The Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri is
an important Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of lord Maha
Vishnu , located on the eastern coast of India, at Puri in the state of Odisha.
The temple is an important pilgrimage destination The present temple was
rebuilt from the 10th century onwards, on the site of an earlier temple, and
begun by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, first of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
The Puri temple is famous for its annual Ratha
yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three principal deities are pulled on
huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. These gave their name to the
English term Juggernaut. Unlike the stone and metal icons
found in most Hindu temples, the image of Jagannath is made of wood and is
ceremoniously replaced every twelve or nineteen years by an exact replica.
The temple is sacred to all Hindus and
especially in those of the Vaishnava traditions. Many great saints, such as
Ramananda and Ramanuja were closely associated with the temple. Ramanuja
established the Emar Mutt near the temple and the Govardhan Mutt, which is the
seat of one of the four Shankaracharyas. It is also of particular significance
to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder Chaitanya Mahaprabhu,
was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.
Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra are a trio of deities worshipped at the temple. The
inner sanctum of the temple contains statues of these three Gods carved from
sacred neem logs known as daru sitting on the bejewelled platform or ratnabedi,
along with statues of Sudarshana Chakra, Madanmohan, Sridevi and Vishwadhatri.
The deities are adorned with different clothing and jewels according to the
season. Worship of these deities pre-dates the building of the temple and may
have originated in an ancient tribal shrine.
According to legend, the construction of the
first Jagannath temple was commissioned by King Indradyumna, son of Bharata and
Sunanda, and a Malava king, mentioned in the Mahabharata and the Puranas.
The legendary account as found in the
Skanda-Purana, Brahma Purana and other Puranas and later Odia works state that
Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Lord Neela Madhaba by a Savar king
(tribal chief) named Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity, King Indradyumna
sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity, who was worshipped
secretly in a dense forest by Viswavasu. Vidyapati tried his best but could not
locate the place. But at last he managed to marry Viswavasu's daughter Lalita.
At repeated request of Vidyapti, Viswavasu took his son-in-law blind folded to
a cave where Lord Neela Madhaba was worshipped.
Vidyapati was very intelligent. He dropped
mustard seeds on the ground on the way. The seeds germinated after a few days,
which enabled him to find out the cave later on. On hearing from him, King
Indradyumna proceeded immediately to Odra desha (Odisha) on a pilgrimage to see
and worship the Deity. But the deity had disappeared. The king was
disappointed. The Deity was hidden in sand. The king was determined not to
return without having a darshan of the deity and observed fast unto death at
Mount Neela, Then a celestial voice cried 'thou shalt see him.' Afterward, the
king performed a horse sacrifice and built a magnificent temple for Vishnu. Sri
Narasimha Murti brought by Narada was installed in the temple. During sleep,
the king had a vision of Lord Jagannath. Also an astral voice directed him to
receive the fragrant tree on the seashore and make idols out of it.
Accordingly, the king got the image of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and
Chakra Sudarshan made out of the wood of the divine tree and installed them in
the temple.
Indradyumna's prayer to Lord Brahma
King Indradyumna put up for Jagannath the
tallest monument of the world. It was 1,000 cubits high. He invited Lord
Brahma, the cosmic creator, consecrate the temple and the images. Brahma came
all the way from Heaven for this purpose. Seeing the temple he was immensely
pleased with him. Brahma asked Indradyumna as to in what way can he (Brahma) fulfill
the king's desire, since was very much pleased with him for his having put the
most beautiful Temple for Lord Vishnu. With folded hands, Indradyumna said,
"My Lord if you are really pleased with me, kindly bless me with one
thing, and it is that I should be issueless and that I should be the last
member of my family." In case anybody left alive after him, he would only
take pride as the owner of the temple and would not work for the society.
Legend
surrounding the Temple origin
The traditional story concerning the origins
of the Lord Jagannath temple is that here the original image of Jagannath (a
deity form of Vishnu) at the end of Treta yuga manifested near a banyan tree,
near seashore in the form of an Indranila mani or the Blue Jewel. It was so
dazzling that it could grant instant moksha, so the God Dharma or Yama wanted
to hide it in the earth, and was successful. In Dvapara Yuga King Indradyumna
of Malwa wanted to find that mysterious image and to do so he performed harsh penances
to obtain his goal. Vishnu then instructed him to go to the Puri seashore and
find a floating log to make an image from its trunk.
The King found the log of wood. He did a yajna
from which God Yajna Nrisimha appeared and instructed that Narayana should be
made as fourfold expansion, i.e. Paramatma as Vasudeva, his Vyuha as Samkarshana,
Yogamaya as Subhadra, and his Vibhava asSudarsana. Vishwakarma
appeared in the form of an artisan and prepared images of Jagannath, Balabhadra
and Subhadra from the tree.
When this log, radiant with light was seen
floating in the sea, Narada told the king to make three idols out of it and
place them in a pavilion. Indradyumna got Visvakarma, the architect of Gods, to
build a magnificent temple to house the idols and Vishnu himself appeared in
the guise of a carpenter to make the idols on condition that he was to be left
undisturbed until he finished the work.
But just after two weeks, the Queen became
very anxious. She took the carpenter to be dead as no sound came from the
temple. Therefore, she requested the king to open the door. Thus, they went to
see Vishnu at work at which the latter abandoned his work leaving the idols
unfinished. The idol was devoid of any hands. But a divine voice told
Indradyumana to install them in the temple. It has also been widely believed
that in spite of the idol being without hands, it can watch over the world and
be its lord. Thus the idiom.
Invasions and desecrations of the Temple
The temple annals, the Madala Panji records
that the Jagannath temple at Puri has been invaded and plundered eighteen
times. The invasion by Raktabahu has been considered the first invasion on the
temple by the Madalapanji. In 1692, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ordered the
demolition of the temple, but the local Mughal officials who came to carry out
the job were somehow bribed out of it. The temple was merely closed. It was
re-opened after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707.
Entry and Darshan
Only Hindus and Buddhist and Jain groups able
to prove their Indian ancestry are permitted to enter the temple. Visitors not
allowed to enter may view the temple and precinct from the roof of the nearby
Raghunandan Library and pay their respects to the image of God Jagannath known
at the main entrance to the temple. There is some evidence that this policy
came into force following a series of invasions by foreigners into the temple
and surrounding area.
The temple is open from 5:00am to midnight.
Unlike in many other temples devotees, can go around and behind the idols.
During the special darshan, or parimanik darshan, devotees pay a small
fee to go right up to the statues. All devotees are allowed to go right up to
the deities during the sahana mela (general appearance) 7-8:00am without
paying any fees.
Cultural integrity
Starting from Lord Jagannath himself, history
has it that he was a tribal deity, adorned by the Sabar people, as a symbol of
Narayan. Another legend claims him to be Nilamadhava, an image of Narayana made
of blue stone and worshipped by the aboriginals. He was brought to Nilagiri
(blue mountain) or Nilachala and installed there as Shri Jagannath in company
with Balabhadra and Subhadra. The images made of wood are also claimed to have
their distant linkage with the aboriginal system of worshipping wooden poles.
To cap it all the Daitapatis, who have a fair share of responsibilities to
perform rituals of the Temple, are claimed to be descendants of the aboriginals
or hill tribes of Odisha. So we may safely claim that the beginning of the
cultural history of Shrikshetra is found in the fusion of Hindu and Tribal
Cultures. This has been accepted as a facet of our proud heritage. The three
deities came to be claimed as the symbols of Samyak Darshan, Samyak Jnana and
Samyak Charita usually regarded as Triratha (of the Jain cult), an assimilation
of which leads to Moksha (salvation) or the ultimate bliss...
Jagannath is worshipped as Vishnu or Narayana
or Krishna and Lord Balabhadra as Shesha. Simultaneously, the deities are
regarded as the bhairava with Vimala (the devi or the consort of Shiva)
installed in the campus of the temple. So ultimately we find a fusion of
Saivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism of the Hindu religion with Jainism and up to
an extent Buddhism in the culture of Jagannath and the cultural tradition so
reverently held together in Shrikshetra.
Acharyas and Jagannatha Puri
All of the renowned acharyas including
Madhvacharya have been known to visit this kshetra. Adi Shankara established
his Govardhana matha here. There is also evidence that Guru Nanak, Kabir,
Tulsidas, Ramanujacharya, and Nimbarkacharya had visited this place. Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Gaudiya Vaishnavism stayed here for 24 years,
establishing that the love of God can be spread by chanting the Hare Krishna
mantra. Srimad Vallabhacharya visited Jagannath Puri and performed a 7-day
recitation of Srimad Bhagvat. His sitting place is still famous as
"baithakji." It confirms his visit to Puri.
A famous incident took place when
Vallabhachrya visited. There was a discourse being held between the Brahmins
and 4 questions were asked. Who is the highest of Gods, What is the highest of
mantras, What is the highest scripture and What is the highest service. The
discourse went on for many days with many schools of thought. Finally Shri
Vallabh said to ask Lord Jagannath to confirm Shri Vallabh's answers. A pen and
paper were left in the inner sanctum. After some time, the doors were opened
and 4 answers were written. 1) The Son of Devaki (Krishna) is the God of Gods
2) His name is the highest of mantras 3) His song is the highest scripture
(Bhagavat Geeta) 4) Service to Him is the Highest service. The king was shocked
and declared Shri Vallabh the winner of the discourse. Some of the pandits who
participated became jealous of Shri Vallabh and wanted to test Him. The next
day was Ekadashi, a fasting day where one must fast from grains. The pandits
gave Shri Vallabh rice Prasad of Shri Jagannathji (The temple is famous for
this). If Shri Vallabh ate it, He would break His vow of fasting but if He did
not take it, He would disrespect Lord Jagannath. Shri Vallabh accepted the prasad
in his hand and spent the rest of the day and night explaining slokas of the
greatness of Prasad and ate the rice the next morning.
Char Dham
The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char
Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Rameswaram, Badrinath, Puri and
Dwarka. Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of
Hinduism propagated by Sankaracharya, who created Hindu monastic institutions
across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer. The four
monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples
are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the
East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at
Rameswaram in the South. Though ideologically the temples are divided between
the sects of Hinduism, namely Saivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage
is an all Hindu affair. There are four abodes in Himalayas called Chota Char
Dham (Chota meaning small): Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri
- all of these lie at the foot hills of Himalayas The name Chota was
added during the mid of 20th century to differentiate the original Char Dhams.
The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by
Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Traditionally
the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction
in a manner typically followed for circumambulation in Hindu temples.
Structure
The huge temple complex covers an area of over
400,000 square feet (37,000 m2), and is surrounded by a high
fortified wall. This 20 feet (6.1 m) high wall is known as Meghanada
Pacheri. Another wall known as kurma bedha surrounds the main temple. It
contains at least 120 temples and shrines. With its sculptural richness and
fluidity of the Oriya style of temple architecture, it is one of the most
magnificent monuments of India. The temple has four distinct sectional
structures, namely -
1.
Deula, Vimana or Garba griha (Sanctum sanctorum) where
the triad deities are lodged on the ratnavedi (Throne of Pearls). In Rekha
Deula style;
2.
Mukhashala (Frontal porch);
3. Nata mandir/Natamandapa, which is also known as the
Jagamohan (Audience Hall/Dancing Hall), and
4.
Bhoga Mandapa (Offerings Hall).
The main temple is a curvilinear temple and
crowning the top is the 'srichakra' (an eight spoked wheel) of Vishnu. Also
known as the "Nilachakra", it is made out of Ashtadhatu and is
considered sacrosanct. Among the existing temples in Orissa, the temple of Shri
Jagannath is the highest. The temple tower was built on a raised platform of
stone and, rising to 214 feet (65 m) above the inner sanctum where the
deities reside, dominates the surrounding landscape. The pyramidal roofs of the
surrounding temples and adjoining halls, or mandapas, rise in steps toward the
tower like a ridge of mountain peaks.
Nila Chakra
The Nila Chakra (Blue Discus) is the discus
mounted on the top shikhar of the Jagannath Temple. As per custom, everyday a
different flag is waved on the Nila Chakra. The flag hoisted on the Nila Cakra
is called the Patita Pavana (Purifier of the Fallen) and is equivalent to the
image of the deities placed in the sanctum sanctorum.
The Nila Chakra is a disc with eight
Navagunjaras carved on the outer circumference, with all facing towards the
flagpost above. It is made of alloy of eight metals (Asta-dhatu) and is 3.5
Metres (11 feet and 8 inches) high with a circumference of about 11 metres
(36 feet).During the year 2010, the Nila Chakra was repaired and restored
by the Archaeological Survey of India.
The Nila Chakra is distinct from the
Sudarshana chakra which has been placed with the deities in the inner
sanctorum.
Nila Chakra is the most revered iconic symbol
in the Jagannath cult. The Nila Chakra is the only physical object whose
markings are used as sacrament and considered sacred in Jagannath worship. It
symbolizes protection by Shri Jagannath.
The Singhadwara
The Singahdwara, which in Sanskrit
means The Lion Gate, is one of the four gates to the temple and forms the Main
entrance. The Singhadwara is so named because two huge statues of crouching
lions exist on either side of the entrance. The gate faces east opening on to the
Bada Danda or the Grand Road. The Baisi Pahacha or the flight of
twenty two steps leads into the temple complex. An idol of Jagannath known as Patitapavana,
which in Sanskrit, means the "Saviour of the downtrodden and the
fallen" is painted on the right side of the entrance. In ancient times
when untouchables were not allowed inside the temple, they could pray to Patita
Pavana. The statues of the two guards to the temple Jaya and Vijaya stand on
either side of the doorway. Just before the commencement of the Rath Yatra the
idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are taken out of the temple through
this gate. On their return from the Gundicha Temple they have to ceremonially
placate Goddess Mahalakshmi, whose statue is carved atop the door, for
neglecting to take her with them on the Yatra. Only then the Goddess allows
them permission to enter the temple. A magnificent sixteen-sided monolithic
pillar known as the Arun stambha stands in front of the main gate. This pillar
has an idol of Arun, the charioteer of the Sun God Surya, on its top. One
significant thing about Arun stambha is that prior it was located in the Konark
Sun temple, later, the Maratha guru Brahmachari Gosain brought this pillar from
Konark.
Other entrances
Apart from the Singhadwara, which is the main
entrance to the temple, there are three other entrances facing north, south and
west. They are named after the sculptures of animals guarding them. The other
entrances are the Hathidwara or the Elephant Gate, the Vyaghradwara
or the Tiger Gate and the Ashwadwara or the Horse Gate.
There are numerous smaller temples and shrines
within the Temple complex where active worship is regularly conducted. The
Vimala Temple (Bimala Temple) is considered one of the most important of the
Shaktipeeths marks the spot where the Goddess Sati's navel fell. It is located
near Rohini Kund in the temple complex. Until food offered to Jagannath is
offered to Goddess Vimala it is not considered Mahaprasad.
The temple of Mahalakshmi has an important
role in rituals of the main temple. It is said that preparation of naivedya as
offering for Jagannath is supervised by Mahalakshmi. The Kanchi Ganesh Temple
is dedicated to Uchchhishta Ganapati. Tradition says the King of Kanchipuram
(Kanchi) in ancient times gifted the idol, when Gajapati Purushottama Deva
married Padmavati, the kanchi princess. There are other shrines namely
Muktimandap, Surya, Saraswati, Bhuvaneshwari, Narasimha, Rama, Hanuman and
Eshaneshwara.
The Mandapas
There are many Mandapas or Pillared halls on
raised platforms within the temple complex meant for religious congregations.
The most prominent is the Mukti Mandapa the congregation hall of the
holy seat of selected learned Brahmins.
Here important decisions regarding conduct of
daily worship and festivals are taken. The Dola Mandapa is noteworthy
for a beautifully carved stone Torana or arch which is used for constructing a
swing for the annual Dol Yatra festival. During the festival the idol of
Dologobinda is placed on the swing. The Snana Bedi is a rectangular stone
platform where idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are placed for
ceremonial bathing during the annual Snana Yatra.
Festivals
There are elaborate daily worship services.
There are many festivals each year attended by millions of people. The most
important festival is the Rath Yatra or the Chariot festival in June. This
spectacular festival includes a procession of three huge chariots bearing the
idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra through the Bada Danda
meaning the Grand Avenue of Puri till their final destination the Gundicha
Temple.
Early European observers told tales of
devotees being crushed under the wheels of these chariots, whether by accident
or even as a form of meritorious suicide akin to suttee. These reports gave
rise to the loan word juggernaut suggesting an immense, unstoppable,
threatening entity or process operated by fanatics. Many festivals like Dol
Yatra in spring and Jhulan Yatra in monsoon are celebrated by temple every
year. Pavitrotsava and Damanaka utsava are celebrated as per
panchanga or panjika.There are special ceremonies in the month of Kartika and
Pausha.
The annual shodasha dinatmaka or 16 day
puja beginning 8 days prior to Mahalaya of Ashwin month for Goddess Vimala and
ending on Vijayadashami, is of great importance, in which both the utsava murty
of lord Madanmohan and Vimala take part.
Chandan Yatra
In Akshaya Tritiya every year the Chandan
Yatra festival marks the commencement of the construction of the Chariots of
the Rath Yatra.
Snnana Yatra
On the Purnima of the month of Jyestha the
Gods are ceremonially bathed and decorated every year on the occasion of Snana
Yatra.
Anavasara or Anasara
Literally means vacation. Every year, the main
idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra & Sudarshan after the holy Snana
Yatra on the jyestha purnima, go to a secret altar named Anavasara Ghar
where they remain for the next dark fortnight (Krishna paksha). Hence devotees
are not allowed to view them. Instead of this devotees go to nearby place
Brahmagiri to see their beloved lord in the form of four handed form Alarnath a
form of Vishnu. Then people get the first glimpse of lord on the day before
Rath Yatra, which is called Navayouvana. It is said that the Gods fall
in fever after taking a huge bath and they are treated by the special servants
named, Daitapatis for 15 days. During this period cooked food is not offered to
the deities.
Rath Yatra at Puri
The Jagannath triad are usually worshiped in
the sanctum of the temple at Puri, but once during the month of Asadha (Rainy
Season of Orissa, usually falling in month of June or July), they are brought
out onto the Bada Danda (main street of Puri) and travel (3 km) to the
Shri Gundicha Temple, in huge chariots (ratha), allowing the public to have darsana
(Holy view). This festival is known as Rath Yatra, meaning the journey (yatra)
of the chariots (ratha). The Rathas are huge wheeled wooden structures, which
are built anew every year and are pulled by the devotees. The chariot for
Jagannath is approximately 45 feet high and 35 feet square and takes about 2
months to construct. The artists and painters of Puri decorate the cars and
paint flower petals and other designs on the wheels, the wood-carved charioteer
and horses, and the inverted lotuses on the wall behind the throne. The huge
chariots of Jagannath pulled during Rath Yatra is the etymological origin of
the English word Juggernaut. The Ratha-Yatra is also termed as the Shri
Gundicha yatra.
The most significant ritual associated with
the Ratha-Yatra is the chhera pahara. During the festival, the Gajapati
King wears the outfit of a sweeper and sweeps all around the deities and
chariots in the Chera Pahara (sweeping with water) ritual. The Gajapati
King cleanses the road before the chariots with a gold-handled broom and
sprinkles sandalwood water and powder with utmost devotion. As per the custom,
although the Gajapati King has been considered the most exalted person in the
Kalingan kingdom, he still renders the menial service to Jagannath. This ritual
signified that under the lordship of Jagannath, there is no distinction between
the powerful sovereign Gajapati King and the most humble devotee. Chera
pahara is held on two days, on the first day of the Ratha Yatra, when the
deities are taken to garden house at Mausi Maa Temple and again on the last day
of the festival, when the deities are ceremoniously brought back to the Shri
Mandir.
As per another ritual, when the deities are
taken out from the Shri Mandir to the Chariots in Pahandi vijay.
In the Ratha Yatra, the three deities are
taken from the Jagannath Temple in the chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where
they stay for nine days. Thereafter, the deities again ride the chariots back
to Shri Mandir in bahuda yatra. On the way back, the three chariots halt
at the Mausi Maa Temple and the deities are offered Poda Pitha, a kind
of baked cake which are generally consumed by the Odisha people only.
The observance of the Rath Yatra of Jagannath
dates back to the period of the Puranas. Vivid descriptions of this festival
are found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana. Kapila Samhita
also refers to Rath Yatra. In Moghul period also, King Ramsingh of Jaipur,
Rajasthan has been described as organizing the Rath Yatra in the 18th Century.
In Orissa, Kings of Mayurbhanj and Parlakhemundi were organizing the Rath
Yatra, though the most grand festival in terms of scale and popularity takes
place at Puri.
Moreover, Starza notes that the ruling Ganga
dynasty instituted the Rath Yatra at the completion of the great temple around
1150 AD. This festival was one of those Hindu festivals that was reported to
the Western world very early. Friar Odoric of Pordenone visited India in
1316-1318, some 20 years after Marco Polo had dictated the account of his
travels while in a Genoese prison.In his own account of 1321, Odoric reported
how the people put the "idols" on chariots, and the King and Queen
and all the people drew them from the "church" with song and music.
Niladri Bije
Celebrated on Asadha Trayodashi. Niladri Bije
is the concluding day of Ratha yatra. On this day deities return to the ratna
bedi. Lord Jagannath offers Rasgulla to Goddess Laxmi to enter into the temple.
Gupta Gundicha
Celebrated for 16 days from Ashwina Krushna
dwitiya to Vijayadashami. As per tradition, the idol of Madhaba, along with the
idol of Goddess Durga (known as Durgamadhaba), is taken on a tour of the temple
premises. The tour within the temple is observed for the first eight days. For
the next eight days, the idols are taken outside the temple on a palanquin to
the nearby Narayani temple situated in the Dolamandapa lane. After their
worship, they are brought back to the temple.
Nabakalebara
One of the most grandiloquent events
associated with the Lord Jagannath, Nabakalabera takes place when one lunar
month of Ashadha is followed by another lunar month of Aashadha. This can take
place in 8, 12 or even 18 years. Literally meaning the "New Body"
(Nava = New, Kalevar = Body), the festival is witnessed by as millions of
people and the budget for this event exceeds $500,000. The event involves
installation of new images in the temple and burial of the old ones in the
temple premises at Koili Vaikuntha.
