A 130-member Banajaga team headed by senior most Daitapati Haladhar Dasmahapatra on Sunday would proceed to Kakatpur Maa Mangala temple as part of their journey for searching holy neem trees for the Nabakalebar of the deities. The logs would be used to carve out Bigrahas (idols) of the four deities of the Jagannath temple. The journey would start from the Simhadwar (lion’s Gate) of the temple.
In the afternoon, soon after the offering of Madhyahna bhog (lunch) to the deities, the team would begin their march. The temple priests would hand over Ajnamallyas of all four deities to the team to locate and bring the neem trees.
Near the palace here, Rajguru of the Gajapati King who is the foremost Sevayat of the deities would hand over Sankalp Gua (betel nut) to the Daiatapatis as a symbol of entrustment of responsibility to go in search of Darus and return to the temple in time to construct the new idols.
On the Sunday evening, the team would reach the Jagannath Ballav mutt and take rest there for the night, while on Tuesday midnight, the team would walk to the Kakatpur Maa Mangala temple through Puri-Konark marine drive road. On the way, they would take rest at the Ramchandi temple alongside the marine drive road near Konark and at Sankarshwar dev Shiva temple near Kudhei village. The team would reach Deuli mutt near Kakatpur on the April 3.
The priest of the Maa Mangala temple would welcome the team at the Deuli mutt and conduct them to the Maa Mangala temple. The Banajaga team would offer prayers and organise a puja to invoke the blessings of the goddess for a divine vision about location of all four neem trees suitable for the Darus. later, they would return to the Deuli mutt and take rest there for a dream in which they would be told about the location of the neem trees. All through their mission, the team would take prasad once in a day.
The Banajaga team comprises of 96 young and senior Daitapatis, 16 Swotriya Brahmins, 14 Biswakarmas, two Rajgurus, and two temple purohits, besides other support staff and Government officials. Elaborate arrangements were made at their resting places on the way. Deuli mutt where they would stay for more than a week till getting the divine instruction has been given a facelift. A big kitchen, conference room, a huge altar and a parking lot have been developed at the mutt while the approach road to the mutt has been developed.