🌷ll Padma Besha (The Lotus Attire) ll 🌷

“For the sake of the beautiful saint, the Lotus Attire is Yours;
The only attire that remains throughout the full night’s sleep.”

Tonight, the divine Padma Besha of the Lords will be held at the Shri Mandir. In this attire, the deities will perform the Badasinghara ritual and go to sleep (Pahuda). General devotees will be able to witness this celestial attire tomorrow morning. This Besha is held on a Wednesday or Saturday falling after the Magha Amavasya and before Basanta Panchami. This is the only day in the entire year when the Lord goes to sleep dressed in the Padma Besha. According to some researchers, this tradition was introduced by Saint Raghubar Das of the Badachhata Matha in the 17th century.

The Craftsmanship of the Besha:
The Lord’s lotus-like face is adorned with lotus petals and a triangular Tahiya (headpiece) made of cane and decorated with Sola (pith/sponge-wood) lotuses. Lotus buds are placed in the hands of the deities. Two or three strands of lotus stalks hang down from the Lord’s mouth. Green leaves are placed in appropriate positions. To signify a water body (pond), two swimming swans made of pith are placed on the Singhasana (throne). The deities are further decorated with floral pendants on the heart, garlands, floral bunches (Jhumpa), and floral Chita (forehead marks). Special offerings of Khiri (rice pudding) and Amalu, provided by the Matha, are prepared in the temple kitchen and offered to the Lords. The Lords remain in this Padma Besha throughout the night. Goddess Subhadra is also adorned in this attire. Four pith swans grace the Ratna Singhasana. This ritual is performed before Magha Panchami because the winter garments (Ghodala) are still worn—white lotuses look beautiful against the black cloth on Saturdays or the green cloth on Wednesdays. As lotuses were traditionally unavailable in winter, the Besha has been made using pith lotuses for about 300 years.

The Devotion of Chintamani Dash:
While the legend of devotee Manohar Das is well-known, even today there is a devotee named Chintamani Dash who brings fresh lotus flowers for the Lord. He travels from Bhubaneswar to Shri Kshetra (Puri) carrying baskets of flowers to decorate the Lord. The bond between the devotee and the Lord is so strong that he waits for this day all year round. On his way, he offers a lotus garland to Goddess Batamangala. Upon reaching Puri, he carries the flower baskets on his head to the temple.

Chintamani, a resident of Shastrinagar, Bhubaneswar, is a retired Sanskrit teacher who left Capital High School in 2013. He says that once, after reading in a newspaper that the Lord wears pith lotuses due to a shortage of real flowers in winter, he was so moved that he could not sleep. He began a mission to provide fresh lotuses. He has taken five lotus ponds near Dhauli on lease. Since 2011, he has been bringing thousands of flowers: 1008 lotuses in 2011, 3008 in 2012, and in 2013, he provided 3008 for the main deities, along with specific counts for Goddess Bimala (108), Batamangala (54), Kamalamika (108), and Mahalakshmi (108). This year too, he continues his service.

The Legend of Manohar Das:
According to legend, there lived a Hindi-speaking saint named Manohar Das hundreds of miles away from Utkal (Odisha). He once set out on foot to see Lord Jagannath. Despite the physical pain of the long journey through forests, mountains, and rivers, he remained steadfast. One day, feeling extremely thirsty in a deserted area, he found a pond full of blooming lotuses. He was amazed because lotuses do not typically bloom in winter. Remembering the Lord, he plucked the flowers and wrapped them in his (somewhat dirty) towel.

He reached the Shri Mandir on the day of Magha Amavasya and requested the priests to offer the flowers to the Lord. However, seeing the dry lotuses in a dirty cloth, the priests scolded and rejected him, saying they were unfit for the deity. Heartbroken and insulted, Manohar Das gathered the fallen flowers, left the temple, and fainted near the Badachhata Matha while chanting the Lord’s name. That same night, Lord Jagannath appeared in the dream of the Gajapati Maharaja (the King) and said, “I will wear the flowers brought by Manohar for my Badasinghara Besha today. Prepare lotus-rice Khiri for the saint and save his life.” Following this divine command, the tradition of Padma Besha in the month of Magha was established.

The Philosophy of Jagannath:
The ways of our Kalia Saanta (Lord Jagannath) are truly mysterious. He accepts even a tiny grain if offered with pure devotion. The glory of the Merciful Lord is such that even Shiva, Brahma, and Narada bow at His feet, yet after ages, they cannot fully grasp His true form. What then can a mere mortal know?

“Sarva Rahasya Purushottamasya,
Deve Na Janati Krutah Manushya”
(All mysteries belong to Purushottama; even the gods do not know them, let alone humans.)

Searching for His mystery in scriptures alone is futile. He is not just a deity born of scriptures; He is the God of the people, the miraculous reflection of the human soul.

He is the Master of all India. The Aryans, non-Aryans, Vedantists, Shaivites, and Vaishnavites—all see their own beloved deity within Him. He views the entire world with an equal eye (Sama Drusti). As the Bhrigu Gita says: “Samoham Sarvabhuteshu” (I am equal to all living beings).

Lord Jagannath is a synthesis of all faiths. He is the Vishnu of the Vaishnavas, the Buddha of the Buddhists, the Jineshwar of the Jains, and the Patitapabana of the Sabaras (tribals). His consciousness is vast and generous; He is not confined to any one caste or sect. Being the Lord of the Universe, He looks upon all its inhabitants with equality. 🙏❤️

Divine Padma Besha: Handcrafted lotus attire for the Lord’s sleep.