Jagannatha's Holy Tree in Jagatsinghpur District

BY: SUN STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Apr 30, 2015 — JAGANNATHA PURI, ORISSA — Ending days of speculation, Shree Jagannath Temple administration on Wednesday announced the location of the Neem tree to sculpt Lord Jagannath's idol.

"The Banajaga Yatris have selected a Neem tree near Kharipadia at Raghunathpur in Jagatsinghpur district for Jagannath. They informed us about it on Tuesday night," said temple's Chief Administrator, Suresh Mohapatra.

He said road connectivity to the place is poor and enough space is being created around the tree to avoid inconvenience to devotees. "Pilgrims will be allowed to go near the tree only after the roadwork is completed," he added.

After the official announcement, people could be seen making a beeline for Raghunathpur. Locals had started making offerings to the tree following repeated visits by the priests to the place two weeks ago.

Senior police officers have reached Raghunathpur and are chalking out measures to protect the tree. "We have installed barricades around the tree. A three-layer security arrangement has been put in place and a control room set up to maintain law and order," IG (central) R. P. Koche said.

The Daitapati servitors are scheduled to sanctify the tree on May 6. The tree is likely to be cut on May 8. Leftover branches of the tree will be buried at the same place. A wooden cart will be built to carry the sacred log to Puri.

Work on the idols will start on June 5 at Koili Baikuntha garden inside the Jagannath Temple. At midnight on June 15, the new idols will be taken to the sanctum sanctorum, where a 'secret ritual' for transformation of soul (Ghata Paribartan) from the old to the new bodies will be performed. Rath Yatra is scheduled for July 18.

The Neem tree for Sudarshan was found at Gadakantunia village near Bhubaneswar, while those for Balabhadra and Subhadra idols were at Jhankada and Adangagada in Jagatsinghpur district, respectively. Sudarshan's log reached the temple last week.

During 1996 Nabakalebara, the Neem tree for Balabhadra's idol was found at Salepur in Cuttack district, Jagannath's at Dadhimachhagadia in Khurda, Subhadra's at Malda in Puri district, and Sudarshan's at Niali in Cuttack district.