Odisha Nabakalebara: Jagannath’s daru to be cut tomorrow

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jagatsinghpur, May 8:

The daru (neem tree used to make idols) of Lord Jagannath, identified in Kharipadia village of Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, will be chopped tomorrow.

The rituals before cutting the daru began at the site with land purification, forest worship, beginning of the havan, sacred bath of the daru etc yesterday.

The rituals and festivities continued on the spot today as well for the second day.

The day started at 8:30 AM with the nomination of Bidyapati and Biswabasu and continued with the worship of the Sun god and havan. The havan began at 10:15 AM. 600 ahutis (ghee offerings made in havan) were made today and Vedic Brahmins such as Acharya, Pracharak, Pustakacharya, Charu, Samidha, Sukta Pathak, Yajapa, Agni Rakshak and Kundalacharyas of the four Vedas were part of it.

Thousands of visitors thronged the site to have a glimpse of the tree that would be used to make Lord Jagannath’s idol despite the scorching heat.

The police had taken necessary steps and had made necessary arrangements for a disciplined and easy visit of the daru. District collector Satya Kumar Mallick and Police IG RP Koche were seen on the ground monitoring the status.

The last leg of the havan would be done tomorrow and the purnahuti would be done between 2-3 PM following which the tree would be felled and cut to pieces to be loaded on to a sagadi (cart) and carried to Puri.