Bhubaneswar, May 4: Nabakalebar (change of idols at the Puri Jagannath temple) and its unique rituals are drawing the attention of people from various fields.

To provide information and document the event symbolising the Jagannath culture, a city-based group has come up with a two-part documentary titled Debata Hoeele Maraee in Odia or Divine Death in English.

The film is the product of a month-long research and analysis, said director Sanjay Kanungo, who hails from Puri. "The film is based on eminent writer Bibudharanjan's extensive research and script on the events of Nabakalebar. Though myth and history have strongly been intertwined over the ages when it comes to the Jagannath culture, we have tried to produce the documentary with great care, precision, emotion and creativity," said Kanungo.

The first part of the documentary was released on Sunday, and it will be telecast on the local channels this month.

The first part deals with the Nabakalebar concept and its affect on both humanity and divinity. The tale regarding Lord Jagannath had been told by referring to mythological legends as well as from a historical perspective.

"The Lord upholds the biggest truth of life through Nabakalebar. It tells that death is all encompassing, and no one can avoid it. Death comes to all and even the Lord is not spared. Since Nabakalebar is a secret ritual, and is not allowed to be shot on camera, we have presented it in a creative way. We have included a liberal dose of animation for better effects," said Gurujee Swetachandan, another director of the film.

Bibudharanjan is the author of the original Odia script. Sandeep Sahu has translated it into English. The film is a project of city-based group Lighthouse. The second part of the documentary will be released in July.