File:Banajaga Yatra.jpg

English: This yatra or expedition is an expedition undertaken to locate the holy trees or "darus" from which the new idols of the gods are to be carved. This task is entrusted to the rightful daityas, spelled locally as daitas, who are servitors of the temple deities. After offering prayers and performing prescribed rituals, the team of daityas (usually about 100) headed by a leader called the "Dalapati" go to the palace of the maharaja Gajapati, who is the chief servitor of the Jagannath Temple, seeking his permission to undertake the journey to find the suitable trees for carving new images of each of the four deities (Lord Jagannath, lord Balabhadra, goddess Subhadra, daru Sudarshan). The King gives them permission by offering them betel nut, in the presence of his Rajaguru or chief priest. The team of daityas, led by their leader walk barefoot about 50 km and halt at Deuli Matha on the first day and then proceed to the Kakatpur Mangala Temple to offer prayers. Four daityas (senior servitors) sleep in front of the goddess seeking divine guidance on the location of the neem trees.

The servitors then proceed in search of the neem trees appropriate for each of the deities in accordance with the prescribed signs, size, and locations. After selection of the trees they are worshipped, covered with white cloth and then felled. They are then carried on wooden carts in a long procession through villages accompanied by beating of drums and cymbols to the venue of a temporary carving shed in the Koili Baikuntha near the temple. Here, worship is done to the neem logs every day and prasad food offering given till the Debasnana Purnima day.

The picture shown here was about the procession by the devotees, assembled there in commemoration of the event.