The festival of chariots

Bithika Dey *

Konung Kang Chingba on July 18, 2015 at Konung, Imphal :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

Behold! Behold! The ever merciful Lord Jagannath is once again coming on the streets of the world on July 18, 2015 to bless us and fill our hearts with transcendental joy and happiness. Although, I have seen Jagannath Rathayatra — the festival of chariots — from my childhood, it was not untill I met the devotees of ISKCON that my devotion for Lord Jagannath deepened.

Now Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe, is being worshipped all over the world and I have grown to see Him as the most merciful who excuses His devotees’ offenses and attracts them further along the path of devotional service.

Importantly, this hidden glory of India—Rathayatra festival— is widely celebrated by many Vaishnavas in different places of Assam. The festival is celebrated in a big way by ISKCON devotees in Guwahati, Silchar, Dhekiajuli, Biswanatha Chariali, etc.

At Haflong, my home town, Jagannath Rathayatra is celebrated with great pomp and splendour. A temple of Lord Jagannath has already completed 100 years a couple of years back here. So, the local people including the ethnic tribes like Dimasas, Hrangkhols, Nagas, etc. make it a momentous event.

The devotees of ISKCON are celebrating this mega festival with a long list of programmes like Srimad Bhagavad Katha, and Harinaam Sankirtan from July 18, 2015 to July 26, 2015 at Jayanagar, Beltola, Guwahati. It gives us an opportunity to remember the transcendental glories of the name, fame, form and pastimes of the unlimited supreme Lord. Apart from this, chanting His holy names, dancing and feasting are also an integral part of the seven-day long festival which will bring us together on a common platform of love of Godhead.

Notably, this year 2015 is very auspicious as the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan have been replaced by a new set of idols. It is an ancient ritual termed as “Nava Kalebara”. A year with an extra month (adhika masa) as per Hindu calendar is considered auspicious for conducting the ceremony. This usually occurs every 12 to 19 years. The deities are made from a special type of Neem wood known as ‘Darubrahma’. Last ceremony was done in the year 1996. So, we are very lucky to be a part of “Nava Kalebara” of 2015.

The Rathayatra this year falls on July 18, 2015, i.e. today and yesterday was Gundhicha Marjana (the cleaning of the temple in and around). This ritual was introduced by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He and his fellow men used to clean the Gundhicha temple with much care and devotion, so that Lord Jagannath does not come up with any dust during His stay for a week in Gundhicha temple. Till today, this ritual is followed just before the festival of chariots.

Jagannatha’s Transcendental Advent: Let us now recall the cause of Lord Jagannath’s transcendental advent. Why does Lord Krishna appear as Jagannath?

The Skanda Purana relates King Indradyumna’s quest to find a deity form of Krishna after dreaming of a beautiful blue deity named Nila Madhava. The name describes the sapphire color of the deity: Nila means blue, and Madhava is one of Krishna’s names. King Indradyumna sent messengers in all directions to find Nila Madhava, and a brahmana named Vidyapati returned successful. He discovered that Vishvavasu, a pig farmer (savara) in a remote tribal village, was secretly worshiping Nila Madhava. When Vidyapati later returned to that place with Indradyumna, however, Nila Madhava was gone. King Indradyumna surrounded the village with his soldiers and arrested Vishvavasu.

Then a voice from the sky proclaimed, “Release the savara and build a big temple for Me on top of Nila Hill. There you will see Me, not as Nila Madhava, but in a form made of neem wood.”

Nila Madhava promised to appear as wood (daru), and thus He is called daru-brahma (“wood-spirit”). Indradyumna waited by the ocean, where the Lord arrived as a giant log floating toward the beach.

Disguised an old man, Vishvakarma, the architect of the demigods, arrived to carve the deities under the condition that he would remain undisturbed for twenty-one days. King Indradyumna consented, and the artist worked behind locked doors. Before the time period was up, however, the noise stopped, and King Indradyumna’s intense curiosity prompted him to open the doors. Vishvakarma had disappeared. In the room, the three deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra looked as if unfinished—without hands or feet—and Indradyumna became greatly perturbed, thinking he had offended the Lord.

That night, Jagannatha spoke to the king in a dream and reassured him, explaining that He was revealing Himself in that form out of His own inconceivable desire, to show the world that He can accept offerings without hands, and move around without feet.

Lord Jagannatha told the king, “Know for sure that My hands and feet are the ornament of all ornaments, but for your satisfaction, you may give Me gold and silver hands and feet from time to time.”

Devotees now worship the same “unfinished” forms of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra in Puri and in temples around the world. These forms are part of their eternal pastimes.

Transformed by Rohini’s Talks: The Utkala-khanda of the Skanda Purana gives another account related to Krishna’s appearance as Jagannatha. (Utkala is the traditional name for Orissa). Once, during a solar eclipse, Krishna, Balarama, Subhadra, and other residents of Dwaraka went to bathe in a holy pond at Kurukshetra. Knowing that Krishna would be there, Srimati Radharani, Krishna’s parents Nanda and Yashoda, and other residents of Vrindavana, who were burning in the fire of separation from the Lord, went to meet Him. Inside one of the many tents the pilgrims had set up at Kurukshetra, Rohini, Lord Balarama’s mother, narrated Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes to the queens of Dwaraka and others.

The residents of Dwaraka are said to be in the mood of opulence (aishvarya), and they worship Krishna as the Supreme Lord. But the residents of Vrindavana are in the mood of sweetness (madhurya), and they have a confidential relationship with Krishna that surpasses awe and reverence because it is based on friendship and love. Rohini’s narration was thus extremely confidential, so she posted Subhadra at the door to prevent anyone from entering.

Krishna and Balarama came to the door and stood on Subhadra’s left and right sides. While listening to Rohini’s narration of Krishna’s intimate Vrindavana pastimes, Krishna and Balarama became ecstatic, and Their internal feelings were exhibited externally. Their eyes became dilated, Their heads compressed into Their bodies, and Their limbs retracted. Seeing these transformations in Krishna and Balarama, Subhadra also became ecstatic and assumed a similar form. Thus, by hearing about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana, Krishna and Balarama, with Subhadra in between, displayed their ecstatic forms of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra.

It follows from above, Jagannath is none other than Krishna. He appears in His most merciful form to help us go home, back to Godhead. Therefore, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), has introduced the festival of chariots in many cities around the world to uplift the conditioned souls from the spell of illusion (maya). Let us all take advantage of this occasion. Finally, the festival of chariots will definitely bring a new era of mental peace and overall prosperity by promoting universal brotherhood.