ODANA SASTHI KI JAYA

Odana Sasthi

Sri  Caitanya Caritamrta - Madhya 16.78
gadadhara-pandite tenho punah mantra dila
odana-shashthira dine yatra ye dekhila

TRANSLATION
Pundarika Vidyanidhi initiated Gadadhara Pandita for the second time, and on the day of Odana-shashthi he saw the festival.
PURPORT
At the beginning of winter, there is a ceremony known as the Odana-shashthi. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to Lord Jagannatha. That covering is directly purchased from a weaver. According to the arcana-marga, a cloth should first be washed to remove all the starch, and then it can be used to cover the Lord. Pundarika Vidyanidhi saw that the priest neglected to wash the cloth before covering Lord Jagannatha. Since he wanted to find some fault in the devotees, he became indignant.