Mystery behind Lord Jagannath’s Padma Besha

Padma Besha is adorned on Lord Jagannath only once in a year on a Wednesday or Saturday which falls between the Mauni Amavasya and Vasanta Panchami of the Magha Masa. In the Padam Besha Lord Jagannath is offered the outfits resembling lotus flowers.

Padma Besha is being adorned on Lord Jagannath for more than three hundred years and it shows that Lord Jagannath is bhava-grahi-janardana. He can be attracted by pure devotional service and nothing else.

The origin of Padma Besha

There was a devotee named Manohar Das who had travelled from Sahapur Village in West Bengal to Puri on an eagerness to have darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi. In those days the yatra to Jagannath Puri could be performed only by walking. It took several days for him to walk up that distance to reach Puri.

Once during the journey, when he was almost near Puri, he felt thirsty and went searching for water. He came across a lake filled with lotus flowers. He was surprised to see the lotus flowers during the winter season. Nonetheless, he thought it would be best to offer these flowers to Lord Jagannath.

Out of excitement, he plucked those flowers and wrapped them all in his loin cloth (cotton gamcha / towel) and resumed his walk. Look at the eagerness of pure devotees to serve their sweet Lord. They forget their own comforts even the food and water when it comes to the happiness of Lord Jagannath. This is what Lord Jagannath is also searching in His devotees. He is hungry of pure love only.

Manohar Das straight away rushed to Jagannath Puri and then to the temple. He reached Puri on the Magha Masa’s Amavasya day which is also known as Mauni Amavasya. His soul was satisfied by having darshan of Lord Jagannath. He then handed over those lotus flowers to the pujari expecting him to adorn them on the Supreme Lord.

To the surprise of everyone, the lotus flowers Manohar Das had handed over to the pujari, were rotten and already dried within the gamcha. This annoyed the pujaris who did not offer the flowers to the Lord. He rejected these flowers. In return they also insulted Manohar Das for bringing such kind of flowers for the Lord which practically had no beauty or no value. According to them Lord Jagannath had to be offered only best of flowers.

Manohar Das was shattered. He had not eaten or drunk anything. His mind was meditating on Lord Jagannath wearing those flowers. Due to the disappointment and the shock, he fainted near the Badachhata Mutt. Some historians note that he was thrashed by the Pandas due to which he became unconscious. He lay there without anyone take care of him.

When the pure devotees of the Lord are in trouble, how can the Supreme Lord be peaceful or rest? Remember I had mentioned earlier that Lord Jagannath is not in need of anything? What He needs is only pure love. Hundreds of such incidents have surfaced in Jagannath Puri since time immemorial. Padma Besha is reminder to this quality of Lord Jagannath.

Lord Jagannath immediately appeared in the dream of the then Gajamati Maharaja and instructed him to bring Manohar Das along with his lotus flowers. That night He wanted to be dressed in those lotus flowers only for the Bada Shringar Besha. Lord Jagannath also ordered Gajapati Maharaja to prepare a special dish out of milk and rice, offer to Lord Jagannath and then make Manohar Das drink it.

What is Bada Shringar Besha? Every night Lord Jagannath is adorned with fragrant flowers and Gita Govinda saree. All His dresses and ornaments are made of flowers. He receives the last arati of the day in that dress and sleeps in the same dress bedecked with flowers. In fact He is the only Deity in the whole world who sleeps fully dressed. Believe me, if you don’t want to become mad, then don’t watch this Bada Shringar Besha.

Raj Purohit, the head pujari of Jagannath Temple along with Gajapati Maharaja took Manohar Das inside the temple. They took his lotus flowers and adorned them on the Lord during the Bada Shringar Besha. Although these flowers had rotten and dried, when they touched the body of Lord Jagannath, they became as fresh as though bloomed in the morning.

The lotus flowers began emitting a transcendental fragrance to everyone’s surprise. Even today once in a year Lord Jagannath wears Padma Besha as a remembrance of this lila and His devotee Manohar Das. This is the only Besha in which Lord Jagannath sleeps, apart from the Bada Shringar Besha.

Padma Besha as a festival

Thousands of devotees throng the temple of Lord Jagannath to catch a glimpse of the lotus of their hearts to blossom the lotus of devotion in one’s heart by thus drinking the nectar of the sweet blue lotus which purifies the universe by His mere presence on the Nilachala Mountain.

Since the lotus flowers do not bloom during the winter season, Lord Jagannath is adorned with available quantity of lotus flowers and also with an attire resembling a lotus emerging from the plant and surrounded by swans. I fail to describe the beauty of Lord Jagannath wearing the Padma Besha. One has to experience with one’s eyes.

How to plan a visit to have darshan of Padma Besha

Padma Besha day in Jagannath Puri is not very crowded. Most localites visit the temple on this day. Even though it is crowded it does not matter. Lord Jagannath is Jagatina Natha – the Lord of the Universe. He gives darshan to everyone.

Best is to embark yourself on Jagannath Puri Yatra which Tirtha Yatra conducts during the Padma Besha. Without any worry you can have darshan of the Lord and leave all the worry with us.

Jai Jagannath