Shree Balabhadra Janma
The day is also known as the birth anniversary of the God of Strength – Lord Balabhadra. This day is also commonly referred to as ‘Gamha Purnima’ or ‘Jhulana Purnima’. The word Gamha is perhaps derived from the word ‘Gou-mata’. It is the last day of ‘Jhulana Jatra’ which commences on the Sravana Ekadashi Shukla paksha tithi.
Rakhi Purnima’ is popularly known as the ‘Raksha Bandhan’ festival, which coincides with the birthday of Lord Balabhadra. It is a festival of eternal bond of love that’s celebrated by brothers and sisters across India. And like all brothers and sisters, the three sibling deities; Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra also celebrate this festival, but in their own unique way.
All the three deities, after completing all the rituals in the day like bhogamandapa puja (prasad offering), mailam (change of clothes and flower decoration), mahasnana (bathing ritual), chandana lagi (application of sandal wood paste) and madhyana dhoopa puja (mid-day prasad offering), all of them are adorned with totally new brand boirani and pata patani cloth attires on the day of festival. After putting on new dresses, Devi Subhadra tightens rakhi on the Sribhuja of Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra. The Patra servitors start making these rakhis after Chitalagi Amavasya.
Four rakhis are made for both Mahaprabhu Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra, which is tied one on each hand. The rakhi also called ‘Pata Rakhi’, is prepared with ‘Basunga’ pata, a type of silk cloth. The temple administration provides the cloth to the servitors. The Basunga pata is colored in red, yellow, green, and purple color after which the pata is shredded into threads with the help of a comb. Then, the threads are arranged and sewed by the servitors in four concentric circular manner with the largest disc on the periphery.
On this day, deities adorn ‘Guamala’ (a garland of 54 areca nuts). Lord Jagannath adorns red and yellow colour guamala whereas Lord Balabhadra’s guamala is green and purple in color. These guamalas are also made by the Patra servitors. All the deities, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, Chakraraja Sudarshan, Bhudevi and Sridevi are adorned with golden ornaments on the Ratnasinghasana on this auspicious day.
After the rakhi celebration, there is Balabhadra Janma Niti (ritual) at the Markanda Sarovar (Markanda pond), located in Markanda Ashram outside the Srimandir in Puri .
In the days leading up to the festival celebrations, several rituals are performed before Lord Sudarshan is taken out from the temple and brought to the Sarovar so that he may bear witness to the birth of Lord Balabhadra.
First, the Garbagruha (where gods sit on the Ratnasinghasana) is cleaned and then ‘Shasti Devi Markanda Puja and Varuna Puja’ are carried out in the presence of Lord Balabhadra.
In Madhyana dhoopa- midday prasad, Jatrangi Bhoga from ‘rosha ghara’ or kitchen by Pujapanda servitors is offered to the deity by performing ‘Sodhasha Upachara niti’ or sixteen processes ritual. The Garbagruha is washed again and the Pujapanda servitors then do ‘Mangalarpana niti’ with Lord Balabhadra after which ‘Bandapana niti’ (ritualistic greeting) is done by Mudirasta, Pati Mahapatra and Puja Panda servitors. Thereafter, Shri Madanmohan, who is the appoint of representative image of Lord Balabhadra is carried out in the Ratnasinghasana from ‘Dakshini Ghara’. Lord Madanmohan along with goddess Bhudevi and Sridevi is taken to the ‘Jhulana Mandap’ after getting agyanmala (garland of consent) from Lord Jagannath. ‘Pahandi bije’ (procession) of Lord Sudarshan commences after this ritual. The Palia Khuntia servitors invites the Daitapati servitors to bring Lord Sudarshan from Ratnasinghasana to Jagamohana (assembly hall) and place him in a decorated ‘Chaudola’ (palanquin). Chakra Raja Sudarshan then dressed with the ‘pata patani’ clothes and ‘chula’ fixed with flowers, tulsi leaves and duba provided by Chaangada Mekap and Dayanamaali servitors.