For some the good Lord is like us only: no different from us!!

For some the good Lord is like us only: no different from us!!
Last month end the installation ceremony (praanapratishta) of the life-size deities of Sri Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balabhadra was completed in Bhadrak, Orissa. The praanapratishta ceremony was conducted by priests from the Puri Jagannatha temple, and lasted for three days as per one report. So, what’s new? Ever so many such installations are done all over; what is so special? Hear this.
“On the first day, akhanda naama kirtan was inaugurated. Then devotees went in procession to the Salandi river to collect holy water for the Kalashas and for the abhisheka of the deities. Five hundred years ago, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had visited Bhadrak and had bathed at the same spot where the devotees collected the water. As such, this water is very sacred to Gaudiya Vaishnavas.”
And if you do not know already, please be informed that Sri Chaitanya had a Kerala connection too. But about that later.
“The installation was done according to the Puri pantha, where the Lord is seen to perform the lilas of being "born" and then "dying" every 12 years in the navakalevara festival. Every detail of the birth ceremony is performed for Lord Jagannatha, including the tying of the umbilical cord and the burying of the embryonic sack. In Puri there are even specific families who will shave their head and perform the shraaddha ceremony for Lord Jagannatha so that "he can attain Vaikuntha". For some it may be difficult to understand this complex relationship in light of philosophical expositions on the Lord. This mysterious relationship is actually based on complete personal love for the Lord, not on ignorance of His supreme eternal position.
As per the tradition, the Lord was first invoked in a "delivery room" for His birth. The birth of the Lord occurred on ekadashi day, the 23rd of May, at which time devotees were allowed a brief darshan of the Lord without ornaments or alankaras, having just been born with no clothes. Following His birth, the priests were to bathe Him with pancha gavya and panchamrita. Just as the doors were opening for the devotees to have their first glimpse of Lord Jagannatha at His birth, rain began to pour down. It was extremely rare and auspicious for the rain to start at the precise time that it was supposed to.
Following the birth of Lord Jagannatha, the deities were bathed with holy water and sacred substances from the cow (ghee, yoghurt, milk, etc.) from 108 Kalashaas. As the abhisheka began, a rare bird came inside the altar and landed just inches above Balarama's head. He sat there the entire abhisheka (around half an hour) just staring at the deities being bathed. This particular bird is famous for staying in the Jagannatha temple in Puri too.
After the abhisheka, the priests wanted to close the altar, but the bird was refusing to leave. Finally after failing to get the bird to come out, the priests decided the bird should spend the night on the altar with Lord Jagannatha. The next morning, when the priests opened to door to offer naivedyam to the Lord, the bird immediately flew out on its own, never to be seen again.
Many sacred trees planted earlier around the temple, like the Peepal, the Banyan, the Kadamba, Bilva trees, the Champaka tree and many Neem trees have sprouted up and are now all growing well. The Kadamba tree is especially associated with Lord Krishna, as He was very fond of playing with the flowers of this tree, which resemble large round balls. The Peepal tree is worshipped throughout India, and in the Gita Lord Krishna states, ashvatthah sarva-vrikshaanaam, "Amongst all trees, I am the Peepal tree (ashvattha)". In Puri Jagannatha temple there is a Peepal tree that is considered a Kalpa Vriksha.
Early in the morning on the 24th, May the head priest, Sri Nanda Sharma, entered the garbhagriha, along with one assistant, to perform gupta mantra japa, the final rituals for the praanapratishta. While chanting the mantras, twice he fainted. When he came back to consciousness he told the other priest that he had seen a huge effulgence around Jagannatha and lost consciousness. Though he is over 80 years old, for the entire three days he went without eating any food, only absorbed in mantra japa and the pratishta rituals.
On the 24th the Lord prepared to offer His first alankaara darshana to His devotees. Over the previous two days, the devotees were only able to view the Lord for 30 minutes during His birth and abhisheka, so they were very anxious to see the Lord. Finally at 4 pm, following the completion of all the installation rituals and purnahuti, the Lord was dressed in Badashringar Vesha, and garlanded with lotus maalaas consisting of over 2,000 lotuses.

Now the Kerala connection. The origins of the text known as Brahma-samhita (Hymn to the Absolute Truth) are lost in cosmic antiquity. According to Vedic tradition, these "Hymns of Brahma" were recited or sung countless millennia ago by the first created being in the universe, just prior to the act of creation. The text surfaced and entered calculable history early in the sixteen century, when it was discovered by a pilgrim exploring the manuscript library of an ancient temple in what is now Kerala. Prior to the introduction of the printing press, texts like Brahma-samhita existed only in manuscript form, painstakingly handwritten by scribes and kept under brahminical custodianship in temples, where often they are worshipped as sastra-Deity, or God incarnate in holy scripture.
The pilgrim who rescued Brahma-samhita from obscurity was no ordinary pilgrim, and His pilgrimage was not meant, as in the custom, for self-purification but for world-purification. He was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu--saint, mystic, religious reformer, and as per some full incarnation of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, descending into the present epoch for the salvation of all souls. At the time of His discovery of the text, Sri Chaitanya was touring South India, preaching His message of love of Krishna and promulgating the practice of sankirtana, congregational singing of the holy names of God. Sri Chaitanya commenced this tour shortly after becoming a monk (sannyasi), at age twenty-four, and the tour lasted approximately two years. After a southward journey from Puri (in Orissa State) that carried Him to holy places such as Sri Ranga-kshetra, Setubandha Rameswara, and finally Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), he turned northward and, traveling along the bank of the Payasvini River In Travancore state, reached the temple of Adi-kesava in Trivandrum district.
Upon beholding the holy image of Adi-kesava (Krishna) in the temple, Chaitanya was overwhelmed with spiritual ecstasy, offered fervent prayers, and chanted and danced in rapture, a wondrous sight that was received with astonished appreciation by the devotees there. After discussing esoteric spiritual matters among some highly advanced devotees present, Sri Chaitanya found "one chapter of the Brahma-samhita" (what we now have as Brahma-samhita is, according to tradition, only one of a hundred chapters composing an epic work lost to humanity). Upon discovering the manuscript, Sri Chaitanya felt great ecstasy and fell into an intense mystic rapture that overflowed onto the physical realm, producing a profusion of tears, trembling, and perspiration. Intuiting the Brahma-samhita to be a "most valuable jewel," He employed a scribe in hand-copying the manuscript and departed with the copy for His return journey to the north.
And my favourite? The very first hymn: ..
Isvarah paramah krishnah
sacchidaananda-vigrahah
anaadir aadir govindah
sarva-kaaranaakaaranam
Krishna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.
Rgds
Govindam aadi-purusham tam aham bhajaami),
V V R
17th Jun 06.