These are festive time amidst hot summer. It is unbearable to its most climax experience. The temperature is 42 degrees centigrade but due to the presence of sea; it becomes virtually 48 degree centigrade. It is not tolerable and people always want to stay within the air condition to go out from this torrid summer. While unlocking galaxy phone powered by Android, I first test the temperature from its weather widget. With Android update, this widget looks nice and slowly, it indicates the level of current temperature there. The super heat coupled with heat winds across various zones makes life most miserable and more and more shops are closed amidst such clumsy weather conditions. The entire city of Puri is in festive mood.
The land of Lord Jagannnath, the master of universe, comes out due to extreme weather conditions and take bath of 108 buckets of water in order to cool himself as he is the Lord of common man and he feels the happiness’s, sadness, heat the same way as with others. Owing to extreme heat Lord have to take a bath and that too it is 108 buckets of water and this makes him feel the fever. It is the rules that the Pujapanda Brahmin servitor will pour water on Lord and water first will be brought from well by non-brahmin servitor and then it will be given to Garagadu servitor, and then they will give water to Mekap Brahmin servitor and the Mekap Brahmin servitor will give water to Pujapanda Brahmin servitor and they will pour on the heads of three deities. This is the process and there is no role of pouring of water by Daitas in this auspicious Snan purnima (Bath Festival). But sadly, I have found some daitas are doing this and they are also in addition to all these people are pouring waters on the head of the Lord.
I do not know, is it the real or there is past traditions of it but sadly all these traditions are no there at all and for the first time I have seen how all these traditions have been broken outfighting without thinking anything about the presence of Lord. All these I have read from a local newspaper about the wrong doings of daitas in the rituals of Lord Jagannath. Being related to servitor class of the Lord I have found some profound misdoings is going on. During the famous car festival, it is imperative for daitas to come to the temple for some time. It is estimated that they are tribal and in the first instance Lord Jagannath was with them. In the ancient time, King of Puri, has sent his main religious head known as Pati mahapatra to the jungle to bring back Lord to Puri temple. It is believed tribal people are hiding Lord Jagannath in a safe place as they have anticipated Aryans like to take back their Lord to more modern civilization like Puri. Pati Mahapatra went to jungle there and stay in an invisible manner like tribal people in order to know where Lord Jagannath is being worshipped by tribal heads. He creates friendship with tribal girl there who is daughter of tribal chief Bishwabasu. Patti mahapatra stays for years in order to win over belief of the tribal chief. One day, after marrying tribal girl Lalita, Pati mahapatra one day go with her to hide the location where Lord Jagannath was being worshiped by tribals. Perhaps it is the wish of the Lord to come out from hiding location to come out to be worshipped by all people of the world.
Lord Jagannath is the Lord Almighty and he lives like common people and he feels heat and for this the festival of bathing held on 13th of this month, being hosted by inner Brahmin servitors, but this festival and Lord has been the favorite of all classes as for one month in a year he is being worshipped by non-Brahmin servitors, perceived to be descendants of tribal, and descendants of offspring from Pati mahapatra the Brahmin and lalita the tribal. For the rest of eleven months, Lord Jagannath is being worshipped by inner Brahmin servitors. For a month starting from bathing festival to return of the car festival, Lord is being served by descendants of tribal (daitas) and descendants’ offspring of Pati mahapatra and Lalita. In the present India, when we have seen, many political classes have been formed and created on the basis of class, caste and creed, many such role models can be found when many such people are following this Almighty from Hindus in order to make this world a perfect place to live. In a world there is allover war between religions and recently in Iraq, there has been war between two sects of one religions, the concept of Lord Jagannath shows how religion can be observed and perceived to be one single simple entity and this is where power of Lord from his vast eyes comes upon towards devotees of all over the world.
This is the summertime of India and especially of eastern world, where temperature sours beyond recognition, heat waves comes upon across the western side of border and for this it is essential for all of us to see that even Lord, also feel the heat, and for this he wants to take bath and for this non-Brahmin servitors have pulled water from well from inside of temple and water comes to nearer to dashboard of Lord, which is the second one and people from outside can observe Lord from distance. It is the sheer magnificent of Lord, who travels within grand road, to other temple for a month. During these times, all the other people can look and pray prayers from within grand roads. In the bathing festival, Lord takes bath of 108 buckets first taken by Gharagadu then by Mekap and then by Pujapanda. During these times, it is essential for all of us to observe the honorable rules being drawn upon for the Lord for many years and many times. According to some local newspaper reports it is being seen that daitas who happen to non-brahmin servitor have also joined in this holy bathing festival of Lord Jagannath. No one knows whether this is true, or the laws have been broken or not but for sure it is utmost important that every servitors should follow the rules of Almighty otherwise it is believed that the age of the Almighty might have difficult times for all of us. It is high time to go to a set of rules and observe all these in accordance with traditions and functions which have been observed for years.
