Illuminating the Ancestors: Deva Deepavali at Shri Jagannath Temple

In the heart of Puri, within the sacred precincts of the Shri Jagannath Temple, a unique and deeply moving tradition unfolds each year – Deva Deepavali, the festival of lights for the divine. This is not just a festival of illumination, but a heartfelt homage to ancestors, a ritual in which Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu himself participates, embodying the human connection to lineage and heritage. Over three sacred days, the Lord offers lamps to his own spiritual ancestors, a practice that resonates with devotion and reverence. Let’s delve into the beauty and significance of this extraordinary observance.

Shri Jagannath’s Ancestral Homage

The traditions of Shri Jagannath Temple are replete with rituals that mirror human experiences. During Deva Deepavali, the Lord takes on the role of a devoted descendant, offering lamps to his divine ancestors. These honored forebears include:

• Aditi and Kashyapa: The parents of the gods and divine incarnations.
• Dasharatha, Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra: The royal family from the Ramayana.
• Nanda and Yashoda: The foster parents of Lord Krishna.
• Vasudeva and Devaki: The biological parents of Lord Krishna.
• King Indradyumna and Queen Gundicha: The legendary founders of the Shri Jagannath Temple.

The lighting of lamps extends across three significant days. On the first day (Margashira Krishna Chaturdashi), lamps are dedicated to Aditi and Kashyapa. The second day (Amavasya) sees lamps offered to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya. Finally, on the third day (Shukla Pratipada), lamps are lit in remembrance of Vasudeva, Devaki, Nanda, Yashoda, King Indradyumna, and Queen Gundicha.

This act of offering lamps and performing ancestral rites by Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu himself is the reason this occasion is known as Deva Deepavali (Divine Diwali) and also Shraddha Besha (the attire of remembrance).

The Significance of the Three Days

• Day One: The Lord offers prayers and lamps to Aditi and Kashyapa, revered as the divine parents, symbolizing the origin of divine incarnations. They are also seen as the divine parents of Shri Jagannath in a spiritual sense.
• Day Two: The focus shifts to King Dasharatha and Kausalya, embodying the ideals of righteous kingship and maternal love, reflecting the values of the Ramayana.
• Day Three: The final day encompasses prayers to the divine foster parents of Krishna, Nanda and Yashoda, representing unconditional love and care. It also includes homage to King Indradyumna and Queen Gundicha, the divine royal couple who established the temple, signifying devotion and the founding of a sacred space.

These three days of Deva Deepavali are imbued with a profound sense of respect, love, and remembrance, connecting the present with the past and the divine with the human.

The Ritual and the Shraddha Besha

On the first day, after the evening prayers (Sandhya Dhupa), the area below the Ratna Singhasana (the sacred throne) is meticulously purified. An intricate design resembling a tree is created using rice paste, and small earthen lamps are filled with ghee and lit. The priest sanctifies this arrangement and the lamps, which are then carried to the Jaya Vijaya Dwara, the inner doors of the temple sanctum. Subsequently, the lamps are taken outside and used to light other lamps within the temple complex.

During this sacred observance, Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu and the other deities are adorned in the special Shraddha Besha. This attire is characterized by its simplicity, consisting of white silk cloths with colored borders:

• Shri Jagannath: Wears a 16 or 18-hand-long cloth with a yellow border.
• Shri Balabhadra: Donns a 14-hand-long cloth with a black border.
• Shri Subhadra: Is adorned in a 12-hand-long cloth with a red border.

The deities are also embellished with simple yet elegant golden ornaments, adding a gentle radiance to their divine forms during this solemn ritual.

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