Jagannatha Cult-Indian Tradition

Introduction

Jagannatha Puri temple is one of the famous monuments built in Odisha by the ruler of Ganga dynasty.

The cult symbolizes universal brotherhood by amalgamating tribal religious practices along with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and as per some religious and social analysts, the temple’s main deities, Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra, and younger sister Subhadra, are represented in black, white, and yellow. They depict the three major races of humanity. This is one of four pilgrimage sites or char dham in India. It is famous for the annual chariot race or Rath Yatra.

The cult of Jagannath is considered to be a gift to humanity to fulfil its desire of spiritual peace, social harmony and universal divinity. One can find this cult has revived the religious traditions, where rigidity embedded the religion in ancient India. Each group and community was given the freedom to develop their religious faith with no rigidity or intolerance of any kind.

What Do you Mean by the Cult of Jagannath?

• The cult of Jagannath represents the best example of regional cultures growing in regional kingdoms. Jagannatha which literally means the lord of the world is a name for Vishnu, found in Puri, Orissa.

• Even to date, the local tribes continue the traditions by making the wooden image of the deity, which shows that the deity was initially a local god which was later identified with Vishnu.

• There is a legend about how king Indradyumn built this holy shrine. It was believed during his holy dip in the river, he found an iron rod and lord Vishnu whispered in his ears that the floating rod is his heart and placed it in that land forever. The king then ran to Lord Jagannatha and placed it there.

• In fact, it is also believed when Pandavas were starting their journey to Yamlok, Sapt Rishis asked them to go to ‘Char Dham’ and Jagannath Puri was one of them.

Every 12 years in Jagannath Temple

• There is a tradition followed in intervals of every 12 years in Jagannatha temple known as ‘Nabakalebara’, which means the new embodiment or change of the body of principal deities.

• It is celebrated as an important festival in Odisha. It signifies the demise and the rebirth of Jagannath at Puri. This event involves installation of new idols of Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan in the temple and the burial of the old ones at Koili Baikuntha (also known as the graveyard of the deities) area of the temple premises.

• It is similar to the post-death rituals in Hindus; the servitors who participated in last night’s event, have to get tonsured after 10 days and mourn the death of old idols.

Why is Puri Famous?

One of the famous kings of the Ganga dynasty, Anantavarman, decided to construct a temple for Purushottama Jagannatha at Puri, in the 12th century. In subsequent years, another ruler Anangabhima III dedicated his kingdom to the deity and declared himself as the deputy of god.

According to the Vedas and the Puranas, the Purusottam appears in the Puri. Therefore, it is called Purushottam Kshetra, the place of Jagannath or Purusottam.

With the rising importance of the temple as a pilgrimage centre, its significance in the social and political arena also increased. All subsequent dynasties who conquered Odisha attempted to take control over the temple first. Some of these conquerors were Mughals, Marathas and the English East India Company. They realized that taking charge over it would enable them to be accepted by the local people.

Puri is also famous because the most-famous Rathayatra festival takes place every year, in which the idol of god Krishna, worshipped as Jagannatha, is taken to procession or yatra on the chariot through the streets.

Why is the Jagannatha Cult Considered as the Symbol of all Religion?

The cult of Lord Jagannath permeates the Orissa and in every household you can find images. Numerous religious faiths came and practiced in ancient Orissa – Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Vaishnavism, Saktaism and Bhaktism etc. But Jagannath Dharma was assimilated in all of these. Lord Jagannath is being worshipped by all the sects of religions. Therefore, the Jagannath cult is a unique cult, it consists of diverse faiths and cultures.

• According to Jainism - The name Jagannath was similar to the name of Jaina Tirthankaras. There was a belief that the Triratna of Jainism namely Right Faith, Right knowledge and Right Action are represented by the trinity of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra.

• Over the course of time it was also believed that Buddha was the incarnation of Jagannatha, who advocated classless or casteless society and professed for universal brotherhood.

• During the Bhakti movement where the worshipping of Krishna was a main theme. It was believed that Jagnnatha was the incarnation of Krishna, who appeared in Kali yuga. Along with him Vasudeva and Balarama were represented as Balabhadra and Subhadra.

Conclusion

Puri in Odisha is one of the famous ‘Char Dhama' in India. The development of this place as a famous religious tradition is a best example of how religious cultures developed in medieval Indian history. The jagannatha cult is associated with different religious beliefs such as Hinduism, Jainism, and the Bhakti movement etc. Along with this there are several legends associated with the origin of the shrine.

It also symbolizes the reformation of the religious traditions, which were accessible to the upper caste during the Vedic Age. These barriers were removed and religion was made accessible to all in the society. Hence, the cult of Jagannath is also known as ‘Gana Dharma” which means religion of the masses. Jagannath is the deity of all people irrespective of their class, caste and creed. This cult of Lord Jagannath is mainly based on love and affection, service and sacrifice and portrays the idea of equality in society.

FAQs

Q1. Name three other dhamas of ‘char Dham’ of India?

Ans.

• Badrinath in Uttarakhand.

• Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.

• Dwarka in Gujarat.

Q2. What was termed as rigidity in ancient Indian religion?

Ans. Religion became complex and involved elaborate and expensive rituals. People could not understand the Vedic texts without Brahmanas, who started taking advantage of their positions.

Q3. Who were Pandavas?

Ans. Pandavas (Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadev) were five sons of Pandu., the king of Kuru Mahajanapada or kingdom.

Q4. What do you understand about Tirthankaras?

Ans. According to Jainism, an enlightened person or a great teacher, leads people to the path of Dharma, known as Tirthankaras. There were 24 Tirthankars and Mahavira was the last one.

Q5. What was the Bhakti movement?

Ans. The Bhakti movement was a remarkable change in the religious traditions of Hinduism, which occurred in the form of a movement in the medieval period in India from the 7th to 8th century. The religious saints voiced against the extreme rituals and propagated devotion through singing, dancing and other simple forms. This movement denied the caste and creed barriers and any mediator between god and devotee. The movement started in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and started spreading to other parts of north and central India.