Puja Rituals in Srimandir

Saraswati, Sri, Durga, Jaya, Smrti, Dhrti, Medha,
Mati, Kanti, Anangamadan, Anangamadanatura,
Bhubanesa, Bhubanpalika, Sarvasisira and
Anangavedana and 8 mothers outside the lotus,
Astamatrkas, starting from east- Brahmani (east),
Maheswari (south-east), Kumari (south), Vaisnabi
(south-west), Barahi (west), Indrani (north-west),
Camunda (north), Laxmi (north-east), (6) 6th
Abarana - 8 Digpals with their weapons, (7) 7th
Abarana - Ayudhas- Sayudha and Savahan.
Five Abaranas of Sri Sudarshan - (1) 1st
Abarana - 4 deities in four directions - Acakra
(south-east), Vicakra (south-west), Sucakra
(north-west), Adhicakra (north-east). This
Abarana is treated as 'Angavaran' (2) 2nd
Abarana - 8 weapons hold in eight hands - Simple
Namaskar Mantra 'Om Sankhaya Namah' with
regards to 8 weapons hold by Him in His eight
hands - Sankha, Cakra, Gada, Padma, Sara,
Dhanus, Pasa and Ankusa. (3) 3rd Abarana - 8
main Shaktis of Visnu - Laxmi, Saraswati, Rati,
Priti, Kirti, Kanti, Tusti and Pusti. (4) 4th Abarana
- 8 Digpals - Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirrti, Varun,
Vayu, Kuber, Isana. (5) 5th Abarana - Ayudhas
of the deity.
Pancopacar and Shodasopacar Puja
By the term Puja we mean to offer some
food items to God; the item due for offering to
God is called 'Naivedya'; after the food items
already offered to God it is turned to Prasad, but
in the temple of Sri Jagannath it is Mahaprasad.
Puja in Jagannath temple is termed as Dhoop.
The literal meaning of Dhoop is incense. The pujas
are undertaken behind the closed doors and the
public are not allowed to see to it; when after
puja; the doors are opened; the sanctum becomes
smoky with descent incense; for this reason here
puja has been termed as Dhoop.
In the temple of Jagannatha Puja is normally
offered six times in a day. Gopal Ballav Bhoga,
Orissa Review June - 2009
20
the morning breakfast at 9 AM; Bhogamandap
bhoga, for public sale at 11 AM and Badasimhar
bhoga, a light dinner at 11.45 PM; are small pujas
consisting of only five Upacaras. Sakal Dhoop,
the morning meal at 10 AM; Madhyahna Dhoop,
the mid - day meal at 1PM and Sandhya Dhoop,
the evening meal at 8 PM are exhaustive pujas
consisting of sixteen Upacaras.
Seriatim of rites observed during Puja
(Pujakrama)
The formal rites before the initiation of the
puja on Ratna Simhasan in Srimandir, are
(1) Baishnabadi Samskar i.e. fire sacrifice in the
temple kitchen, (2) Puja of Surya Cakra i.e. Sun
God situated in the south-east direction (agneya
kona) of the temple premises and (3) Puja of Door
Attendants (Dwarpals) in front of the Jay-Bijay
Dwar.
Three Pujapandas take up the pujas on
Ratna Simhasan. The senior most Pujapanda
performs the worship of Sri Jagannath, so also
the puja of Sudarsan, Sridevi and Bhudevi. Other
two Pujapandas take up the pujas of Sri
Balabhadra and Sri Subhadra respectively.
Preliminaries - The worshippers just after
their arrival on the platform sprinkle some scented
water on the ground and utter the Mulamantra;
this is called Bhumisuddhi. They sit either in
Padmasana or in Svastikasana on a wooden stool,
on the right side of the deities facing towards the
images, so that they face towards the north, while
the deities face towards the east. The next item is
Vighnotsarana, removal of obstacles. Then they
seek permission from the Bhairava. Sastras codify
that Bhairava is the guardian of the Khetra so also
of the temple. Next is Ghanta Pujanam - Ringing
of the hand bell -This indicates that the puja
begins; Ghanta also drives away all the demons
from the spot. The next preparation is
Pujopakarana - Drabya-Samsthapana-this is
arrangement of puja articles.