The Daru Brahma

The sacred log from which the images of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are carved. It does not present itself on a schedule. Search parties move through designated forests following signs the Sabara tradition holds. A particular species of wood, specific marks on the bark, specific branches. The craftsmen work inside a sealed chamber, by touch, in complete darkness for the final stages. What is transferred from the old images to the new is not described in any document the Unit has recovered. The tradition's word for it is the Brahma. The sacred essence. It is known within the lineage, and the lineage holds it. The neem wood of the Daru Brahma and the stone of the containment chamber are the same kind of material. Both hold sound. The chariot carries a deity carved from wood that holds sound, directly above a chamber made of stone that holds sound. The connection between the chariot and the chamber is not metaphorical. It is structural.