Puri, Nov 30: The much-awaited Dev Deepawali celebrations commenced today in Puri Jagannath Temple. The festivities, which span three days, will see Lord Jagannath performing various human-like rites, including the donation of lamps (Deepadana) and other rituals in honor of his forefathers.
On this occasion, Lord Jagannath will offer lights for different divine figures during the three days. On the Krishna Chaturdashi (the 14th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Margasira), he will perform the Deepadana for Aditi and Sage Kashyapa.
On Amavasya (the No Moon day), the offerings will be made for King Dasrath and Queen Kausalya. Finally, on Pratipada, the offerings will be dedicated to Basudev, Devaki, Nanda, Yashoda, King Indradyumna, and Goddess Gundicha.
The three-day-long celebration culminates with the performance of the final Deepawali rituals on the last day, marking the end of the festival. During this period, Lord Jagannath wears special attire known as the "Shraddha Besha," performing rituals to honor his ancestors, and this period is also known as "Dev Deepawali."
The Pushpalaka sevakas (temple priests) dress Lord Jagannath and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, in the traditional Shraddha attire, which consists of a Nagapuri saree and bed sheets. These garments are simple in design but have distinct borders.
Lord Jagannath wears a 16 to 18 hands long cotton Nagapuri saree with a one-foot wide border that is embroidered with pots and is red in color. Lord Balabhadra’s dhoti is 14 hands long and 4 hands wide, with a black one-foot wide border. Goddess Subhadra's saree is 12 hands long and 3 and a half hands wide, with a yellow one-foot wide border.
Each of the idols is also covered with a bed sheet, and their heads are draped with a cotton cloth called "Srikapada," which covers their Sribhuja (arms).
The special cloth worn during the Shraddhabesha is called "Dhadia Nagpuri" fabric. During these rituals, the idols are adorned with several ornaments, including Tadagi, Nalibhuja, Chandra, Surya, Kundala, Adkani, Harida Mali, and Antakamara pati, adding to the sacred and festive aura of the Dev Deepawali celebrations.
