-: ll Shri Mahaprabhu’s Divinely Rare Ramabhishek Mahabesha or Raghunath Besha ll :- 🏹

In the year when Vaishakha Shukla Navami (9th day of the bright fortnight of the Vaishakha month) falls on a Thursday coinciding with Shravana Nakshatra and Makara Rashi (Capricorn constellation), Shri Jagannath’s Raghunath Besha takes place. Shri Ramanujacharya introduced this Besha (attire/decoration).

Gajapati Ramachandra Deb, in the 11th Anka (regnal year) of his reign, on Shravana Shukla Navami, seated the deities on the Ratnasinghasan (Jewelled Throne) and declared himself the fourth Indradyumna. During his coronation, gold Ramabhishek Mohurs (coins depicting Rama’s coronation) were introduced. At that time, spending a significant amount of money, he had various jewelled ornaments crafted and, for the first time, adorned the deities in the Raghunath Besha.

Among all of Shri Mahaprabhu’s Beshas, this is an exceedingly beautiful (ramaniya) and captivating (chitakarshaka) one. However, for approximately the last 120 years, this Besha has not been performed. It is known from Srimandir records that this Besha was last performed on Thursday, April 26, 1905. A second attempt involving meetings and discussions was made for this in 1983 but was unsuccessful. Devotees have not been able to witness the Raghunath Besha since then. According to available information, the Raghunath Besha has occurred a total of 9 times.

ll According to experts/knowledgeable sources, the Raghunath Besha was held in the following years ll :-

• 1577 AD (Vaishakha Krushna Dashami – 10th day of the dark fortnight)

• 1739 AD (Vaishakha Krushna Dashami)

• 1809 AD (14th Anka of Mukunda Deb)

• 1833 AD (19th Anka of Ramachandra Deb)

• 1842 AD (3rd Anka of Bira Kishore Deb)

• 1850 AD (Vaishakha Krushna Chaturdashi – 14th day of the dark fortnight)

• 1893 AD (14th Anka of Mukunda Deb’s reign)

• 1896 AD (18th Anka of Mukunda Deb’s reign)

• 1905 AD, April 26th, Navami, Thursday

In this Besha, Shri Mahaprabhu (Jagannath) is adorned in the exquisite form of Ramachandra, holding Shri Devi (representing Mata Sita) seated on His lap on the Ratna Singhasan. Shri Bada Thakura (Balabhadra) takes the form of Lakshmana and holds the umbrella (Chhatra). Besides this, the Rama Darbar (court scene) extends from the Ratna Singhasan up to the Garuda pillar. Nala, Nila, Vibhishana, Hanuman, Jambavan, Sugriva, Narada, Vashishtha, along with the Saptarishi (Seven Sages), Brahma, Shankara (Shiva), and many others are present before the Lord (Shri Chhamu).

In this Besha, some special gold ornaments are also used. Nearly everyone depicted, from the Ratna Singhasan to the Garuda pillar area, wears gold ornaments. It appears exactly like the actual Rama Darbar. In 1905, the crowd for this Besha was so immense that there was reportedly no time even to perform the Pahuda (closing ritual) of the Srimandir. In the future, only if Mahaprabhu wills it, can the Ramabhishek Mahabesha become possible again.

ll Legend ll :-

According to legend, Maharaja Dasharatha had three chief queens (Patarani) named Kausalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra. Besides these, he had 72 other queens. Among these 72 queens, one gave birth to a daughter. Lest jealousy and conflict arise among the queens, he had previously, according to a promise, given the newborn daughter as an adopted daughter (poshya putri) to his friend, the royal sage (Rajarshi) Yajnavalkya. At that time, Ramachandra had not yet been born. Yajnavalkya later gave that daughter in marriage to Rishyashringa.

Therefore, Ramachandra had an elder sister. Hence, some believe that during the Raghunath Besha, Subhadra Devi should appropriately remain in the Yogamaya Besha (form/attire of Yogamaya). (Another tradition mentioned here:) The Raghunath Besha occurs if Rama Navami (Rama Janma Tithi – birth date) coincides with Pushya Nakshatra.

ll Ramabhishek Niti (Ritual) in Sri Mandir ll

Mahaprabhu’s Ramabhishek Niti is performed on the sacred day combining Shravana Nakshatra and Makara Rashi. In the Srimandir, after the Madhyahna Dhupa (midday food offering), the representative deity for the Nakshatra (Nakshatra Dian) enters the inner sanctum. Following this, the Nakshatra Bandapana (welcome ritual) is performed, and the deity proceeds for the Nakshatra Bedha (circumambulation related to the star). After the Bhoga (offering) and Bandapana rituals are completed at the Jaya-Vijaya Dwara (main gate to the sanctum), the deity proceeds to the Dakshini Ghara (southern chamber).

After other rituals are completed there, in the evening, upon receiving the Āgyamāḷa (garland of command), Shri Rama, Shri Lakshmana, and Devi Sita proceed in a palanquin (Pālinki) to the Shri Jagannath Ballabha Matha (monastery). Two servitors, embodying the characters of Bharata and Shatrughna, carrying Lord Shri Rama’s silver sandals (rupāra pādukā dvaya), also arrive at the Shri Jagannath Ballabha Matha. There, the Shri Rama Abhishek Niti (coronation ritual) is performed by the Goudabada Sahi Akhada (a traditional local gymnasium/group). After this, the deities return (bāhuḍā bijē) to the Srimandir.

In the Treta Yuga, Mahaprabhu was born in Ayodhya Dham in the form of Shri Rama. Since Shri Rama is an avatar (incarnation) of Mahaprabhu, from that perspective, the rituals from Shri Rama’s birth ceremony (Janma Niti) up to the Ramabhishek Niti are observed annually in the Srimandir.

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