Colourful N'kalebar over; let's add colours to our lives

By now, ‘Nabakalebar’ has become a household name among Odias all over the world and also among the non-Odias who are acquainted with the Jagannath culture. Thanks to the audio-visual and print media, the celebrations have begun since the Agyan Maal (garland) was obtained from the temple and the priests set off amidst grandeur to procure the wood for new idols. It was indeed a very colourful event marked by the Rath Yatra day before and until the deities return from the Gundicha Ghara. The frenzy among the devotees will continue. I feel that in the upcoming year, people will throng the temple for seeing the new idols for blessings.

There have been lots of speculations that since the old idols were buried and considered dead, during the coming year starting with Rath Yatra, no auspicious ceremonies like marriages, etc., should be held. There is another opinion that this year will be a very blessed year as the lords have taken rebirth and there is no idea of death for the Gods. Gods can’t die; they can reincarnate themselves or change their bodies, just as all creatures do. What is called Brahma for them is the soul in our context. According to Hindu religion, the body dies and the soul lives on and acquires a new body, that too usually when the body degenerates. When our car gets old and starts giving trouble, we go in for a new one. Same is with the human body and all other creatures. Of course, there are exceptions when very young people die in accidents etc. The deities change their bodies almost every 19 years when a Nabakalebar is held.

There is a point of view that when the deities are going in for a new life, why not we go in for a makeover. I am not referring to the makeover that celebrities do, but we can go in for a new life on this occasion. There is only new life and no actual death; so this year should be a year of celebrations. People may make new resolutions and start living a new life along with the lord. The entire Nabakalebar ceremony has been so colourful that I feel we should add some colours to our lives too. Especially for children and teenagers who would form the citizens of tomorrow, there are many lessons to be learnt from this event.