Wa0001.
Wa0001.
Introduction: -
Culture of a community or a State or a Republic in general and a
group of people in particular believe in one aspect of universal
truth which is evolved on a specific cult and that cult is invariably
based on usage, belief and traditions prevalent for many years or
say centuries in a community. The word Jagannath culture and the
word people of Orissa connote two distinct aspects; the first one
relates to culture of Lord Jagannath and second relates to Orissan
people. Orissa as such at present is comprising of 30 districts, but
its cultural boundary is bounded by many ancient States speaking
common language i.e. Oriya which the historians as well as
epigraphers say is evolved from Udramagadhi. However, the
ancient State of Kaling, Utkal, Trikaling, Dakhinkosal and
Kangoda comprise the modern Orissa. The people residing in all
the areas are mainly aboriginals i.e. either classes of Sabaras or
classes of Gonds and Kandhs. There are many divisions and sub-
divisions in these three tribal communities and in course of time
many subcommunities have come out their tribal boundaries and
have mingled with the on-coming communities namely
Kshetriyas and Brahmins as well as business community
(Vaishyas) brought in by the ruling dynasty from both/or South and
North. As is known in particular cultural heritage is usually
developed around river bank because of the fact that cultivation
and animal husbandry are easily possible for undertaking in the
lands which lay on both thebanks ever flowing rivers.
even though many tribal communities from the major part of the
population, but they almost have a common spiritual belief as a
result of which the worships of Lord Jagannath as we all know
now has been a evolving synthesis of many people, but with a
common stream of thought flowing from preVedic period as is
evident from many Purans and comparative study of old
civilisation as well as archaeological excavation. The worship
of Lord Jagannath in Orissa, as is described in the preceding
paragraph, has led to evolution of distinct culture which is usually
described as Jagannath culture. Jagannath culture believes in
universality but not in sectarianism. Lord Jagannath as we know
now is the God of masses, but not of individuals with individual
choice and thus naturally Jagannath culture has been observed as
a mass culture. People of diverse faith with their distinct social
backgrounds have worshipped Lord Jagannath as their own. From
the foot prints of the ageless cultural heritage in India and abroad,
we find that tribal (original inhabitant of Orissa), Dravidians,
Aryans, Orthodox Hindus, Jains, Buddhist, Sikhs, various
Influence of Jagannath Culture on People of Orissa Rajendra
Kumar Mohanty 28 Orissa Review* December - 2005 sects of
Hinduism i.e. Vaishnavites, Saivites, Ganapatyas, Saurays,
Shaktas have reposed their implicit faith in Lord Jagannath
according to their belief. Culture of Lord Jagannath has
been an elastic culture.
Meaning of Jagannath Culture: -
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, Odisha.
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.
Thereis 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.
Vimana : -
Vimana, Jagamohana, Natamandira, and bhogamandapa
comprise the imposing structure. Perhaps the last two structures
were constructed during suryavamsi Gajapati's reign. The
temple's Vimanatowers to a lofty heighi of 214 ft. And 8 niches
over an 80 ft.square.The dense plaster covering the exterior of
the temple obscured the sculptural decoration on the koouter
walls from the scholars . However,the recent removal of plasters
form the temple's outer walls by the Archaeological survey of
India revealed the temple's decorative motif.
Jagamohan: -
The temple's jagamohan, like that vimana,is in the
pancharatha style. This structure's roof is adequately
supported by several iron beams.Its outer surface emits an
erotic odour. It stands 120 feet tall.The temple's
Natamandira is pyramidal in shape.It is a square room
measuring 69 ft x 67 ft.on the inside and an 80 ft.Square
on the outside.
Chapter -3
Influence of culture of Lord Jagannath on
people of Odisha: -
Before we proceed ahead for discussions on the influence
of Lord Jagannath on people of Odisha from various
angles, it is necessary to analyze the various aspects of
culture of Lord Jagannath which are the seeds for
germination in respect of Orissan people. The gap between
men and Divine has been bridged in Jagannath culture
because Jagannath is a highly humanised Deity. He brushes
his teeth, takes bath, changes his cloth, wears out robes and
gold ornaments, studded with diamond, sapplires to suit
festive occasions and seasons, enjoys 56 varieties of food
(Mahaprasad) and 36 categories of servitors pay their
"Seva Khatani" according to their "Khatani routine", for
the daily duties relating to worship of Lord Jagannath.
Jagannath culture does not admit any distinction in
between the caste and communities. Jagannath culture aims
at liberating poor and down-trodden for better life for
which he is called Patitapaban and for which he observes
Ratha Yatra. Humbleness is a cardinal human value which
is amply prevalent in culture of Lord Jagannath. Culture of
Lord Jagannath always takes a positive view of the life. It
does not attend to 29 Odisha Review * December - 2005
pessimistic thought of grief suffering and death. It
recommends strong faith in Divine. It teaches man to strive
for perfection of its soul by the sacrifice of his self.
Worldly pursuits find no place in culture of Lord
Jagannath. Here in concept of Lord Jagannath, the devotees
prays for/asks for divine life, but not material gain. Culture
of Lord Jagannath has effected unity in diversity by faith,
and integrated human society with the help of human value
which are mentioned in the above paragraphs.
Social Influence of Culture of Lord Jagannath
on Orissan people: -
Darshan and Mahaprasad sevas of Lord Jagannath are the
twin desires of each believer of Lord Jagannath. When we
as pilgrims devotees or as visitors go to the Lord Jagannath
Temple complex, we usually wait for sometime to partake
Mahaprasad preferably in Anand Bazar. Anand Bazar
which is situated inside the premises of Lord Jagannath
Temple, Puri is a place where Mahaprasad in shape cooked
rice, dals, curry, sweets and Sukhila Bhog etc. which are
offered to Lord Jagannath and reoffered to the presiding
Lady Deity of Lord Jagannath i.e. Vimala become
Mahaprasad and are sold in Anand Bazar by the Suaras (the
cooks of the sacred Mahaprasad). Here in Anand Bazar
people of various categories right from Brahmin to Sudras
partake Mahaprasad in a common place from a common
container. This indicates that there is no sense of
segregation between Brahmin and non-Brahmin or between
the touchables and non-touchables or between Hindus,
Budhists, Jains and Sikhs. Similarly, there are two kinds of
servitors engaged for performance of rituals of Lord
Jagannath i.e. Brahmin and non-Brahmin.
Car festival: -
Being an indivisible part of the holy Rath Yatra
celebration, the Car Festival in Puri is an important festival
dedicated to Lord Jagannath. This festival is celebrated in
the month of Asadha. On the very day of the Car Festival,
Lord Jagannath along with his siblings starts the nine days
journey to the temple of Queen Gundicha. On the way,
their caravan stops at their maternal aunt’s place –
mausima temple – to take the meal of sweet pan cakes,
Jagannath’s favorite dish as said. During his journey, Lord
Jagannath is accompanied also by the celestial wheel called
Sudarshan Chakra.
Jagannath Puri Temple occupies the best position in the
catalog of the grandest monuments of the state. A large
number of the devotees from India and abroad visit the
temple located in the heart Puri, every year. They find here
the splendor of a 12th century temple along with the
magnificent aura. Exquisite carvings are embellished on
the walls of this gracefully tall temple. Pictures on the life
of Lord Krishna are depicted on the pillars from which the
temple gets the support.Jagannath Puri Temple is called
‘Yamanika Tirtha’ where, according to the Hindu beliefs,
the power of ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in
Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath, popularly
known as Lord Krishna, in the temple. As many as three
new splendid chariots are created for the Puri Yatra (the
journey) of the Gods – Lord Jagannath and his siblings and
his siblings, Lord Balbhadra and Deity Shubhadra – every
year. The carpenters, having rights for this job by heredity,
follow century old styles, written in the holy Hindu text,
for building and decorating the chariots.Then comes the
graceful day of Yatra, when these 45-feet high idols are
pulled by millions of devotees came here from all over the
world. The act of pulling the Rath by the ropes during Rath
Yatra Puri is believed to be an extremely religious act, the
belief which attracts millions of tourists from all over the
world.The day of the Rath Yatra in Puri is the only day in
the whole year when the non Hindu devotees can have an
opportunity to see the gods and goddess of Jagannath
temple puri.
Collection of Darus
Lord Nrusimha is the main deity of the Nabakalebara
Ritual. The sixteenth chapter of 'Skanda Purana' says that
on the auspicious day of Vaisakh sukla ashtami with
Pushya constellation in the sky, the daru bigraha or
wooden idols of Sri Jagannath, Sri Balabhadra, Devi
Subhadra and Sri Sudarshan areestablished in the main
temple. The eighteenth chapter describes how Lord
Brahmaa invoked the mantras, and the 'daru bigraha or
wooden' idols appeared as Sri Nrusimha miraculously
before the Lord Brahmaa and King Indradyumna in the
form of 'kalagni' or glowing fire with innumerable eyes,
ears, faces, noses, waists and appendages pervaded the
heaven and earth as if engulfing the whole universe.
Seeing this terrifying image, the sage Narada asked Lord
Brahmaa that, why the Lord has taken this frightening form
in 'pralaya' or destruction of the whole world? What kind
of leela of Lord Vishnu is this? The 'Lord Brahma with a
smile replied, "Hey Narada, imagining it as 'daru bigraha'
or wooden form, the ignorant persons ma neglect or
disrespect this 'Brahmarupi' (form of Brahma). After being
worshiped in 'Paramesthi mantra' the Lord has taken this
terrifying form. In the past, the Lord had appeared as
Nrusimha and killed the demon Hiranyakashipu.
Popularity of Jagannath Cult: -
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.The ancient natural heritage of India –
The Jagannath Culture – is known for its popularity that
has caught the attention of people from the Hindu world as
well as the outside world of foreigners. A representation of
the organic core of the cultural, spiritual, and linguistic
identities of Odisha, this culture is looked up for the way it
“tries to encourage the true spirit of ‘Cultural Uniqueness’
through the social inclusion of all devotees to visit
‘Jagannath Dhama’ or ‘Srikshetra’ – a pure and holy land
of Odisha region” as discussed by Archana Kanungo in her
article. Based off the tradition, religion, language, and
folkways of Odisha, the Jagannath culture observes
immense diversification. The geographical diversification
for instance, can be observed in terms of how this culture
starts from ‘Jagannath Dham, Puri’ (eastern Odisha) and
continues to West, North, and Southern parts of Odisha
like Aska and Gajapati.However, this culture isn’t just
confined to diversification in terms of geography but also
experiences variations in terms of caste, colour, religion,
and ethnicity, and its aspect of ‘Unity in Diversity’ is what
sets it apart as a unique culture. Even as Kanungo states in
her research essay, “Unity in Jagannath culture is born out
of uniformity or similarity. It implies a sense of
togetherness, encourages ‘we’ feeling; it stands for the tie
that binds the diverse groups with one another.”Enriched
with an absolute sense of diversity, the Jagannath culture
has been able to and still continues to bind diversified
people in a strong cultural unity.
Architectural Marvel : -
The Jagannath Temple is a striking example of Kalinga
architecture, a distinct style prevalent in the Odisha
region. The temple stands tall with a majestic spire, or
shikara, that rises to a height of 58 meters (190 feet). The
temple complex covers an area of about 10.7 acres,
enclosed by a high wall.The temple’s intricate
architecture features intricate carvings and artwork,
depicting various episodes from Hindu mythology and
scenes from daily life. The temple’s main structure, the
sanctum sanctorum, or the garbhagriha, houses the idols
of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. These idols
are positioned in such a way that they are visible to
devotees from a distance, drawing them towards the
central altar.The temple complex also includes several
other significant structures, such as the Mukti Mandap,
which is considered a place of salvation, and the Natya
Mandap, an auditorium for religious dance performances.
The temple’s architecture is not only aesthetically pleasing
but also serves as a testament to the advanced
architectural skills and craftsmanship of the time.
Historical Significance: -
The Jagannath Temple has played a vital role in the history and
culture of the Odisha region. It has served as a symbol of
devotion and a center for spiritual and cultural activities for
centuries. The temple’s influence extends beyond its immediate
religious context, impacting art, music, and literature in the
region.The temple has also faced several historical challenges. It
has been invaded and plundered multiple times by various rulers
and foreign powers over the centuries. However, the temple’s
resilience and significance have endured, and it has been rebuilt
and restored with devotion and enthusiasm each time.
Secular Appeal: -
The appeal of the Jagannath Temple extends beyond religious
and cultural boundaries. It is a place where people from various
backgrounds, faiths, and nationalities come to seek solace and
spiritual enlightenment. The temple’s open-door policy
welcomes visitors of all faiths and backgrounds, promoting a
sense of unity and inclusivity.The temple has also been a subject
of fascination for historians, archaeologists, and art enthusiasts.
Its unique architecture, rich history, and the rituals associated
with it have piqued the interest of scholars and researchers
worldwide. The temple has been a subject of study and
exploration, shedding light on the diverse aspects of Indian
culture and spirituality.While the Jagannath Temple holds a
revered place in the hearts of millions, it has not been free from
controversies and challenges. One of the most notable
controversies surrounds the temple’s restrictions on the entry of
non-Hindus. Traditionally, the temple has been off-limits to
individuals who do not follow the Hindu faith. This policy has
faced legal challenges and sparked debates regarding religious
freedom and equality.Another significant challenge is the
conservation and maintenance of the temple.
Chapter-4
Canclusion
The Jagannath culture from time immemorial preaches the
word of love and peaceful coexistence among the human
community. The character of culture is generosity and
endurance and coordination. No culture or religion in
whatsoever manner in whatsoever places is equal to this
composite concept of Lord Jagannath. Lord Jagannath is
worshipped throughout the world because he is generous
and kind to all. He is looking at great and small, rich and
poor, ruled and ruler, Brahman and Chandal with an equal
eye. In this look, there is no question of caste, creed or
religion, no place for egoism, aristocracy nor any place for
communalism. Here worshipped andworshipper are equal
and as such their separateness vanishes which is
symbolized in embracing of Lord Jagannath by a visitor
during Ratha Yatra. Lord Jagannath symbolizes universal
love and humanism. Myths, history and legends mingled
over centuries and have formed a composite culture of
Lord Jagannath. He is not only the Lord of Hindu or
Indian, but also the God of entire humanity. Let his
blessing be endowed to each inhabitants of entire
Universe.endurance and coordination.
Architecture of Jagannath temple: -