The Indian community in Japan organized a vibrant Shree Jagannath pran pratistha ceremony on Sunday. They held the event at Shree Ram Devalay in Sodo Ibaraki, located about 60 kilometers from Tokyo.
A Diverse Gathering for Spiritual Celebration
More than 300 attendees from the Indian, Japanese, and Nepalese communities joined the ceremony. The temple and Shree Jagannath Society, Japan jointly organized this special occasion. Pandit Munindra Panda performed the sacred rituals with devotion.
Gyanindra Mishra, convener of Shree Jagannath Society Japan, expressed his joy. He said the prana pratistha ceremony now allows all Jagannath devotees to offer rituals at the temple. They can also organize different functions like arnaprasan there.
Cultural Performances and Devotional Activities
Devotees chanted Vishnu Sahasranama during the event. Child artistes Jnanaganga Jena and Navyanshi Mittal performed Odissi and Bharatnatyam dances respectively. A bhajan samaroh and kirtan added to the spiritual atmosphere of the celebrations.
Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty, vice-chairman of the Shree Jagannath Ratha Yatra organizing committee for Central Japan, shared his experience. He described it as a heartening and spiritually enriching moment to witness the prana pratistha ceremony.
Artisan Craftsmanship Behind the Idols
The idols for the ceremony came from an artisan in Puri. Lord Jagannath and Lord Balabhadra idols stand 2 feet in height. Goddess Subhadra and Sudarshan idols measure 22 inches tall.
Sashikanta Sahoo, the main artisan, explained the creation process. Three to four artisans worked for about 25 days to carve the idols from neem wood and paint them. The order for these idols was placed a full year ago. They traveled to Japan via Ahmedabad for this special ceremony.
Makar Sankranti Integration with Kite-Flying
The ceremony beautifully integrated kite-flying to celebrate Makar Sankranti. Society members made the kites at home using materials provided by the organizers. Japanese participants brought their own kites to join the festive activity.
Gyanindra Mishra noted the cross-cultural participation. He said they gave materials to make kites, and Japanese participants brought their own kites to share in the celebration.
Dignitaries Present at the Ceremony
Several distinguished guests attended the event. Dhiraj Mukhia, consular minister from the embassy of India in Japan, was present. Noriko Ogasawara, president of Shimotsuma International Friendship Association, also joined the celebrations. Sapan Sen, CEO of Sen International Company, participated in this meaningful gathering.
The ceremony demonstrated how cultural traditions can bridge communities across nations. It showed the enduring spiritual connection that Indians maintain with their heritage while living abroad.
