Nabakalebara happened this year. Here, the lord I.e. Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra changed their bodies.
I recently read in Times of India from one writer Mr Tripathi of Berhampur University and hence I must say that the idea is not entirely mine.
What he says that as per Hindu tradition, the Atma or the soul is 'indestructible' but the body is destroyed in time. This process of 'life and death' is repeated infinitely unless one gets 'mukti' or 'moksha'.
Just as humans are controlled by the Lord in this cycle of birth and rebirth, during 'Nabakalebara', the task of Lord getting a new body is entrusted to humans. Thus the powers of the Lord is transferred to the new body of the Lord.
Now I will put my points. Lord Jagannath and the deities are mode of wood. It is significant because the entire human race is 'subservient' to the 'environment and nature' which is all around. Life is sustained due to 'environment conditions' being just right. The 'wood' of the lord implies the trees and forests on the earth. We need to protect the trees and the forests because that is what makes life possible.
I am not criticising stone idols but trees and wood makes life possible and that is a fact. They are God's gift to man. We can worship them because all religions will say that God created life and sustains life. Trees also help to sustain life on this earth.
I recently read in Times of India from one writer Mr Tripathi of Berhampur University and hence I must say that the idea is not entirely mine.
What he says that as per Hindu tradition, the Atma or the soul is 'indestructible' but the body is destroyed in time. This process of 'life and death' is repeated infinitely unless one gets 'mukti' or 'moksha'.
Just as humans are controlled by the Lord in this cycle of birth and rebirth, during 'Nabakalebara', the task of Lord getting a new body is entrusted to humans. Thus the powers of the Lord is transferred to the new body of the Lord.
Now I will put my points. Lord Jagannath and the deities are mode of wood. It is significant because the entire human race is 'subservient' to the 'environment and nature' which is all around. Life is sustained due to 'environment conditions' being just right. The 'wood' of the lord implies the trees and forests on the earth. We need to protect the trees and the forests because that is what makes life possible.
I am not criticising stone idols but trees and wood makes life possible and that is a fact. They are God's gift to man. We can worship them because all religions will say that God created life and sustains life. Trees also help to sustain life on this earth.