Ausadhalagi ritual- Interview of Baidya Binayak Mishra, Doctor of Lord Jagannath

Baidya Binayak Mishra
(Doctor of Lord Jagannath)

Bhubaneswar, June 21: When I and my friend were returning from Gobardhan Peetha in Puri, on the way my friend stopped his bike and showed me an ancient building with gothic designed gateway informing that the building was the house of a servitor of Sri Mandira. I was not surprised with the sudden invention of my friend as I know some of servitors of Lord Jagannath. When he said that the servitor is the doctor (Baidya) of three deities (Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra), I get amused and made up my mind to meet the doctor.

I knocked at the door to know how he performs his duty as doctor and what type of medicines he prepares for the deities and on which day. An old woman opened the door and invited us to the drawing room. After a few minutes wait, an old man came and inquired about our visit.

During the discussion I got to know that he was Baidya Binayak Mishra, grandson of noted Baidyaratna Maguni Brahma of Brahma lane near Baidyaratna gali in Puri. He performs an important service (Seva) seven days before the world famous Rath Yatra.

Out of curiosity when I asked about his Seva, the 83-year-old Baidya said he performs ‘Ausadhalagi’ on the 10th day (Dashami) from the day of Snana Purnima and seven days before the Rath Yatra to treat the deities with medicines to cure them from fever. This ritual is carried out during Anabasar, a ritual which compels the deities to stay inside the temple without giving darshan to devotees.

Ausadhalagi ritual is usually conducted once every year and this year it will be held tomorrow. “There are so many Sevas are performed to cure the deities but the only Ausadhalagi Seva, which is performed in the end, cure the deities before the Rath Yatra,” Mishra said.

According to the ritual, the Baidya said, roots of 10 medicinal plants including Bela, Gambhari, Patali, Krushnapani, Salapani, Gokhara, Agibati, Fanafana and Ankaranti along with honey, sugar were used to make the medicine for the deities. Processing of the medicine begins from the day of Snana Purnima and it is completed in the morning of the Ausadhalagi ceremony which is being held in the afternoon.

Preparation of medicine
for Lord Jagannath

Taking a pause in the discussion, the Baidya lamented that the medicinal plants, which was easily available in Marine drive Konark and in the Sri Mandir garden, now rare stuffs. “Sometimes I collect these roots from other parts of the country which is difficult for me in this age,” said Mishra.

After collecting the roots Mishra and his associates dries it under the sun and grinds to make a paste to prepare spherical structured tablets. On the day of the Ausadhalagi, Mishra takes the medicine in seven earthen pots after getting a call from Temple Commander. The medicines along with Alati and other Naitya Niti stuffs were stored in a Garada Ghar (secret room) inside the temple under the supervision of the commander.

“I have been doing the holy job during last 33 years, but you know what I get at the end of the service,” Mishra looked at us in dismay and added that he gets only Rs 60 for the Seva.

Mishra, a man of tradition, recalled his olden days when the temple administration was sending some of after use medicines of deities which are not practiced nowadays.

The Baidya, who is bedridden due to heartache, was told by his wife not to talk more and requested to help him. While leaving the drawing room, Mishra said that nobody knows this secret service of the deities in his dynasty. “I’m afraid, who will continue the age-old service after me. Anyway the Lord Jagannath is there to decide on it,” he concluded.