PURI: On Monday, October 14 a large number of devotees visited the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri to witness the enchanting ‘Radha-Damodar Besha’ of the deities, who were adorned in unique attire. This special adornment symbolizes the divine pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna with Goddess Radharani.
The term ‘Besha’ comes from Sanskrit and refers to dress, costume, or attire. Each day, from the ‘Mangala Alati’ to ‘Ratri Pahuda,’ the deities on the ‘Ratnavedi’ at Shree Jagannath Temple are beautifully adorned with cotton and silk fabrics, gold ornaments set with precious stones, a variety of flowers, and other leaves and herbs, including Tulasi, Dayana, and Marua. In both daily and special rituals, sandal paste, camphor, and occasionally precious musk are also utilized.
Radha-Damodar Besha
The auspicious Radha-Damodar Besha of the deities at Shree Jagannath Temple takes place annually from the 11th day of the bright fortnight of Aswina to the 10th day of the bright fortnight of Kartika.
Legend has it that Akrura, while traveling to Mathura, witnessed the Radha-Damodar Besha during his bath in the river Yamuna. This captivating Besha is celebrated throughout the entire month of Kartika.
The late Sadasiba Rathasharma, a distinguished research scholar of Shreemandir, notes in his book “Sri Jagannath Besha Rahasya” that this Besha was introduced in the 12th century. During this time, Radha gained immense popularity across Bharat after being portrayed as a female protagonist in Jayadev’s Gitagovinda.
The depiction of Radha was widely disseminated through the literary works of notable poets such as Jayadeva of Odisha, Chandi Das of Bengal, and Vidyapati of Mithila. She was worshipped as “Devi” by followers of Bishnuswami, Nimbarka, and Sri Chaitanya.
Some argue that this Besha has been present in Shreemandir since the 16th century, coinciding with the arrival of Sri Chaitanya in Puri. Sri Chaitanya described Shree Jagannath as a composite figure of Shree Radha and Shree Krishna. This essence is embodied in the Radha-Damodar Besha.
In the opinion of many research scholars, the nitis and beshas based on the performance of Srikrishna were introduced in Shreemandir by Gajapati Purusottam Dev.
The Record of Rights and Sl. No. 22(a) of the list of other festivals at Shree mandir states that all Nitis, Beshas, Bhogas, and Vrata for the month of Kartik commence on the 11th day of the bright fortnight of Aswina. The offering of lamps (dipa) and Avakasha rituals takes place at dawn, followed by the Gopalballav bhoga, presented to the deities immediately after the Radha Damodar Besha. Next, the Sakal Dhupa (morning bhoga) is offered to the deities, after which water is sprinkled. The items for Baladhupa are prepared by the designated Sevakas and then offered to the deities, with a lamp offering made thereafter.
During the Radha-Damodar Besha, Lord Shree Jagannath and Lord Shree Balabhadra wear “Trikachha” and hold a pair of golden “Nalibhuja” in their hands. A “Chula” made of bamboo and cloth is placed on the “Trimundi,” and the Chandrika placed in the Chula appears very elegant. The deities are adorned with various types of golden ornaments, including earrings, an Odiani at their waist, and adornments like Tadaki, Chandra, Surya, and Chita on their heads. They also wear floral ornaments and different types of clothing, such as ‘Pata’, ‘Phuta’, ‘Srikapada’, ‘Paharana’, ‘Adharabala’, and ‘Uttaria’. This auspicious Radha-Damodar Besha, featuring the deities on the Ratnasimhasana, looks truly splendid as they don a variety of ‘Pata’ (silken clothes) and golden ornaments. In earlier times, only ‘Ballav’ and ‘Sakala Dhupa’ were offered during this Besha, but later, an additional Bhoga called ‘Baladhupa’ was introduced. Thousands of pilgrims and devotees observing the Kartika Vrata gather at Shreemandir to witness this blissful Radha-Damodar Besha of the deities.
