Jagannath ( ) is a Hindu deity, a form of
VishnuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
. The oldest and most famous Jagannath deity is in the city of
PuriPuri , is a city in the east Indian state of Orissa. It is also known to many as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple, which was built in the late eleventh century....
, in
OrissaOrissa , is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of ancient republican nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC, that led to a turning point in the Emperor's life when deeply saddened by the bloodshed...
, India (the city is known to many as
Jagannath Puri after the
Jagannath TempleThe Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat and Nath...
) where each year the famous
Rath YatraRatha Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June . Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area...
festival takes place. Jagannath is worshipped by Hindus all over India. The Jagannath Temple in Puri is regarded as one of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrimage places in India.
Jagannath is derived from
Jagannātha a
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
name used to describe a form of
KrishnaKrishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives...
.
Jagannath ( ) is a Hindu deity, a form of
VishnuVishnu , , is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God...
. The oldest and most famous Jagannath deity is in the city of
PuriPuri , is a city in the east Indian state of Orissa. It is also known to many as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple, which was built in the late eleventh century....
, in
OrissaOrissa , is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of ancient republican nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Indian Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC, that led to a turning point in the Emperor's life when deeply saddened by the bloodshed...
, India (the city is known to many as
Jagannath Puri after the
Jagannath TempleThe Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat and Nath...
) where each year the famous
Rath YatraRatha Yatra is a huge Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Orissa, India during the months of June . Most of the city's society is based around the worship of Jagannath with the ancient temple being the fulcrum of the area...
festival takes place. Jagannath is worshipped by Hindus all over India. The Jagannath Temple in Puri is regarded as one of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrimage places in India.
Etymology
Jagannath is derived from
Jagannātha a
SanskritSanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. It is also declared as a classical language by the government of India....
name used to describe a form of
KrishnaKrishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives...
. The term means 'master, lord' (
nātha) of the 'World, Universe' (
jagat).
Traditional stories
There are two interesting stories associated with this deity. First is the story of how Krishna appeared to a great devotee of the lord, King Indradyumna and ordered him to carve a
deityMurtiFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to:navigation, searchA clay Ganesha murti, worshipped during Ganesh Chaturthi festival.In Hinduism, a murti typically refers to an image, a deity, in which a Divine Spirit is expressed . Hindus consider a murti worthy of worship after the divine is...
from a log he would find washed up on the sea shore of Puri. He searched for a carpenter to make the deities. King Indradyumna found a mysterious old Brahmin carpenter who appeared and took the responsibility and took a few days to accomplish that. Surprisingly the carpenter insisted that he would not be disturbed while he was carving the deity and start working behind a closed door. Everyone including the King and his Queen were very much anxious and came every day to the closed door and there was sound of working. After 6-7 days of waiting anxiously outside his room, but after some time, all sound stopped. The impatient Indradyumna's Queen worried what had happened and assuming the worst, opened the doors - only to find the deity half-finished and the carpenter vanished! The mysterious carpenter was none other than Vishvakarma, the heavenly
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
. The king was distraught as the deity had no arms and legs. Utterly repentant that he had interrupted the carving, the king was only pacified when the
muni"Muni" is a common abbreviation for "municipal", and sometimes becomes a frequently-used name for a city-related service or organization:*The Muny, an outdoor musical theatre in St...
(sage) called
NaradaNarada or Narada Muni is a divine sage from the Hindu tradition, who plays a prominent role in a number of the Puranic texts, especially in the Bhagavata Purana, and in the Ramayana. Narada is portrayed as a travelling monk with the ability to visit distant worlds or planets, lokas in Sanskrit...
appeared and explained that the form the king now sees is a legitimate form of the supreme personality of godhead. The second story here was narrated to further explain and remove any doubts and confusion.
The second reason for Lord Jagannath's appearance is the story of how Krishna was eavesdropping on the
gopiGopi is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name gopi is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion to Krishna as described in the stories of Bhagavata Purana and...
s as they spoke amongst themselves of His pastimes, and how much they loved him. Sister
SubhadraSubhadrā is an important character in the Mahābhārata. She is the half-sister of Krishna, wife of Arjuna, and mother of Abhimanyu. She was the partial incarnation of Shatarupa.-Biography:...
was instructed to keep watch and ensure Krishna wasn't nearby while the gopis spoke of Krishna. But after a while Subhadra was so overwhelmed by the gopis' devotion and their stories that she became completely engrossed in listening. She didn't see the brothers Krishna and
BalaramaBalarama , also known as Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism and a number of South Indian, Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
approaching. As the brothers listened their hairs stood on end, their arms retracted, their eyes grew larger and larger, and they smiled broadly in ecstasy. That is why Jagannath,
BalaramaBalarama , also known as Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism and a number of South Indian, Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
and
SubhadraSubhadrā is an important character in the Mahābhārata. She is the half-sister of Krishna, wife of Arjuna, and mother of Abhimanyu. She was the partial incarnation of Shatarupa.-Biography:...
look like they do.
This form is worshiped by Vaishnavas as the abstract form of
KrishnaKrishna is a deity worshipped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives...
. The deities - Jagannath, Balabhadra (Balarama) and Subhadra (Krishna's sister) are usually worshipped in the temple, but once in every Asadha Masa (Rainy Season, usually June or July), they are brought out onto the main high street of Puri and travel (3 km) to the
Mausimaa TempleMausimaa Temple is an ancient shrine in Ganjam District of Orissa. The temple can be approached by road from Bhubaneswar and Chhatrapur . The nearest railway station is at Berhampur...
, allowing the public to have
Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine," e.g., of a god or a very holy person or artifact...
(holy view) of the deities as they pass. This festival is known as Ratha Yatra. The Rath carts themselves are huge wooden structures built new every year and are pulled by the millions of pilgrims who turn up for the event from all parts of the Globe. The festival commemorates Krishna's return to His home in
VrindavanVrindavan , or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on the site of an ancient forest which is the region where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days. It lies in the Braj region...
after a long period of separation from the people there.
The Temple of Lord Jagannath
The Temple of Lord Jagannath is one of the major temples in India. The
worship'Worship' is acts, expressions or a state of religious devotion typically directed to one or more deities.Worship is etymologically derived from Old English words meaning "worth-ship". Giving worth to something...
of Lord Jaganatha is so ancient that there is no accurate record of how long it has been going on. It is strictly forbidden for non-
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
s to enter the Jaganatha temple. The temple known as
Shrimandira to the devout is built in
KalingaKalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north...
style of architecture.It consists of a tall shikhara (dome) housing the 'sanctum sanctorum' (
garbhagrihaGarbhagriha or Garbha griha is the small unlit shrine of the Hindu temple.Garbhagriha or ' is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti of primary deity of the temple...
). A pillar made of fossilized wood is used for placing lamps as offering. The lion gate (Singhadwara) is the main gate to the temple, guarded by two guardian deities
Jaya and VijayaJaya and Vijaya - the two demigod gate-keepers/dwarapalakas of the abode of Vishnu, known as Vaikuntha .The mythological story goes that the revered sages, the Four Kumaras, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatakumara, came to visit Vishnu in Vaikuntha. Although they were very old, they appear to...
. A memorial column known as Aruna Stambha faces the main gate. This column was brought here by the Raja of Khurda from the sun temple of
Konarak*Konarak is a city in the Sistan va Baluchestan Province of Iran.*Konarak is an alternative spelling for the Indian city of Konark....
.
Once a year, Jaganatha, along with his brother Baladeva, and sister
SubhadraSubhadrā is an important character in the Mahābhārata. She is the half-sister of Krishna, wife of Arjuna, and mother of Abhimanyu. She was the partial incarnation of Shatarupa.-Biography:...
, are taken out of the temple and pulled on huge
chariotThe chariot is the earliest and simplest type of carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Chariots were built in Mesopotamia by the Mesopotamians as early as 3000 BC and in China during the 2nd millennium BC. The original chariot was a fast, light, open,...
s through the streets of Puri. It is from these huge
chariotThe chariot is the earliest and simplest type of carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Chariots were built in Mesopotamia by the Mesopotamians as early as 3000 BC and in China during the 2nd millennium BC. The original chariot was a fast, light, open,...
s that the English word '
juggernautA juggernaut is a term used to describe a literal or metaphorical force regarded as unstoppable. It is often applied to a large machine or collectively to a team or group of people working together, and often bears association with crushing or being physically destructive.-Etymology:The word is...
' originates. Millions of devotees from a variety of different traditions attend this festival every year, including the King of Puri, who sweeps the path in front of Lord Jaganatha cart.
There are many more Jagannath Temples all over India. One of the lesser known temple is in Kurseong in Darjeeling District in North of West Bengal. This temple is as old as almost 300 years. This very old temple also organises the Rath Yatra along with the Rath Yatra of Puri.
See also
- Jagannath Temple in Puri
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat and Nath...
, Orissa, India
- Ratha Yatra
- Juggernaut
A juggernaut is a term used to describe a literal or metaphorical force regarded as unstoppable. It is often applied to a large machine or collectively to a team or group of people working together, and often bears association with crushing or being physically destructive.-Etymology:The word is...
- Puri, Orissa
- Nabakalevara
The term Nabakalevara is derived from the Sanskrit words Naba or new and Kalevara or body, literally meaning New Body. It is an ancient ritual associated with Lord Jagannath of Puri performed every twelve years when the Idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan are replaced by a...
External links
- http://www.jagannath.nic.in/
- http://www.jagannathculture.com
- http://rathjatra.nic.in/
- Shri Jagannath Swami Website
- http://www.rathayatra.co.uk/
- http://www.jagannathtemplepuri.com/