All the four Darus placed in the Darugruha of the Koili Baikuntha in the premises of the Shree Mandir are being offered bhog daily by the Pattimahapatra. The sculpting of the Darus into the idols of lords would begin soon after observance of Snanapurnima ritual scheduled for June 2. The deities (present) would recline to sick room (Anasar Ghar) supposedly suffering from fever for a fortnight.
As per the Nabakalebar manual, during the fortnight, the Biswakarmas (traditional temple carpenters) under instruction from the chief of the Daita clan Pattimahapatra will give shape to the logs into deities. Before that the Swatriya Brahmins through conduct of ‘Homa’ will consecrate the equipment of the carpenters for use in the construction of the idols.
A dozen of Swatriya Brahmins would conduct an 11-day yajna in the Koilibaikunth complex while the construction of the idols is in progress. Tight security would be ensured. No servitor other than the Daitas involved in the construction would be allowed inside the temple. The Daitas for sculpting images would not be allowed to exit from the temple either.
They would stay inside the temple till the sculpting work was over. Curtains would be raised around the Darugruha to prevent outsiders’ view while the construction of idols is on. As per the fixed schedule, shaping of the idols would be completed on June 14. On the Chatrudashi tithi, the new idols would be placed face to face the old deities. Four senior Daita servitors blind folded and their hands wrapped with silk would transfer the ‘brahma’ from the old ones to the new idols in the mid of the night.
The Daitas would carry the old ones and bury them in the Koili Baikuntha complex. The new deities would appear for public darshan on July 17, a day prior to the annual Rath Yatra. Meanwhile, elaborate preparations for observance of the Snanpurnima were being made by the temple and district administration. The district and the temple administrations had a hectic time as a large number of devotees turned up for the pulling of Jagannath Daru Sagadi. A large number of devotees are likely to throng the city to witness the Snanapurnima rituals of the deities for the last time.