Puri Jagannath: Do you know why idols of Lord Jagannath are changed every 12 years?

Sri Jagannath Temple in Puri It is a temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath i.e. Lord Krishna. This temple is one of the four dhammas of Hindus. In this temple, there are idols of Lord Krishna along with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra Devi. There is a tradition of changing the idols in the main temples once in every 12 years. But why is the tradition of changing this idol being followed for centuries? Which wood is used in the making of these idols? Let's learn about Puri Jagannath, who is home to many secrets.

Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra

The annual Rath Yatra festival of Sri Jagannath Temple is famous all over the world. The yatra takes place on the second day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashadha. Three different chariots will be built for Lord Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra Devi for the rath yatra of Lord Jagannath. In this rath yatra, brother Balarama's chariot was moving first. In the middle of sister Subhadra's chariot, Lord Jagannath's chariot finally moves backwards. Sitting on the chariots, the Lord goes to the Gundicha temple of his aunt's house.

Why idols are changed once in every 12 years

The idols in the Jagannath temple are changed every 12 years. The tradition of replacing the wooden idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and sister Subhadra once in 12 years has been going on for centuries. The tradition of changing idols is called 'Navakalebara'. Navakalebara means the replacement of the old idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarsana installed in the jagannath temple with new ones. These idols are made of wood. There is a fear that they will deteriorate. That's why they are changed every 12 years.