood)

>> 

So on this Rath Yatra day, the congregated pilgrims could have the first glimpse of the new Divine form in their chariots and this is considered very auspicious.

Apart from that, the speciality of this festival in general arises from the fact that it is a perfect confluence of all schools of thoughts from philosophical and metaphysical level. It is a perfect confluence of varied grades of human consciousness who worship God directly or through his servants as per their respective faith. And it is also a confluence of engaging varied skills from different sections of society to glorify the Lord. So it is a meeting of single humanity who relates effortlessly with one another, help and supports one another through their relation with God.

Sri Chaitanya quoting from Bhagavata Purana had concurred about the three levels of God realization, namely God can be worshipped without a material and spiritual form as formless all pervading Supreme Brahman or as Paramatma in one’s heart (regulator of universes and living entities within) or as the one with transcendental form having transcendental qualities (Considered top worship for establishing and sustaining relation with God, experience qualities like love, affection, etc..bestowed by God). As per Vedic traditions, there are different school of thoughts corroborating all the levels of God realization and Gaudiya Vaishnavism specifically synthesizes all the three through its Acintya-beda-abeda-Tattva doctrine(Simultaneous oneness and difference with God).

Adi Shankara (early 8th century CE) set up four monasteries in different parts of India to practice inclusive Hinduism as a way of life predominantly based on monism/Advaita and his followers mostly adopted Shaivism and Shakta cult. The holy city of Puri is one amongst them where Adi Shankara set up his monastery. The present Shankarcharya who graced the Rathyatra festival and prayed to Lord Jagannath is considered 45th in the line of Adi Shankara descent.

But the sacred temple of Lord Jagannath and Lord’s Rath yatra has mystically brought together all groups including followers of Vaishavism under one identity, i.e. ‘All are worshipper of same one God – Lord Jagannath’ and all external differences in terms of school of thought, caste, community, religion melts as a worshipper stands with folded hands in complete reverence and love towards the Lord, glorifying his beautiful and special divine form. As a result of this common identity in relation with Lord, one can practically watch the manifestation of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (Hitopadesha 1.3.71), during Jagannath Rath yatra. The whole earth planet is one family whose source is one God, Lord of Universe. During the crowded chariot procession, one doesn’t feel any uneasiness or get angry when pushed or elbowed by another stranger based on caste or such external differences. There is no un-touchability practiced. It is like our own bodily part touching us. Normally one feels uneasy, when in crowded transport or market, if one is shoved by a stranger. But during Jagannath Rathyatra procession, the focus is on the Lord and through that focus; one sees the crowd/strangers as one family and related to one another through Lord Jagannath. Besides this, behind the enormous arrangement to organize the festival, huge manpower is engaged for months helping them improve economically. Here again no discrimination is shown while employing manpower for Lord’s festival. It purely goes by skills and talent and several are picked from grassroots who otherwise are rarely recognized or engaged in mainstream jobs.

Briefly, a festival like Lord Jagannath’s Rathyatra is setting a good precedent of appreciating the true spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam towards peaceful co-existence. It clearly indicates how with Lord in the centre of humanity, the earth’s family can remain united and uplifted through social equity and as well as economically such that the welfare of all sections of society are accommodated. Even from environment protection perspective, there is responsibility exhibited with creator in the centre. Today there is a hard struggle to unite mankind adopting complex paradigms and routes. The time taken to successfully implement such path is longer than the pace at which humanity is dividing itself through several secondary identities and these identities are growing more with selfish motives.

During such time, festivals like Jagannath Rath Yatra are undoubtedly offering valuable lessons from social and spiritual perspectives and as the surest way to bring mankind together.