PURI: With barely a day to go for the ‘Brahma Parivartan’ of the deities - the final ritual of Nabakalebara - the Jagannath temple administration and Daitapatis on Sunday completed all the preparations. On Monday night, the Daitapatis would transfer the ‘Brahma’ from the four old deities to the new idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan.
Before the ritual, carving of new idols by Biswakarmas (temple carpenters) in Koili Baikuntha complex of the temple would be completed by Monday evening. Around the same time, the mahayajna being performed by Swotriya Brahmins in the complex would conclude and Gajapati Dibyasingha Dev would perform ‘Purnahuti’.
After ‘Purnahuti’, the Daitapatis would conduct the final rituals for the ‘Brahma Parivartan’.
Earlier, the Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had issued letters to four Badagrahis (chief Daitapatis of the four deities) to take up the job.
As part of the final rituals, the Badagrahis would place the old and new idols facing each other in the ‘Anasara Gruha’ and rehearse the Brahma transfer process for perfection, before conducting the final transfer.
Meanwhile, the four ‘Khatulis’ (small decorated thrones) have been transferred to the Koili Baikuntha. These thrones would be used for the ‘Brahma Parivartan’.
On Sunday night, four blindfolded Daitapatis with their hands wrapped in Patta (silk) cloth will bring out the ‘Brahma’ from the old idols and place those in chest cavity of the new idols.
From early Monday morning, a complex set of rituals of the Trinity would be performed and late in the evening, the servitors would meticulously perform Sodha (purification work) of the entire temple complex. The temple would be cleared of all people except the Daitapatis on duty and Deula Karan. Power supply to the temple and its periphery would be cut off for the entire night and CCTVs made non-operational.
Soon after transfer of ‘Brahma’, another set of Daitapatis would bury the old idols along with Parswadevatas (guarding deities of the three chariots), Sarathis (charioteers), wooden horses of all three chariots, Olata Sua (six parrots fixed on Kalashas of the chariots) and other artifacts that were being used in chariots from the last Nabakalebara.
A special set of servitors have dug up pits in Koili Baikuntha for burying the idols. As culmination of the burial rituals, Daiapati Nijog would offer free mahaprasad to lakhs of devotees on 13th day (treyodashi).