Near the holy Grand Road of Puri, lived a poor woodcutter with his wife. Every day he would go to the forest to collect wood, which he would then sell in the city to support his family. Despite the woodcutter’s hard work all day, it was difficult for him to have a full meal in […]
Manabasa Osha is Odisha’s sacred Margashira Thursday worship of Goddess Lakshmi, closely connected with the harvest, household purity and the teachings of the Lakshmi Purana. During Manabasa Gurubar, devotees prepare the home with devotion and pray for prosperity, harmony and grace. Manabasa Osha in Odisha Kāntyā kāñcanasannibhāṁ himagiri prakhyai ścaturbhirgajai |Hastōtkṣipta hiraṇmayāmr̥ta ghaṭai rāsicyamānāṁśriyam ||Bibhrāṇāṁ […]
Among the various festivals celebrated in the Shri Mandir throughout the year, the Suna Besha (Golden Attire) or Rajarajeshwara Besha (Kingly Attire) of Lord Jagannath is extremely beautiful and rare. This is the only besha (attire) in which the opulence of the Mahaprabhu is clearly manifested. The Suna Besha (also known as Raja Besha or Bada Tadhau […]
Kartika Purnima is also known as Rasa Purnima. This festival is deeply intertwined with the customs, traditions, lifestyle, and religious sentiments of Odisha. The festival holds a special significance from the perspective of Utkala’s (ancient Odisha’s) history and its maritime trade in the pre-Christian era. Kartika Purnima Significance Shudramuni Sarala Das, the first poet of […]
Today, on the auspicious occasion of Kartika Shukla Chaturdashi in the holy month of Kartika, the Chaturdhamurti (the four divine images) will be adorned in the Lakshmi Nrusingha Besha upon the Ratna Singhasana (bejeweled throne). This adornment takes place after the deities’ ‘Abakasha Niti’ (morning ritual). For Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, two decorative stalks […]
Bada Osha is a sacred Kartika observance dedicated to Lord Shiva at Dhabaleswar. Nagendraharaya TrilochanayaBhasmangaragaya MahesvarayaNityaya Suddhaya DigambarayaTasmai “Ma” karaya Namah Shivaya (Meaning: Salutations to Shiva, who wears a serpent king as a garland, the three-eyed one, whose body is smeared with sacred ash, the great lord. To the eternal, the pure, the one who […]
Harihara Besha of Lord Balabhadra is a sacred Kartika adornment in Shri Mandir that expresses the unity of Hari and Hara, Vishnu and Shiva. The white-and-black attire reflects this harmony and is observed when the prescribed Monday falls within the ritual period. “Jo Harih Sa Harah Sakshat Yo Harah Sa Harih Sada.” Harihara Besha and […]
In the Sakshigopal legend, the Lord spoke in a voice as deep as the clouds, “O villagers! The words of the younger Brahmin are not untrue. Keeping me as a witness, the elder Brahmin had promised to give his daughter in marriage to him. You should all proceed with the wedding ceremony with joy and […]
The last five days of the Kartika month (from Kartika Shukla Ekadashi to Purnima) are observed as the holy Panchaka. It is also known as Maha Panchaka, Baka Panchaka, Bhishma Panchaka, or Vishnu Panchaka. Those who are unable to observe ‘Habishya’ (a restricted, pure vegetarian diet) for the entire month of Kartika, follow it during […]
On the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight of the Kartika month, the Adakia Besha or Trivikram Besha of the deities is held in the Shree Mandir. This adornment begins in the morning after the completion of the ‘Abakasha’ ritual of the Shree Jius. The Pushpalaka servitors perform this decoration. Adakia Besha: Ornaments and Ritual […]
