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103-803: Known as the Garden House of Jagannath , the Gundicha temple stands in the centre of a beautiful garden, surrounded by compound walls on all sides. It lies at a distance of about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the Shrimandira , the main temple of Jagannath. The two temples are located at the two ends of the Bada Danda (Grand Avenue) which is the pathway for the Rath Yatra. The temple is built using light-grey sandstone and architecturally, it exemplifies typical Kalinga temple architecture in

206-522: A naturalistic meaning to darshana : It's a gift; it's like there's a moment in which the thing is ready to let you see it. In India, this is called darshan . Darshan means getting a view, and if the clouds blow away, as they did once for me, and you get a view of the Himalayas from the foothills, an Indian person would say, "Ah, the Himalayas are giving you their darshana"; they're letting you have their view. This comfortable, really deep way of getting

309-566: A chakra in other Vishnu temples. Jagannath iconography, when he is depicted without companions, shows only his face, neither arms nor torso. This form is sometimes called Patita Pavana, or Dadhi Vaman . The murtis of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana Chakra are made of neem wood. Neem wood is chosen because the Bhavishya Purana declares it to be the most auspicious wood from which to make Vishnu murtis . The idol of Jagannatha, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana

412-526: A later 12th century addition to the Skanda Purana ) of the Skanda Purana , the deity Yama requested Vishnu to disappear from the region of Purushottama Kshetra, dissatisfied with the direct salvation of those who lived in the region. Vishnu agreed to do so. Indradyumna , the king of Avanti , grew interested in venerating the deity Nilamadhava , made of sapphire. He is described to have sent

515-607: A part of Jagannath's chariot, the Nandighosha . This ritual is known as the Ratha Bhanga (the breaking of the chariot). This is followed by her hiding behind a tamarind tree outside the Gundicha Temple. After some time, she escapes to her home temple in secrecy, through a separate path way known as Hera Gohri Lane, as she fears the repercussions of her angry act. The ceremony of Dakshina Moda (turning south)

618-553: A president. Foreigners (prohibited entry in the main temple) are allowed inside this temple during this period. The temple is under the Jagannath Temple Administration, Puri - the governing body of the main temple. A small band of servitors maintain the temple. The Rath Yatra starts on the second lunar day ( dwitiya ) the bright fortnight ( shukla paksha ) of the Hindu month of Ashadha . One day before

721-626: A prominent philosopher of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism, wrote that the wise person perceives tattva -darshana, true reality. Darshana also sometimes has a more mundane meaning. For example, Sivananda Saraswati wrote in his book The Practice of Brahmacharya that one of the eight aspects of brahmacharya ( celibacy ) is not to look lustfully at women: "You should carefully avoid ... Darshana or looking at women with passionate resolve". Scholar of religion Richard H. Davis has said that darshana (viewpoint, philosophical school)

824-445: A sense of something takes time. It doesn't show itself to you right away. It isn't even necessary to know the names of things the way a botanist would. It's more important to be aware of the " suchness " of the thing; it's a reality. It's also a source of a certain kind of inspiration for creativity. I see it in the work of Georgia O'Keeffe ..." Darshan is also a part of the name of India's public broadcaster Doordarshan combining

927-435: A transformation experience of decisive importance for practitioners, be they who have renounced (mundane life) 'ascetics' or householders." The Abhidharma , collections of systematic summaries of the sutras , mention Darshana- citta , i.e. visions . Indian Mahayana philosophers Vasubandhu and Asanga acknowledged five paths to liberation , of which the third is darshana-marga , the "path of seeing". Nagarjuna ,

1030-419: A tribal practice that continued when Hindus adopted prior practices and merged them with their Vedic abstractions. The practice of using wood for making murti is unusual, as Hindu texts on the design and construction of images recommend stone or metal. The Daitas are Hindu, but believed to have been the ancient tribe of Sabaras (also spelled Soras ). They continue to have special privileges such as being

1133-422: A very holy person or artifact. One can receive darshana or a glimpse of the deity in the temple, or from a great saintly person, such as a great guru . One can also take darshana of a sacred places like Kashi , Yamuna or Mount Kailash . In Hindu practice, adherents often refer to their temple visits as going for darshana rather than simply worship. Darshana, often translated as the "auspicious sight" of

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1236-639: A wooden pillar. It is therefore believed that Jagannath is worshipped as a wooden murti or Daru Brahma with the Shri Narasimha hymn dedicated to the Narasimha Avatar. Every year in the month of Bhadra , Jagannath is dressed and decorated in the form of the Vamana avatar of Vishnu. Jagannath appeared in the form of Rama , another avatar of Vishnu, to Tulsidas , who worshipped him as Rama and called him Raghunath during his visit to Puri in

1339-559: Is Purna Brahman from whom other Avataras like Rama , Krishna, etc., took their birth for lilas in this universe and at the end would merge in the self of Purna Brahman. In the Jagannath tradition, he has the attributes of all the avatars of Krishna/Vishnu. This belief is celebrated by dressing him and worshipping him as different avatars on special occasions. The Puranas relate that the Narasimha Avatar of Vishnu appeared from

1442-409: Is a brightly painted, rough-hewn log of neem wood. The image consists of a square flat head, a pillar that represents his face merging with the chest. The icon lacks a neck, ears, and limbs, is identified by a large circular face symbolizing someone who is anadi (without beginning) and ananta (without end). Within this face are two big symmetric circular eyes with no eyelids, one eye symbolizing

1545-467: Is a carved and decorated wooden stump with large round eyes and a symmetric face, and the idol has a conspicuous absence of hands or legs. The worship procedures, sacraments and rituals associated with Jagannath are syncretic and include rites that are uncommon in Hinduism. Unusually, the icon is made of wood and replaced with a new one at regular intervals. The origin and evolution of Jagannath worship

1648-477: Is a thriving tradition. The existence of these legends, state some scholars such as Stevenson, suggests that Jagannath may have a Buddhist origin. Another evidence that links Jagannath deity to Buddhism is the Ratha-Yatra festival for Jagannath, the stupa-like shape of the temple and a dharmachakra-like discus ( chakra ) at the top of the spire. The major annual procession festival has many features found in

1751-754: Is considered a non-sectarian deity. He is significant regionally in the Indian states of Odisha , Chhattisgarh , West Bengal , Jharkhand , Bihar , Gujarat , Assam , Manipur and Tripura . He is also significant to the Hindus of Bangladesh . The Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha is particularly significant in Vaishnavism, and is regarded as one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites in India. The Jagannath temple

1854-693: Is considered as equivalent to the Hindu metaphysical concepts of Brahman / Para Brahman and Purushottama /Shunya Purusha, wherein he then is the Avatarī, i.e., the cause and equivalence of all avatars and the infinite existence in space and time. According to author Dipti Ray in Prataparudra Deva , the Suryavamsi King of Odisha: In Prataparudradeva's time Odia poets accepted Sarala Dasa 's idea and expressed in their literary works as all

1957-542: Is considered the epitome of Tantric worship. The symmetry in iconography, the use of mandalas and geometric patterns in its rites support the tantric connection proposal. Jagannath is venerated as Bhairava or Shiva , the consort of the goddess Vimala , by Shaivites and Shakta sects. The priests of Jagannath Temple at Puri belong to the Shakta sect, although the Vaishnava sect's influence predominates. As part of

2060-529: Is dedicated to Jagannath. His image, along with the other two associated deities, is ceremoniously brought out of the sacrosanctum ( Garbhagruha ) of his chief temple in Puri ( ଶ୍ରୀ ମନ୍ଦିର , Śrī Mandira ). They are placed in a temple car which is then pulled by numerous volunteers to the Gundicha Temple (located at a distance of nearly 3 km or 1.9 mi). They stay there for eight days, and on

2163-566: Is massive, over 61 metres (200 ft) high in the Nagara architecture style of Hindu temple architecture , and one of the best surviving specimens of Kalinga architecture , namely Odisha art and architecture. It has been one of the major pilgrimage destinations for Hindus since about 800 CE. The annual festival called the Ratha yatra celebrated in June or July every year in eastern states of India

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2266-673: Is no distinction of caste inside the Jagganath temple, many day-to-day services (Vidhis) of Lord Jagannatha owe their origin either to Jainism or to Buddhism or the combination of both, the local legends link the idols with aborginal tribes and the daitapatis (servitors) claim to be descendants of the aboriginals. Majority of rituals are based on Oddiyana Tantras which are the refined versions of Mahayana Tantras as well as Shabari Tantras which are evolved from Tantric Buddhism and tribal believes respectively. According to Starza, these practices are also connected to Tantric practices. Buddha

2369-540: Is observed on the day after Hera Panchami , that is, the sixth day of the Rath Yatra. The chariots of the deities are parked outside the temple, facing the main temple gate (western gate). In preparation for the return journey, the Bahuda Yatra , the chariots are turned to face towards the main temple in the southern direction and are parked near the Nakachana gate (eastern gate) of the Gundicha Temple through which

2472-605: Is one of three terms in classical Indian discourse that could be considered roughly analogous to what today's English-speakers understand as "religion." The other two terms are dharma (duty, morality, a code of proper conduct) and marga (route, spiritual path). According to Davis, "most Hindu texts accepted that religious paths ( marga ) are relative to the points of view ( darśana ) and moral responsibilities ( dharma ) of practitioners, whose individual circumstances may make one or another course of action more appropriate in their particular situations." Poet Gary Snyder has given

2575-482: Is re-painted every week in the Jagannatha Temple, Puri. It is replaced with a newly carved image every 12 or 19 years approximately, or more precisely according to the luni-solar Hindu calendar when its month of Asadha occurs twice in the same year. In the Jagannath tradition (Odia Vaishnavism), Jagannath is most frequently identified with an abstract form of Krishna as the supreme deity. Jagannath

2678-416: Is shown "fully anthropomorphised" but with the traditional abstract mask face. The typical icon of Jagannath is unlike other deities found in Hinduism who are predominantly anthropomorphic. However, aniconic forms of Hindu deities are not uncommon. For example, Shiva is often represented in the form of a Shiva linga . In most Jagannath temples in the eastern states of India, and all his major temples such as

2781-403: Is surrounded by a wall. The sanctum features a plain raised platform (4 feet (1.2 m) high and 19 feet (5.8 m) long) made of chlorite called Ratnavedi , where the deities are placed during the annual festivities. The temple has two gates. The western gate is the main temple gate, through which the deities enter the temple during Ratha Yatra. The eastern gate, known as Nakachana gate,

2884-694: Is taken to the Rasa mandapa (a temple hall) of the Gundicha Temple where hymns from the Gita Govinda are sung for the last 3 days of his stay in the temple. During the Rasa Lila, the interaction between Jagannath-Krishna and the gopis is enacted through the Gita Govinda verses. In the olden days, Devadasis sang the verses, which are now sung by the temple servitors. Vaishnavas thus consider Gundicha Temple as Vrindavan during Jagannath's stay there. As per tradition, during Jagannath's stay in Gundicha temple,

2987-402: Is the elder brother Balarama , Jagannath is the younger brother Krishna , and Subhadra is the youngest sister. Balabhadra considered the elder brother of Jagannath is sometimes identified with and worshipped as Shiva . Subhadra now considered Jagannath's sister has also been considered as a deity who used to be Brahma . Finally the fourth deity, Sudarshana Chakra symbolizes the wheel of

3090-403: Is through the medieval era cult of Lakshmi- Narasimha . This hypothesis relies on the unusual flat head, curved mouth and large eyes of Jagannath, which may be an attempt to abstract an image of a lion's head ready to attack. While the tribal Narasimha theory is attractive states Starza, a weakness of this proposal is that the abstract Narasimha representation in the form does not appear similar to

3193-470: Is unclear. Some scholars interpret hymn 10.155.3 of the Rigveda as a possible origin, but others disagree and state that it is a syncretic/synthetic deity with tribal roots. The English word juggernaut was the rendition into English of "Jagannath" by early British in India, and came to mean a very large and unstoppable force from accounts of the famous Ratha Yatra processions in Puri . Jagannath

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3296-405: Is used for the departure of the deities. Except for the 9-day Rath Yatra when Jagannath is worshipped in Gundicha temple, the temple remains empty the rest of the year. Tourists don't have to pay any fee to enter the temple, it's considered that Lord Jagannath ensures all of his devotees equally. There is no rich or poor inside the temple.All have to follow the same rule either it be a common man or

3399-465: The Deula style. The complex comprises four components: vimana (tower structure containing the sanctum), jagamohana (assembly hall), nata- mandapa (festival hall) and bhoga-mandapa (hall of offerings). There is also a kitchen connected by a small passage. The temple is set within a garden, and is known as "God's Summer Garden Retreat" or garden house of Jagannath. The entire complex, including garden,

3502-514: The Avataras of Vishnu (Jagannath) manifest from him and after their cosmic play dissolute (bilaya) in him (Jagannath). According to them Jagannath is Sunnya Purusa, Nirakar and Niranjan who is ever present in Nilachala to do cosmic play ... The five Vaishnavite Sakhas ["Comrades"] of Orissa during Prataparudradeva's time expounded in their works the idea that Jagannath ( Purushottama )

3605-594: The Bhavishya Purana ). He established Gaudiya Vaishnavism and also known to have composed the Jagannath Astakam. He lived in Puri for many years and sang bhajans (devotional songs) and led sankirtan processions in front of Jagannath during his Chandan Yatra and Ratha Yatra, along with many devotees. It is also said that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to go into a rapturous mood watching the god's love play and dance with joy and also fainted many times due to emotion. Daily, he prayed to Jagannath, standing behind

3708-566: The Mahayana Buddhism traditions. Faxian (c. 400 CE), the ancient Chinese pilgrim and visitor to India wrote about a Buddhist procession in his memoir, and this has very close resemblances with the Jagannath festivities. Further the season in which the Ratha-Yatra festival is observed is about the same time when the historic public processions welcomed Buddhist monks for their temporary, annual monsoon-season retirement. There

3811-670: The Shri Yantra . Further, his Shri Chakra ("holy wheel") is worshipped in the bijamantra 'klim', which is also the bijamantra of Kali or Shakti. The representation of Balarama as Sheshanaga or Sankarsana bears testimony to the influence of Shaivism on the cult of Jagannath. The third deity, Devi Subhadra, who represents the Sakti element is still worshipped with the Bhuvaneshvari Mantra. The Tantric texts claim Jagannath to their own, to be Bhairava, and his companion to be

3914-519: The avatar of Vishnu. To some Shaiva and Shakta Hindus, he is a symmetry-filled tantric form of Bhairava , a fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation. The Jagannathism ( a.k.a. Odia Vaishnavism) — the particular sector of Jagannath as a major deity — emerged in the Early Middle Ages and later became an independent state regional temple-centered tradition of Krishnaism /Vaishnavism. The idol of Jagannath

4017-525: The garudastamba (Pillar of Garuda ) with tears flowing down his eyes. With permission of the king, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu once undertook the task of cleaning the Gundicha temple premises a day before the Ratha yatra (this tradition is followed even to this day by the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism). It is mentioned that once Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, unnoticed by his attendants, walked towards

4120-507: The relic worship associated with Jagannatha, a concept integral to Buddhism but alien to Hinduism. For example, there exists an unexamined relic in the Jagannath shrine in Puri, and the local legends state that the shrine relic contains a tooth of Gautama Buddha – a feature common to many cherished Theravada Buddhist shrines in and outside India. According to Datha-dhatu-vamsa , as mentioned in Culavamsa , Buddha's left canine tooth

4223-495: The 16th century. Sometimes one regards him as one of the avatars (incarnations) of Krishna (i.e., Buddha-Jagannath) or Vishnu (i.e., Vamana). His name does not appear in the traditional Dashavatara (ten avatars) of Vishnu, though in certain Odia literature , Jagannath has been treated as the avatar of Krishna, as a substitute for or the equivalent of the avatar Buddha from Dashavatara. Outside Vaishnava tradition, Jagannath

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4326-520: The 9th day they are returned to the main temple. Coinciding with the Ratha Yatra festival at Puri, similar processions are organized at Jagannath temples throughout the world. During the festive public procession of Jagannath in Puri, hundreds of thousands of devotees visit Puri to see Jagganath in chariot. Jagannath is a Sanskrit word, compounded of jagat meaning "universe" and nātha meaning "Master" or "Lord". Thus, Jagannath means "lord of

4429-482: The Buddhist principles of Sunya (The great void) and Alekha (The formless one) with Jagannath himself. The idols of Jagannath triad are not anthropomorphic like hindu idols, but instead are stumps of wood with crude symbolic facial features and stumpy obtrusions for limbs. Odia poet Sarala Dasa of 15th century in his Mahabharata describes Jagannatha as Buddha but not as any other avatar of Vishnu: He remains in

4532-591: The Buddhist remains still existing. The idols of Jagannatha is believed to contain the bones of Krishna even though it forms no part of the Brahmanical religion to collect and adore dead men's bones while it is a most meritorious act among the Buddhists to collect and preserve the relics of departed saints, and the places that contain them are esteemed peculiarly holy. In Buddhism, preserving cetiya or skeletal parts such as "Buddha's tooth" or relics of dead saints

4635-457: The Gundicha Temple and was last seen entering the Manikotha , thereafter he was never seen again. This disappearance has remained an unexplained mystery as none of the books written on him have recorded this event. It is believed that he merged with Jagannath at the temple. Jagannath Jagannatha ( Odia : ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ , romanized:  Jagannātha , lit.   'Lord of

4738-424: The Gundicha Temple in the same manner as in the main temple, while Lakshmi is left behind in a storeroom in the main temple. This connotes a different context to the role of the devadasis in the Gundicha Temple. Another unusual feature is that the images are smeared with larger quantities of sandalwood paste, twice a day, as a "cooling agent" (as is commonly done to the goddess Gundicha). Every day of their stay in

4841-522: The Gundicha Temple, and she is immediately reunited with her husband in blissful love. One more legend relates the temple's name Gundicha to a local goddess Gundicha, akin to Durga , worshipped to cure smallpox . Gundi in Oriya means smallpox, Gundicha is considered Krishna-Jagannath's aunt, which he visits with his siblings annually. Another legend is about the mysterious disappearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (an incarnation of Krishna according to

4944-471: The Gundicha temple, he is exclusively taken care by his gopis (cow-herding girls) led by his gopi-lover Radha like Krishna in Vrindavan . The gopis are symbolized by the temple devadasis on this occasion. When Jagannatha returns to his main temple after his amorous dalliance, Lakshmi meets him at the main temple gate and sprinkles some magical powder on him, which makes him forget about his escapade in

5047-603: The Hindu goddess Kali with it. However, states Starza, this theory is weak because the Anga pen features a bird or snake like attached head along with other details that make the tribal deity unlike the Jagannath. Some scholars such as Kulke and Tripathi have proposed tribal deities such as Stambhesveri or Kambhesvari to be a possible contributor to the Jagannath triad. However, according to Starza, these are not really tribal deities, but Shaiva deities adopted by tribes in eastern states of India. Yet another proposal for tribal origins

5150-455: The Hindus. According to Starza, the Jain influence on the Jagannath tradition is difficult to assess given the sketchy uncertain evidence, but nothing establishes that the Jagannath tradition has a Jain origin. The Vaishnava origin theories rely on the iconographic details and the typical presence of the triad of deities, based on original scriptures of Hinduism. The colors, state the scholars of

5253-470: The Jagannath cult, such as the supposed tooth relic of Buddha, the Ratha-Yatra , the absence of caste rules in the temple and the identification of Jagannath with Buddha avatar are not sufficient to establish a Buddhist origin of the worship of Jagannath. Indrabhuti , the ancient Buddhist king of Oddiyana , describes Jagannath as a Buddhist deity in Jñānasiddhi . This is the oldest known direct mention of

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5356-475: The Jain context and was derived from Jinanath . Evidence of the Jain terminology such as of Kaivalya , which means moksha or salvation, is found in the Jagannath tradition. Similarly, the twenty two steps leading to the temple, called the Baisi Pahacha , have been proposed as symbolic reverence for the first 22 of the 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism. According to Annirudh Das, the original Jagannath deity

5459-405: The Puri, Odisha, Jagannath is included with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra . Apart from the principal companion deities, the Jagannath icon shows a Sudarshana Chakra and sometimes under the umbrella cover of multiheaded Sesha Naga, both linking him to Vishnu . When shown with Balabhadra and Subhadra, he is identifiable from his circular eyes compared to the oval or almond shape of

5562-408: The Ratha Yatra, the Gundicha Temple is religiously cleansed for housing the gods. On the first day of the yatra, the deities are transported in chariots from the main temple to Gundicha temple. This is the famous Rath Yatra or Chariot Festival of Jagannath Puri. The three deities are transported in three magnificent chariots, drawn by the numerous devotees gathered there. The three chariots involved in

5665-604: The Universe"). Both names derive from Jagannath . Further, on the basis of the physical appearance of the deity, names like Kalia (କାଳିଆ) ("The Black-coloured Lord", but which can also mean "the Timely One"), Darubrahman (ଦାରୁବ୍ରହ୍ମ) ("The Sacred Wood-Riddle"), Dāruēdebatā ( ଦାରୁ ଦେବତା "The wooden god"), Chakā ākhi ( ଚକା ଆଖି ) or Chakānayan ( ଚକା ନୟନ "With round eyes"), Cakāḍōḷā ( ଚକା ଡୋଳା "with round pupils") are also in vogue. According to Dina Krishna Joshi,

5768-715: The Universe';; formerly English: Juggernaut ) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with his ( Krishna 's) brother Balabhadra , and sister, Subhadra . Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, Purushottama , and the Para Brahman . To most Vaishnava Hindus, particularly the Krishnaites , Jagannath is a form of Krishna , sometimes as

5871-472: The Vaishnava origin theory, link to black-colored Krishna and white-colored Balarama. They add that the goddess originally was Ekanamsa (Durga of Shaiva-Shakti tradition, sister of Krishna through his foster family). She was later renamed to Shubhadra (Lakshmi) per Vaishnava terminology for the divine feminine. It is certainly true that the Vaishnava Hindus in the eastern region of India worshipped

5974-589: The Vaisnava mythic hierarchy. But in the opening chapter of his Gita Govinda , the poet Jayadeva claims that Vishnu reincarnated as the Buddha to condemn the animal sacrifices prevalent in Vedic times. In the Jagannath cult, Jagannath is sometimes represented as the ninth avatar of Vishnu substituting Buddha, when it could have been substituted for any other avatar. According to Starza, these manifestation of

6077-399: The belief that Indrabhuti was the king of Odisha which is same as Oddiyana or Odra- pitha , of which the main deities are Jagganath and Viraja. Some scholars argue that evidences of Jagannatha's Buddhist nature are found from Medieval Odia Literature. Many medieval Odia poets suggest to their readers, that they wrote their books on the commands of a formless god-like personality, identifying

6180-483: The chariot procession are: one for each deity with central chariot called the Nandighosha , carrying the main deity of Jagannath and the second chariot known as Taladhwaja carrying Balabhadra, and the third chariot called the Darpadalana carrying Subhadra. The procession progresses down the 3 km long "Bada Danda" (long avenue) and reaches the gates of the Gundicha temple before nightfall. The deities remain in

6283-448: The chariots on the first day and enter the Gundicha Temple on the second day. They reside at the Gundicha temple for the subsequent seven days. A particular feature in the worship of the deities at Gundicha Temple is that Brahmin temple servants offer the puja instead of daita s, the traditional non-Brahmin servitors of Jagannath who are excluded from worship. Though devadasis generally function as agents of Lakshmi, they offer worship in

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6386-440: The chieftain would leave the house every evening, and only return the following noon. At his urging, Lalita revealed to him that these were her father's visits to the shrine of Nilamadhava, whose location was held secret within the community. Vidyapati persuaded his wife to ask Vishvavasu to take him along to see the image of the deity. The chieftain agreed to take Vidyapati with him, but on the condition that he be blindfolded during

6489-544: The correct context of the hymn is "Alaxmi Stava" of Arayi. According to Bijoy Misra, Puri natives do call Jagannatha as Purushottama, consider driftwood a savior symbol, and later Hindu texts of the region describe the Supreme Being as ever present in everything, pervasive in all animate and inanimate things. Therefore, while the Vedic connection is subject to interpretation, the overlap in the ideas exist. Theories suggesting Buddhist origins of Jagannatha stems from

6592-560: The deities leave the temple. It is said the demon-king of Lanka, Vibhishana got darshan of Jagannath from far away Lanka on this day. Devotees believe one can attain salvation by witnessing this ceremony. Dakshina Moda , marks the beginning of the three-day Rasa Lila of Jagannath. Rasa lila is described in Hindu texts like the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda as a night in Vrindavan when Krishna danced with his gopi-consort Radha and other gopis. The image of Jagannath

6695-604: The deity. This is not unique to the coastal state of Odisha, but possibly also influenced Buddhism in Nepal and Tibet . Shakyamuni Buddha is also worshipped as Jagannath in Nepal. Abhinav Patra argues that it has not been historically ascertained whether the deity Jagannath as worshipped by Indrabhuti was just a coincidental homonym with the present Jagannath or referred to the same deity. The 10th century era text Kubjikāmatatantra , mentions Viraja (ancient capital of Utkala ) as

6798-464: The divine, involves seeing the deity's image ( murti ). This visual experience is charged with religious significance, as the deity is believed to be present in the image, allowing worshippers to receive divine blessings through their gaze. The term darshana also refers to the six systems of thought, called darshanam , that comprise classical Hindu philosophy . The term therein implies how each of these six systems distinctively look at things and

6901-451: The first to view the new replacement images of Jagannath carved from wood approximately every 12 years. Further, this group is traditionally accepted to have the exclusive privilege of serving the principal meals and offerings to Jagannath and his associate deities. According to Verrier Elwin , a convert to Hinduism, Jagannatha in a local legend was a tribal deity who was coopted by a Brahmin priest. The original tribal deity, states Elwin,

7004-478: The forms of darśana or darshanam , comes from the Sanskrit root of दर्शन dṛś 'to look at', 'to view', vision , apparition or glimpse. Darshana is described as an "auspicious sight" of a holy person, which bestows merit on the viewer. It is most commonly used for theophany , meaning a manifestation or vision of the divine. In Hindu worship , it refers to seeing a deity (especially in image form), or

7107-487: The goddess of Oddiyana, with which Indrabhuti's son Padmasambhava is associated with. The Saddharmapundarika records a prophecy in which the Lord assures Śāriputra , that he would be in a distant future time a Buddha under the name of Padmaprabha, and that his place of enlightenment would be Viraja. Padmasambhava and Tārā, along with other deities are invoked in an inscription of 25 lines incised in nail-headed characters of

7210-536: The images of Narasimha in nearby Konark and Kalinga temple artworks. In contemporary Odisha, there are many Dadhivaman temples with a wooden pillar god, and this may be same as Jagannath. According to H.S. Patnaik and others, Jagannath is a syncretic/synthetic deity that combined aspects of major faiths like Shaivism , Shaktism , Vaishnavism , Jainism , and Buddhism . Krishnaite sampradayas, as example, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, have identified him strongly with Krishna. In Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Balabhadra

7313-446: The journey so that the shrine's location remained undisclosed. Lalita helped her husband devise a plan: Vidyapati brought a bag of mustard seeds with him, scattering them all along the path to the shrine present in a cave, bearing witness to the deep blue image of Nilamadhava. Returning to Avanti, he reported his discovery of the shrine to Indradyumna. After a few months, following the mustards seeds that had since germinated into plants,

7416-419: The king and his retinue travelled to the shrine, unable to locate the image. After praying to Vishnu for three days and nights, they heard the deity's voice thunder from the heavens, rebuking them for their scheme and informing them of his omnipresence. He announced that he would manifest as a dāru (wooden image) floating by the sea. He instructed them to construct a new temple upon a mountain that stood beside

7519-479: The kitchens of the main temple stop preparing Mahaprasad (food offered to deity and given to a devotee as the deity's blessing). The Mahaprasad consists of rice, dal , vegetables etc. The kitchens of the Gundicha temple are repaired and food is cooked there to offer to Jagannath. The day of Sandhya Darshan, (evening prayers) the second last day of the festival, is considered the most important day to have darshan of Jagannath. On this day, as thousands of devotees throng

7622-545: The late 8th-9th century on the back of an image of Lokeśvara / Mahākaruṇā at Udaygiri not far from Jajpur, which states that a stupa with a relic inside and dwelt in by the Tathāgata was set up on that very spot. The stupa is believed to have contained the relics of Padmasambhava. Though the site is only partially excavated, at least one stupa has been unearthed. According to Nabin Kumar Sahu, this mass of evidence, supports

7725-446: The main temple of Puri. On Hera Panchami, the furious goddess Lakshmi arrives, in the form of the image of Subarna Mahalakshmi, at the Gundicha Temple. She is formally carried in a palanquin with much fan fare and welcomed and worshipped by the priests of Gundicha Temple, who take her to the sanctum to meet Jagannath. The husband and wife seat face-to-face on the porch in the sanctum of the Gundicha Temple; on this occasion devotees flock to

7828-532: The other two abstract icons. Further, his icon is dark, while Balabhadra's face is white, and Subhadra's icon is yellow. The third difference is the flat head of Jagannath icon, compared to semi-circular carved heads of the other two. They are accompanied by the Sudarshana Chakra, the iconic weapon of Vishnu. It is approximately the same height as Balabhadra, is red in colour, carved from a wooden pillar and clothed, unlike its traditional representation as

7931-425: The palace of Sri Ram. The tribal origin theories rely on circumstantial evidence and inferences such as the Jagannath icon is non-anthropomorphic and non-zoomorphic. The hereditary priests in the Jagannath tradition of Hinduism include non-Brahmin servitors, called Daitas , which may be an adopted grandfathered practice with tribal roots. The use of wood as a construction material for the Jagannath icons may also be

8034-691: The same as goddess Vimala is the Shakti. The offerings of Jagannath becomes mahaprasad only after it is re-offered to goddess Vimala. Similarly, different Tantric features of yantras have been engraved on the Ratna vedi, where Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are set up. The Kalika Purana depicts Jagannath as a Tantric deity. According to Avinash Patra, the rituals and special place accepted for non-Brahmin Daitas priests in Jagannath tradition, who co-exist and work together with Brahmin priests suggests that there

8137-594: The scriptures in Indian philosophies. The six Hindu darshana are Nyaya , Vaisheshika , Samkhya , Yoga , Mīmāṃsā , and Vedanta . Buddhism and Jainism are examples of non-Hindu darshans. On the significance of darshana in Mahayana thought, Paul Harrison writes: "By the second century CE... the vision of the Buddha ( buddha-darśana ) and the accompanying hearing of the Dharma ( dharma-śravaṇa ) are represented as

8240-463: The seashore for his worship. In the Skanda Purana , by the time Vidyapati returned to inform the king of the site of the shrine, a great storm had buried the image of Nilamadhava under the sand. Despite his best attempts, the king was unable to locate the image. Upon the counsel of the sage divinity Narada , Indradyumna constructed a new temple, and performed a thousand ashvamedha yajnas at

8343-482: The site. Receiving guidance in the form of a divine dream, a great tree floating in the sea was felled and used to create the three wooden images of the temple, those of Jagannatha, Balarama , and Subhadra . The king travelled to Brahmaloka to invite Brahma to inaugurate the temple. With the passage of time, a king named Gala claimed to have been the temple's real architect, but with the return of Indradyumna to earth, he withdrew this claim. After Brahma had inaugurated

8446-435: The sound of conches being blown. Odissi and Gotipua dancers serenade to the tune of music in front of the chariots, and martial artists perform banati , a traditional martial art in front of the deities. The deities are taken in the same chariots in which they arrive, pulled by devotees back to the main temple. It is considered auspicious to get a glimpse of the deities on their chariots. There are many legends linked to

8549-641: The sun and the other the moon, features traceable in 17th-century paintings. He is shown with an Urdhva Pundra , the Vaishnava U-shaped mark on his forehead. His dark color and other facial features are an abstraction of the cosmic form of the Hindu god Krishna, states Starza. In some contemporary Jagannath temples, two stumps pointing forward in an embracing position represent his hands. In some exceptional medieval and modern era paintings in museums outside India, such as in Berlin states Starza, Jagannath

8652-659: The sun's chariot, a syncretic absorption of the Saura ( Surya -centric) tradition of Hinduism. The conglomerate of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshana Chakra worshipped together on a common platform are called the Chaturdhamurti or the "four-fold form". O.M. Starza states that the Jagannath Ratha Yatra may have evolved from the syncretism of procession rituals for Shiva lingas, Vaishnava pillars, and tribal folk festivities. The Shaiva element in

8755-439: The temple and the annual seven-day stay of the central icons of Jagannath and his siblings during the Ratha Yatra. A legend links the temple to Gundicha, the queen of Indradyumna (the legendary builder of the main temple) - after whom the Gundicha Temple is named. Gundicha had a peep at the divine image of Jagannath being created by the celestial architect Vishwakarma . Impressed by the image, she insisted on her husband building

8858-555: The temple for the deity and starting the Ratha Yatra . Another variant suggests that Jagannath was pleased with her temple and promised to visit her house, now the Gundicha Temple. As per another legend, when Jagannath (identified with the god Krishna ) goes to stay for seven days in the Gundicha Temple, he intentionally leaves behind his consort Lakshmi locked up in a store room in the main Jagannath Temple . While in

8961-533: The temple to have darshan of Jagannath and partake of Mahaprasad. The return journey of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra to the main temple, after spending seven days in the Gundicha temple, is known as the Bahuda Yatra . The images of the deities are brought out of the Gundicha temple through the Nakachana Gate during the Pahandi ceremony, to the accompaniment of the beats of cymbals and gongs and

9064-401: The temple to have the darshan (see the holy images). Lakshmi requests him to return home and Jagannath gives his consent by offering her agyan mala (a garland of consent), which the goddess accepts and takes with her while return to the main temple in the evening. Before returning to the temple, to vent her anger at being left out of the vacation, Lakshmi orders one of her attendants to damage

9167-461: The temple, Indradyumna returned to Brahmaloka, entrusting the upkeep of the site to Gala. In hymn 10.155 of the Rigveda , there is mention of a Daru (wooden log) floating in the ocean as apurusham . Acharya Sayana interpreted the term apurusham as same as Purushottama and this Dara wood log being an inspiration for Jagannath, thus placing the origin of Jagannath in 2nd millennium BCE. Other scholars refute this interpretation stating that

9270-592: The temple, the deities are decorated with new dresses. A major ceremony celebrated in the Gundicha Temple during the Rath Yatra is on the Panchami (5th day of the Ratha Yatra) known as Hera Panchami ( Hera means "to see'). This ceremony is attended by a very large number of devotees, who visit the Ratha Yatra Festival. While Jagannath visits Gundicha temple, his wife Lakshmi is left behind in

9373-635: The throne inside the temple, holding the Conch and Discus in the form of Buddha. Salute thee Sri Jagannath the revered One whose domain is the Blue Hills, he sits pretty as Sri Buddha there in the Blue Cavern. Pandit Nilakantha Das suggested that Jagannath was a deity of Jain origin because of the appending of Nath to many Jain Tirthankars . He felt Jagannath meant the 'World personified' in

9476-454: The tradition of Jagannath overlap with the rites and doctrines of Tantrism and Shaktism . According to the Shaivas, Jagannath is Bhairava. The Shiva Purana mentions Jagannatha as one of the 108 names of Shiva. The Tantric literary texts identify Jagannath with Mahabhairava. Another evidence that supports syncretism thesis is the fact that Jagannath sits on the abstract tantric symbols of

9579-549: The triad of Balarama, Ekanamsa and Krishna. There are many scriptural references to support the same. Further, in many Jagannath temples of central and eastern regions of India, the Shiva icons such as the Linga-yoni are reverentially incorporated, since Lord Shiva is a Vaishnav according to the conclusion of Srimad Bhagavatam, he protects Sri Jagannath Temple from external calamities, just like he does so in his form of Hanuman for

9682-578: The triad, Balabhadra is also considered to be Shiva and Subhadra , a manifestation of Durga . In the Markandeya Purana the sage Markandeya declared that Purushottama Jagannath and Shiva are one. Jagannath in his Hathi Besha or Gaja Besha (elephant form) has been venerated by devotees like Ganapati Bappa of Maharashtra as Ganesha . According to the Purushottama Kshetra Mahatmya (part of Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa ,

9785-422: The universe". Jagannatha, according to them is a generic term, not unique, as much as Lokanatha or Avalokiteswara. ln fact, the name Jagannatha could be applied to any Deity which is considered supreme. — Surendra Mohanty , Lord Jagannatha: the microcosm of Indian spiritual culture In the Odia language , Jagannath is linked to other names, such as Jagā (ଜଗା) or Jagabandhu (ଜଗବନ୍ଧୁ) ("Friend of

9888-557: The word may have origins in the tribal word Kittung of the Sora people (Savaras). This hypothesis states that the Vedic people as they settled into tribal regions adopted the tribal words and called the deity Jagannath. According to O.M. Starza, this is unlikely because Kittung is phonetically unrelated, and the Kittung tribal deity is produced from burnt wood and looks very different from Jagannath. The icon of Jagannath in his temples

9991-538: The younger brother of his royal priest, or sometimes a minister, Vidyapati, to locate the site of the deity's image in the Nilagiri region. Regional folklore states that the priest was welcomed by Vishvavasu, the chieftain of the Savara people. During the duration of his stay in the chieftain's house, the latter's daughter, Lalita, fell in love with him. Upon the chieftain's request, Vidyapati married her. He noticed that

10094-528: Was Kittung which too is made from wood. According to the Polish Indologist Olgierd M. Starza, this is an interesting parallel but a flawed one because the Kittung deity is produced by burning a piece of wood and too different in its specifics to be the origin of Jagannath. According to another proposal by Stella Kramrisch , log as a symbol of Anga pen deity is found in central Indian tribes and they have used it to represent features of

10197-454: Was a synthesis of tribal and Brahmanical traditions. Dar%C5%9Bana In Indian religions , a darshan ( Sanskrit : दर्शन, IAST : darśana ; lit. 'showing, appearance, view, sight') or darshanam is the auspicious sight of a deity or a holy person. The term also refers to any one of the six traditional schools of Hindu philosophy and their literature on spirituality and soteriology . The word darshana , also in

10300-645: Was assimilated as Vishnu's ninth avatar in Vishnu Puran as a divinely incarnated purveyor of illusion. It states that Vishnu's "descent" as the Buddhavatara was accomplished so that the wicked and demonic could be only further misled away from the truth in kali yuga . This assimilation and the consequent disingenuous interpretation or rationale for his inclusion aptly articulate the considerable ambivalence characteristic of Hindu attitudes towards Buddhism, undermining his historicity, to make him an appendage of

10403-615: Was handed over to Brahmadatta by a disciple, which eventually gave rise to dissensions between the kings of Kalinga and Pataliputra in 3rd century CE, and the tooth relic was shifted to Sri Lanka by weighing anchor in Tamralipta . According to Ganguly, it is absurd to imagine that the prince chose the farthest harbor from the capital even though there were intermediate harbors from which it would have been easier to set out on his voyage. Buddhism anciently prevailed in Odisha as appears from

10506-653: Was influenced by Jainism and is none other than the Jina of Kalinga taken to Magadha by Mahapadma Nanda . The theory of Jain origins is supported by the Jain Hathigumpha inscription . It mentions the worship of a relic memorial in Khandagiri-Udayagiri, on the Kumara hill. This location is stated to be same as the Jagannath temple site. However, states Starza, a Jain text mentions the Jagannath shrine

10609-461: Was restored by Jains, but the authenticity and date of this text is unclear. Another circumstantial evidence supporting the Jain origins proposal is the discovery of Jain images inside as well as near the massive Puri temple complex, including those carved into the walls. However, this could also be a later addition, or suggestive of tolerance, mutual support or close relationship between the Jains and

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