Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath, the presiding deity of the Jagannath Temple, is a uniquely humanized God. His daily rituals mirror the everyday life of a common man, blurring the lines between the divine and the human. Just like us, he brushes his teeth, bathes, dresses in colorful attire, enjoys a variety of 56 food items, and […]

Hera Panchami is a unique celebration that is observed on the fifth day of Rath Yatra. During the holy Ratha Jatra, Mahapravu Shree Jagannath comes out of Srimandira, His abode in Puri, with His brother Bada Thakura Balabhadra and sister Maa Subhadra along with His divine weapon Pravu Sri Sudarshana for a nine-day sojourn to […]

Prabhu Shree Sudarshan, the divine weapon of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath, plays a pivotal role in the sacred Banajaga Yatra, the journey to find the Daru (sacred wood) for the Nabakalebara ritual. After receiving the ‘Agnyamala’, the Darujatri team, led by Sudarshan, travels from the Singhadwara of the Jagannath Temple to the Jagannath Ballav Math and […]

Ancient texts like Varahamihira’s ‘Vrihat Samhita’ and Kashyapa’s ‘Shilpashastra’ prescribe ‘Daru’ (wood) as an ideal material for divine idols. The ‘Bhavishya Purana’ specifically recommends various auspicious trees for Surya (Sun God) idols, including peepul, mahua, deodar, sandal, bel, khadir, anchan, neem, sriparna, jackfruit, arjun, and raktachandan (red sandalwood). However, Neem wood holds particular significance for […]