NEELA CHAKRA RITUALS

Every day millions of devotees from around the world visit Puri Jagannath temple to get the divine blessings of Lord Jagannath. It is believed that both Lord Jagannath and the Neela Chakra with Patitapabana share an equal status. There are many rituals associated with Neela Chakra of Lord Jagannath temple.

Ekadashi Ritual

On every Ekadashi (the eleventh day of both the fortnights), after the evening dhupa, the temple Pujapandas (priests) perform the Mahadeepa (ghee lamp) Aarati in front of the three Deities, then by using the the Jaya Vijaya door they go to the front of Goddess Vimala temple with Mahadeepa inside the Kalasa (earthen pot). They give three Kalasas, Tulasi (Holy Basil) and Chandan (Sandal paste) to the Chunara servitors. Three Chunara servitors (temple sevayats ) take the three Kalasas from the Pujapandas and climb up the temple with the Mahadeepas. After reaching the top, they stand below the dadhinauti and offer the Holy Basil and Sandal paste to the Neela Chakra and then go round it thrice with the Mahadeepa and the Chandra udias (sparkling candles). Please see the below video.

Flag Changing Ritual

As per custom, everyday a different flag is waved on the Neela Chakra. The flag hoisted on the pole attached to Neela Chakra is called Patitapabana Bana (purifier of the fallen) and is equivalent to the image of Lord Jagannath. Everyday the Garuda Sevaka carries number of big and small flags to the top of the temple. The flags are either deep red or yellow in colour, but a crescent moon and a sun in white colour cloth deck the centre of a flag. The length of the flag varies from 1 feet to 25 feet and may be more. A devotee has to pay to the temple committee a certain price to tie the flag and the price is determined by the length of a flag.

The sevayat before climbing the temple must dress himself in proper clothings. He wears silk cloth and the upper part of his body remains bare. He ties the flags, offered by the devotees, around his waist which he has to tie on the mast that day. He also carries a wooden stick in his hand and sets out to climb the temple. The stick in hand is meant to be used against the monkeys who may attack. He climbs so swiftly that within minutes he is seen at the crest of the dancing hall of the main temple. From here he has to climb about a hundred feet steep wall to reach the Neela Chakra. He climbs this wall in a very peculiar manner, his back to the wall and his two outstretched legs on two raised parts of the wall. After climbing the body of the temple he reaches the head of the temple.

This part is orange-shaped and it is impossible to climb this without any help. There is a device made of iron rings and a rope attached permanently on the head of the temple and He reaches the Neela chakra with the help of this. The entire breath taking exercise of reaching the Neela Chakra from the temple floor takes around 20 minutes. After climbing the Neela Chakra, he removes the old flags from the pole and ties the new ones.

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Legend behind Neelachakra