Odisha tourism has published Nabakalebara – an archival document, a great one with facts and a must read for all. This book is a collection of documents on the historic Nabakalebara festival of the chaturdha murati of Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri which attracts pilgrims from all parts of the world during the Rath Yatra. Those who are curious to know intricacies of the Nabakalebara Festival which is observed in the intercalary month of asadha will find the book quite interesting. It will be of special interest to scholars who are doing research on Jagannath Culture.
INTRODUCTION
Puranic myth, living legends, temple tradition and brahmanic ritualization have transformed the presiding Deities at Pursottama-Jagannatha-Shrikshetra-Nilachala-Puri in Odisha into a mysterious Brahman (the primordial unmanifest cosmic consciousness to an
embodied and perceivable and qualified Brahman in the sanctum sanctorum or Shrimandira in Puri Dhama). In the temple terminology Lord Jagannatha, Balabhdra and Subhadra are known as the Holy Trinity and with the divine disc, Sudarshana along side Lord Jagannatha constitute the Chaturddhamurtti. The quadruple divine idols are but One in devotees’ psyche as Lord Jagannatha. Besides the idols of Balabhadra, Subhadra, Jagannatha and Sudarshana on the
Ratnasimhasana (the bejewelled throne) the three other icons, eg. Shridevi (Spouse of Lord Vishnu-Jagannatha), Bhudevi (Earthgoddess or Saraswati) and Madhava (the miniature form of lord Jagannatha-Dhadhivamana) are placed there and as such, the seven divinities are known as Saptabaranamurtti or Saptadha Murtti or the Holy Septarian One.
For full 300 pages read the book
Sourced from : http://www.odishaculture.gov.in/