The Banajaga Yatra, a Nabakalebar ritual to make new idols of lord Jagannath and his siblings, began here on Sunday with the launch of the search for the sacred wood for the idols. Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb, who is also the first servitor of lord Jagannath, gave the go-ahead for the Banajaga expedition. He handed over the Sankalp Gua (betel nut) to the Daitapatis as a symbol of trust of this religious job and the royal endorsement for their holy duty.
In the evening, a colourful procession, the 130-member Banajaga team came out of the Shree Jagannath temple main gate (Simhadwar) late in the evening and began their Padyatra to the Jagannath Ballav Mutt, where they would stay. The Banajaga Yatra is the expedition for search of wood from neem trees for carving out new idols of lord Jagannath, lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra as well as lord Sudarshan.
The last Nabakalebar had taken place in 1996. An official of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said around 150 servitors would be part of the around one-and-half-month-long yatra to select the neem trees.
SJTA Chief Administrator Suresh Mohapatra said the expedition would begin on Monday night. The temple administration had on Saturday announced the names of Daitapatis (servitors) to act as Biswabasu and Vidyapati, who play prominent roles in finding the right wood for making the idols. Biswabasu was the tribal king who was one of the first devotees of lord Jagannath. Vidyapati married Biswabasu's daughter and was also a great devotee of lord Jagannath.
Binayak Dasmohapatra, who is appointed Biswabasu, said, "On the midnight ofMarch 30, we will commence our journey towards the Deuli Mutt at Kakatpur in Puri. After a prophesy in our dreams by Maa Mangala of Kakatpur about the location of darus (wood), we will move out in search of the timber in different directions." Puri Superintendent of Police Asish Kumar Singh said elaborate security arrangements have been made for the Banajaga Yatra.