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NABAKALEBARA SPL
Transfer of ‘soul’ during Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sib Kumar Das
Replacement of the old idols with new ones takes place in all temples when the old ones deteriorate with time. But in no other temple does this idol replacement have a metaphorical ritual heralding the…
Tarabali Paata: Cosmos as Swathe in Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sib Kumar Das
Like the ‘Gitagovind Khandua’ mentioned in an earlier episode of this series - http://odishasuntimes.com/134188/gitagovinda-khandua-and-nabakalebara/ - the ‘Tarabali paata’, a long piece of ‘Khandua silk’…
Untamed potency and tamed kinetics metaphor in Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sibkumar Das
Construction of new ‘daru’ idols and invocation of divinity through ‘pratistha karma’ continue simultaneously. Intricate mandalas are drawn on the ‘pratistha mandap’ or special pedestal at the very…
Role of Sri Yajnanrusimha in Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sibkumar Das
Sri Nrusimha is a recurring theme in all the rituals of Nabakalebara. In Indian mythology, Sri Nrusimha, the half human, half lion form, is the fourth avatar of Lord Vishnu. This deity exudes untamed…
Nyasadaru: The “One as All’ Enigma of Nabakelabara
Asit Mohanty & Sibkumar Das
‘Adwaita’ is the ultimate goal of Indian philosophy. It proclaims non-dualistic omnipresence of Brahma or Almighty. Indians worship several deities and believe they are the manifestations of the same…
The Symbolism of ‘Ashwamedha Yajna’ in Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sibkumar Das
‘Ashwamedha yajna’ was a major ritual of Vedic age that finds mention in the Rigveda. ‘Shatpatha Brahmana’ of Yajurveda contains a detailed description of the phenomenon. It was the most regal among the…
The Mystery of the ‘inverted human’ in Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sibkumar Das
Spiritual metaphors are integral elements of Nabakalebara. One of the many ways that they are given expression is through the pictorial form. It is the image of an inverted human figure. This ritualistic…
Symbolism of Yajna and Bali in Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sibkumar Das
The preparation of ‘yajnakunda (pit for yajna) for the ‘yajna’ performed near selected ‘daru’ tree starts with the drawing of ‘mandala’ or sacred designs representing the cosmos at its base by the acharya…
‘Triguna-Ankura’ and its significance in Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sibkumar Das
The ‘yajna’ performed near the selected ‘daru’ trees during Nabakelabara are termed ‘Banajaga’. ‘Bana’ means forest and ‘Yajna’ is also known as ‘jaga’. So, ‘Banajaga’ is the ‘yajna’ performed in the…
Choice of neem as ‘daru’ tree for Nabakalebara
Asit Mohanty & Sibkumar Das
Ancient Indians were conscious of the importance of plants for human existence. Plants were always considered indispensable for human beings and several plants like Tulsi were worshipped. Metaphors with…