Bhubaneswar, April 24: The Jagananth temple administration today announced that the neem tree for making the idol of Goddess Subhadra had been identified at Adanga in Biribati block of Jagatsinghpur district.
It also said an announcement with regard to the tree for the idol of Lord Jagannath would be made shortly.
Chief temple administrator Suresh Mohapatra said: "The Daitapati (servitors) Niyog has informed us in writing about the location of the tree for making the idol of the Goddess. It has been identified at Adanga in Birbati block of Jagatsinghpur district."
As the news about the location of the maha daru (the sacred tree) spread, people made a beeline to the place for a darshan of it.
Prayers were offered at the tree that stands on the premises of a Shiv temple called Nilakantheswar. The tree bears the required holy signs, said a local resident.
Though the temple administration is yet to announce the location of the daru for the Lord, sources said it had been identified at Kharipadia in Raghunathpur block, about 10km from Adanga in Jagatsinghpur district. Director-general of police Sanjeev Marik said: "We have made elaborate traffic arrangements for the devotees to come to the place and have a trouble-free darshan of the scared tree."
The police have barricaded the tree to ensure that it was not harmed in any way and no one could pluck its leaves or branches.
The tree meant for Goddess Subhadra is located around 25km from the tree at Kanakpur that will be used to make the idol of Lord Balabahdra. Thousands are visiting Kanakpur every day to watch the rituals that precede the cutting of the tree.
"The process of felling the tree has begun. We have not taken even a drop of water for the past three days. Once the tree is chopped off by the late evening, only then will we take food," said president of the daitapati association Ramakrushan Dasmohapatra.
Sarada Mohanty, 76, a devotee, said: "I have been here since the morning to see the rituals before the cutting of the tree. I have a number of memories attached to this tree, and for us, it is an emotional moment. However, we are proud that the tree would be used to make the idol of Lord Balabhadra."
In another development, the first set of holy wood to be used for making the idol of Lord Sudarshan reached the Jagannath temple in Puri today.
That neem tree was found at Gadakuntaik on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
After the tree was cut, the timber was carried to Puri in a cart pulled by the servitors and devotees from Bhubaneswar, covering a distance of nearly 70km. Lord Sudarshan is considered the representative of Lord Jagannath.
In Bhubaneswar, chief minister Naveen Patnaik today held a meeting to review the preparations related to Nabakalebar. Of the 20 projects for the purpose, work on 14 has been over. The chief minister has set a June 15 deadline for officials to complete all the projects, including renovation of the Malatipatpur bus stand.
