Nanda Utsav to be held in Srimandir

Puri: The holy festival of Nanda Utsav in Puri Jagannth temple is to be celebrated today on Saturday. Lord Shri Krishna has taken birth on Friday midnight.

It was at this very moment that Shri Krishna left his heavenly abode and came to the earth which is celebrated as Janmastami and the following day is celebrated as Nanda Utsav.

After the Sandhya Alati, the Mahajan Sevayats will bring the Ramakrishna and Madanmohan statues from the south of the temple and make them sit on the Jagmohan Doli (swing).

The Mailam and other rituals are done, then Shathi and Markandi puja will be performed in the presence of Lord Jagannath and Goddess Subhadra.

After the mangalaarati and bandapana, the statue of Goddess Durga will be brought from the Bhandaraghara and placed besides the Ramakrishna and Madanmohan statues who were sitting on the swing. The PatiMahapatra servitors are assigned to perform the task. They will be brought down and placed on the bed.

The Bhitarachha Mahapatra will dress up as Nandaraja and will visit the SriNahara. On his return he will be taken to the Snana mandap. There is a tradition of informing that a son has been born. This signifies the birth of Lord Shri Krishna.

The Garbha Udaka was performed and Jeuda Bhoga  was offered with great joy to get rid of the pain of childbirth yesterday. The Shri Krishna Janma Niti will be performed by Mahajan Sevaks.

Lord Krishna will take birth in the form of Devaki and Vasudeva in the form of Nishardha on the birth wheel. After the sunset, the Jayavijay door will be closed and the worshippers will draw a Janma Mandali in the Panchavarna Muruj in front of the Bhandar Ghar.