According to legends, the ropes of Lord Jagannath's chariots are made from the body of a demon

The Rath Yatra festival of Lord Jagannath takes place annually on a grand scale. Devotees eagerly await this sacred day. This year, the Rath Yatra is scheduled to begin on July 16, which corresponds to the second day of the Ashadha lunar month, and millions of pilgrims are expected to participate. According to religious beliefs, participating in this holy procession brings liberation (moksha) and also frees one from vices such as anger, rage, and greed.

The Tradition of Changing Images

There are many mysterious aspects at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha. This temple is the only one in the world where unfinished wooden images of deities are installed, which are completely replaced every 12 years (sometimes after 19 years). This important tradition is called Navakalevara.

The Essence of the Navakalevara Ritual

Navakalevara means 'new body'. As part of this ritual, the old statues in the temple are replaced with new ones. The main reason for this practice is that these images are made of wood, which can deteriorate over time. This rite holds special secrecy: according to beliefs, electricity is switched off throughout the city during the statue replacement to maintain complete darkness so that no one can observe the process. It is conducted in an extremely clandestine manner.

Creation of New Figures

The new statues of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshana are made from neem wood. The chief priest of the temple selects these trees. It is believed that these trees should be about 100 years old and free of any defects. This tradition represents an amazing combination of faith, mystery, and reverence, making Jagannath Dham even more special.

Frequency of the Ritual

This process does not happen every year. According to the Panchang, Navakalevara is observed in the year when Malmaas occurs in the Ashadha month, meaning when there are two months in Ashadha. This interval is usually between 12 and 19 years.

The Mystery of Brahma Paddartha

The most enigmatic moment in the statue replacement process is the extraction of Brahma Paddartha from the old figure and its placement into the new one. During the night of the ritual, electricity is cut off throughout the city of Puri, and complete darkness is established within the temple complex itself.

The Ritual in Complete Darkness

The chief priest (Daitapati) performs this procedure while wearing a silk blindfold and wrapping his hands in thick cloth. He extracts the 'Brahma Paddartha' from the chest of the old statue and places it into the chest of the new one. The priests who participated in this act claim that they have never seen this substance, yet when they hold it, they feel something beating, like a living heart. According to belief, this is the very heart of Lord Krishna, which continues to beat even now.

It is said that Shiva is the beginning and the end, and that Mahadeva is also a form of Shiva, with all existence in the universe permeated by him. However, even Lord Shiva did not place himself above the laws of the cosmos. This is why one of his aspects, Mahadeva, had to face curses.

The Curse of Daksha Prajapati

According to Hindu scriptures, every major event is associated either with a blessing or a curse. One such curse was the curse of Daksha Prajapati, who was one of the sons of Brahma. He was entrusted with the task of expanding creation, and Brahma also placed upon him the duty of uniting Shiva and Shakti.

After many years of asceticism, Shakti was born in the form of Sati and married Shiva. Nevertheless, Daksha did not accept Shiva. According to the most common version, when Daksha arrived at the yajna, all the deities stood up in respect, but Lord Shiva remained seated. Daksha perceived this as an insult and cursed Shiva, stating that he would not receive a share in the gods' sacrifices and would not be respected. Bholenath accepted this curse without objection.

The Curse of Rishi Kashyapa

Another story tells that two devotees of Shiva, Mali and Sumali, engaged in battle with the Sun God. To protect his followers, Lord Shiva struck the Sun God with his Trishula, causing him to lose consciousness. Seeing this, the father of the Sun God, Rishi Kashyapa, was deeply distressed and cursed Shiva, saying: 'Just as what happened to my son today, so too will you one day have your son's head cut off.' Later, this curse came true when Lord Shiva beheaded Ganesha and then resurrected him, attaching the elephant head.

The Curse of Mother Parvati

An interesting legend is connected to gambling (dhut). It is narrated that once Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati played cards, in which Shiva lost everything and went to the banks of the Ganges. When Mata Parvati learned about this, she sent Ganesha to bring Shiva back. Then events unfolded such that Lord Vishnu took the form of bones and began helping Shiva to win. Learning of this trick, Mata Parvati became furious and laid down numerous curses. Among them were the curse that Shiva must carry the Ganges on his head, the curse on Narada never to stop in one place, the curse on Vishnu to gain an enemy in the form of Ravana, and the curse on Kartikeya to always remain in a child's form.

Meaning and Influence of Curses

According to Purana teachings, a curse is not merely a punishment but a consequence of karma. When a person cannot understand the reason for their actions, they perceive it as a curse. Sometimes these curses act for a limited time, and sometimes they affect many lifetimes. However, the truth is that Lord Shiva himself is capable of removing any kind of curse and suffering.