Servitors in the 12th Century Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri will replace old idols deities with new ones on late night of Monday – a vital ritual of Nabakalebara festival, which is being celebrated after a gap of 19 years.
The secretive ritual to be performed by four servitors of temple would mark infusing life into new idols and old idols will be given burial on campus of temple. All these would be carried out in complete darkness.
Wooden idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Lord Sudarshan were last changed in 1996. Special worships were organised in the temple on Monday evening. Although nobody will be allowed to see the rituals, thousands of devotees thronged the holy town of Puri to stay vigil.
Carpenters have already created new idols of four deities from holy Neem trees collected from Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts.
