Legendary Origin of Jagannath

Originally, Jagannatha was worshipped as Nila Madhava by an aboriginal chief secretly at this spot, while it was covered with dense forest. It was Indradyumna, who made him a public deity.The story goes, there was a king in Malwa in central India, Indradyumna by name. He was a great devotee to Visnu. For those who are not acquainted with the names of Hindu gods and goddesses, it may be stated here that the Hindus believe in the cosmic trio namely Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Brahma is the creator of the universe, Visnu is the sustainer and Siva is the destroyer. Indradyumna developed in him a rather queer and eccentric desire to see Visnu in his most perfect form on the face of the earth. He had a divine communication in dream that Visnu could be seen in his best form in Utkala (another name of ancient Orissa). The fixed nitis that are observed daily areas on of routine. The periodical nitis are observed on occurrence of some specific occasions like, Ekadasi, Sankranti, Amabasya, on eclipses and Nakhatras etc. Lastly there are various festivals observed during the year some outside the temple like the Snana Yatra, the Ratha Yatra, the Chandana Yatra etc. and some inside the temple like Jhulan Yatra or swinging ceremony etc. Each sevaka or the temple functionary. has his specified duty to perform in these nitis having terms and times specified. Unless, a particular niti is performed, the next one can not take place and consequently punctuality sometimes fluctuates to ensure attendance of various categories of sevakas required for a particular Niti. The word 'Niti' in Sanskrit means a principle, a rule or policy. But this word is used in the Puri temple in a more general sense, signifying a particular religious rite performed in the temple. The Nitis or rituals of the temple may be classified under three heads - (a) the daily Nitis, which are fixed and are observed every day as of routine course; (b) the special Nitis according to the specialty of certain days, months etc. or some mishaps in the temple, (c) the various festivals observed during the year. So, he deputed Vidyapati, the brother of the royal priest, to spot out the place where Visnu had such a manifestation and to report his findings to him. Accordingly, Vidyapati visited Orissa and after laborious search, came to know that Visnu known by the highly connotative name of Nila Madhava, was being worshipped somewhere on a hill in a dense forest. This was also an image of extraordinary lusture. Vidyapati could also know that Nila Madhava was the family-deity of Visvavasu, a Savara (an aboriginal tribe) chief. So great was the secrecy maintained about the location of Nila Madhava that Visvavasu refused on request to show Vidyapati the place of his worship. Later still, this Brahmin married Lalita, the daughter of the aboriginal chief, but even then, he was not shown the deity. At last, at the request of his beloved daughter, he took his son-in-law blindfolded to a cave on a hillock where Nila Madhava was being worshipped. As Vidyapati was made to go through the forest on foot, he could somehow manage to drop mustard seeds on the ground. As the seeds germinated after a few days, Vidyapati could easily trace the way to the lonely cave of Nila Madhava.

The Rituals of Deities

The temple of Shri Jagannath is the most sacred shrine of India. While several temples have vanished or have declined in importance, the Shri Jagannath Temple at Puri is still a living and vibrant temple. It occupies a special place in the religious and cultural History of Orissa. Over the centuries, it has attracted kings, conquerers, religious teachers, anchorite hermits, devotees and pilgrims. In the minds of millions of people in India: Orissa is the land of Shri Jagannath. Lord Shri Jagannath, the symbol of universal love and brotherhood is worshipped in the Temple alongwith Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, Madhaba, Sridevi and Bhudevi on the Ratnabedi or the be jewelled citadel. The rituals of the temple of Jagannath may be classified under three heads :- (a) the daily rituals or 'nitis' which are fixed and are observed every day as routine course; (b) the special nitis according to the speciality of certain days (i.e. Thursday, Amabasya, Ekadasi & Naksyatra Bandapana etc). (c) the various festivals observed during the year, some outside the temple and some inside come under the category of festive nitis. Besides these, there are some rituals which by tradition are kept secret. The present article highlights the daily rituals of the Lord Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu Dwarphita & Mangalaalati :- The first ritual or niti begins in the early morning with the opening up of the doors of the temple. The doors of the sanctum are to be opened by 5a.m., as stated in the Record of Rights of the Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri. The Bhitarchu Mahapatra, a temple servitor, accompanied. By palia Mekap, Pratihari, Akhanda Mekap & Muduli sevak examine the seal put on the main door (Jaya Vijaya Dwara) by the Talicha Mahapatra on the previous night. During the month of Kartika (oct.- Nov.) and Dhanu (Dec.-Jan.) and on certain specific days the doors are to be opened much before 5 a.m. i.e. between 2.30 a.m. to 4 a.m. On some days, on account of extra rituals or delay in completion of rituals, it becomes impossible)to do pahuda (closing of the temple doors after the final niti is over in the night). On such occasions, the question of opening of the doors on the following morning does not arise and only from 'Mangalalati' onwards the rituals commence. The Mangalalati is performed to the chanting of devotional songs and the play of Mangalavadyam or auspicious music. Bhitaracha Mahapatra and two other palia puspalak sevaks perform this niti by offering of lamps to the Deities standing below the Ratnavedi; (Pedestral)

History of Deities

The deities of the Puri temple are generally known as the Trimurti (trinity) and also as Chaturdhamurti. Some scholars think that originally there was only image of Jagannatha as the object of worship called Nila Madhava and when Nila Madhava disappeared, king Indradyumna fabricated the body of Jagannatha out of a log of wood that was picked up from the sea, as per a divine direction. Scholars suggesting that originally there ,were only two deities, cite the example of a temple found in the Cuttack district in Orissa belonging perhaps to the seventh century A.D., where the images only of Jagannatha and Balabhadra have been carved and Subhadra is not to be seen there. It is, therefore, believed that when there was a great resurgence of Saktism from the 7th century onwards, there was a successful attempt to instal an image of the mother goddess (Durga or Sakti) in the Puri temple by the side of Jagannatha. According to some others, installation of the image of Durga or Sakti, who is also known as Bhadra, Mangala etc., might have taken place during the visit of Sankaracarya to Puri. In the Konarka temple built in the 13th century A.D. about a century later than the Puri temple, there is a panel of three images. Jagannatha is seen in the middle and to his left is Durga killing demon Mahisa, while to his rjght is A linga (phallus) representing Siva. From this, it is deduced by some scholars that this might have been the original trio of the Puri temple, indicating the equal importance to Vaisnavism, Saktism and Saivism. In such a case, it is deduced that originally there was one image representing Visnu or Madhava and Siva and Durga were added subsequently. There is another theory that Bhadra or Mangala (Durga) came to be called Subhadra and at the time of Vaisnavite preponderance, she was introduced as Krisna's sister, whose name is also Subhadra. Similarly one of the names of Siva is Virabhadra. Somehow, at a time of Vaisnavic effloroscence, he was transformed into Balabhadra. The second half Of this name i.e., 'Bhadra' was retained and the first half was substituted by Bala.When he was thus called Balabhadra, he was introduced as the elder brother of Krisna. The Puranic texts mention that the original images of Puri consisted of Laksmi and Visnu known as Purusottama. a twin figure. Some literary works, bear testimony to this view too.

Shri Jagannath

Shri Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu lord of the Universe is the supreme solace and saviour of countless devotees around the world. since time immemorial, His monumental and magnificent Shrine at Shri Purusottam-Kshetra (Puri, Orissa) one of the four major Dhamas of India has been a most sacred centre of pilgrimage and worship symbolising and uploading one of the greatest spiritual and cultural heritages of the world. The most frrequently depicted theme involves the holy Triad of the Jagannath Temple - Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.