THE STORY OF LORD JAGANNATH Standing tall on the shores of Puri for centuries, the Jagannath Temple epitomizes Vasudheiba Kutumbakam (the world is one family), a global vision Indians have unfailingly cherished since time immemorial, a philosophy that goes beyond the realms of religion. The shrine is indeed a wonder. So are the deities, Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. For, when votaries of religion have turned the world into a theatre of senseless violence each claiming above the other in the name of god, the abode of the trinity has remained a trans-continental confluence of people of all faiths, sending out the message that, methods of worship notwithstanding, all are equal before the Almighty. That possibly could be the reason the presiding deity is aptly known as Jagannath (lord of the universe), a combination of what researchers say two non-Vedic names, Jagat (universe) and Nath (lord). The host of rituals attached to the deities and people associated with the shrine point to the universality of Lord Jagannath and His hometown, the holy city of Puri. They typify the human cycle. Like any human being, the Lord sleeps, wakes up, brushes teeth in the morning, takes breakfast, lunch, goes for afternoon siesta, dinner at night, watches dance and listens to music before retiring to bed. He suffers from fever and undergoes treatment with medicines. Jagannath Temple represents any Odia family; the prasad cooked for the Lord is traditional. Vegetables like potato and tomato are not allowed as they are imports. Putting behind the man-made caste barrier, the temple hosts prasad for all to sit together and eat. Every day, an average 30,000 people have the Lords prasad comprising rice, dal and other dishes from the worlds largest kitchen. Gods and goddesses in major Hindu temples are usually made of stone or metal. But Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are a class apart. They are built from neem wood and look different sans legs, palms and faces unfinished with round huge eyes. The images are replaced every eight to 12 years according to the calculations of the Odia calendar. This ritual is known as Nabakalebara (embodiment), symbolizing the age-old belief that the soul is immortal and migrates from one body to another. Jagannath is embedded so deeply in the psyche of the people that no Odia family ventures out without invoking His name. If there is a marriage, the first invitation card is either delivered personally or sent to Him by post. Jagannath is considered the eldest member of every family. In times of trouble, people go to Him with their problems, shout at Him, hold Him responsible for their woes and swear not to talk to Him until they find relief. The deity is reflected in every aspect of human life, be it religion, architecture, social custom or literature. Irrespective of individual conviction, the Jagannath Temple commands the reverence of all faiths. True to its spirit of equality and harmony, the temple throughout its existence has not been the cause of any major conflagration among warring sects within Hinduism or outside. Instead, it assimilated views of preachers and philosophers above board, re-establishing the ultimate truth that God is one, beyond patent rights and belongs to all. That is why many scholars say that though Jagannath Dham is one of the four dhams, it is not identified with any particular sect, unlike the other three (Rameswaram, Dwarka and Badrinath). Vaishnavites see Jagannath as Vishnu and Shaivites as Shiva. Tulsidas after visiting the temple felt he stood before Lord Rama. Exponents of Tantra interpret Jagannath as Bhairava, their Almighty. Both Buddhists and Jains worship Jagannath. Guru Nanak Dev worshipped Him as the ultimate being. The temple was the recipient of a huge amount of gold from Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who also wanted to gift the Koh-i-noor to the Lord, but the British later took it to London. Tribals say Jagannath is their god and cite Daitapatis, a class of servitors, as tribal descendants. Jagannath, researchers say, has for centuries evolved itself into a cult, truly global in character. The numerous soulful lyrics composed by 16th century Sufi Muslim savant Sal Beg in praise of Jagannath proves this point. Saint Kabir was a Muslim weaver from Uttar Pradesh. He visited Puri around 16th century and worshipped Jagannath. The famous applique works used in the temple and in the chariots during the annual Rath festival are made by Muslim artists. People of Christian origin participate in the festival in large numbers where they sing, dance and pull the chariots. No wonder, the festival is now universal, being observed in a number of countries. Jagannath is often referred in academic circles as an enigmatic god. He is perhaps the most researched and discussed deity in the world. Yet, His antiquity and origin of worship is still shrouded in mystery. Available archaeological evidence shows that the present temple was started by the first Ganga King, Anantavarman Chodagangadev (1078-1148 AD), and was probably completed by his great grandson Anangabhimadev-III (1211-1238). According to the Madalapanji (temple chronicle) the three wooden deities were installed around the 14th century AD, said archaeologist B K Rath. Earlier, Jagannath was worshiped in the name of Purushottam. It is still not known what happened to the image, how it looked like before being replaced by the wooden trinity, he said. But Puri, as a holy place was known before the temple and the deities in their present form came into being. That Shankaracharya visited Puri in the early part of the 9th century establishes the sanctity of the place in ancient times, he said. Amid the unending search for the genesis of Jagannath, what looks relevant in the 21st century is the global appeal of the deity. According to British historian W W Hunter (1871), Puri is known to every hamlet throughout India, and to every civilized nation on earth, as the abode of Jagannath, the Lord of the world..... As long as his towers rise upon the Puri sands so long there will be in India, a perpetual and visible protest of equality of man before God. Did you know? 1-The 214.8 ft high Jagannath temple is one of Indias tallest shrines. 2-The temples kitchen is considered the worlds largest. It serves prasad to around 30,000 visitors daily. 3-European sailors called it the White Pagoda as it remained covered in a thick coast of lime for centuries. For the first time the superior artistic workmanship on the temples Khondalite stone surface came to light when the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began de-plastering it in 1975. 4-The temple complex comprises about 4 lakh sqft area and houses over 100 other temples and old structures. 5-The holy city of Puri has over 100 mutts. The Gobardhan Peeth is said to be nearly 1,200 years old.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 12:20:45 +0000
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