Talk:Jagannātha-Puri
By Swami Harshananda
Jagannātha-Puri
One of the celebrated places of pilgrimage for the Hindus since centuries is the Jagannātha-purī or Purī in the modern Orissa state. It is situated at a distance of 477 kms. (310 miles) from Calcutta and is on the eastern sea-shore. Bhubaneshvar, the capital of Orissa, is just 60 kms. (36 miles) away.
The famous temple of Jagannātha stands on a gentle slope known as Nīlācala or Nīlaparvata in the purāṇas and the dharmaśāstras.
The temple town is also called ‘Puruṣottamatirtha.’
Sometimes a verse from the Rgveda (10.155.3) is quoted to support the theory that this place with its temple of wooden images, is a very ancient centre of pilgrimage.
Paurāṇic accounts declare that Indra-dyumna, the pious king of the Mālava country with his capital at Avantī (modern Ujjayinī) came here and built the temple at the command of Lord Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa). The wooden images of Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadrā were prepared by the heavenly architect Viśvakarma himself. Though the king had been specially instructed not to look at the working on the images by Viśvakarma, he did so, unable to control the temptation. Hence Viśva-karma left the images unfinished and retired to heaven. This is the explanation given by the traditional lore for the half-finished images now worshipped in the temple.
Oriental scholars are of the opinion that this holy place with Krsṇa worship (including the use of the wooden images in the shrine) is quite ancient though
Buddhist influence reigned supreme for some time before the 5th century A. D.
The centre of attraction of this place is the temple of Lord Jagannātha. The enclosure of the temple is almost a square, 196 metres (652 ft.) by 190 metres (632 ft.) with a massive stone wall 6 metres (20 ft.) high. The vimāna or central tower over the sanctum is 58 metres (192 ft.) high. There is a large gate-way on each side of the enclosure, the one on the east (simhadvāra) being the best.
There are almost 120 temples dedicated to various aspects of God like Śiva, Devī, Surya and others, in this enclosure.
The main shrine of Puruṣottama is very ancient. Kings like Coḍagaṅga (A. D. 1078-1148) and Anaṅga Bhīma Deva (A. D. 1174) added other structures during their reign.
In the main temple there are four chambers: bhogamandira (hall of offerings), nāṭamandira (hall of dance and music), jaganmohanamandira (hall of pilgrims, where the pilgrims can assemble) and the garbhamandira (inner sanctuary).
The Jagannātha temple has a large contingent of attendants, divided into 36 orders and 97 classes. At the head, is the Rājā of Khurda who calls himself ‘the sweeper of Jagannātha’.
The greatest event of the temple is the temple-car festival, known as the ‘Rathayātrā’. It starts on Āṣāḍha śukla dvitīyā, (2nd day of the bright fortnight of Āṣāḍha, usually in July) and ends on the daśamī (tenth) day of the same fortnight. (See RATHAYĀTRĀ for details.)
The other major festival is the ‘Snānayātrā’ (bathing procession) conducted on the Jyeṣṭha Pṅrṇimā (full-moon
day in Jyeṣṭha, generally in June) when the three images are brought out on to a platform and anointed by 108 pitchers of sacred water. (See SNĀNAYĀTRĀ also.)
The wooden images are usually replaced by similar ones every twelve years. This is called ‘Navakalevara’ (new body). Some relics (believed to be those of Kṛṣṇa) are transferred from the old images into the new ones.
One special feature of this temple is that caste barriers have been given the go-by.
Śaṅkara (A. D. 788-820) has established one of his four chief monasteries in Purl. It is called ‘Govardhana Maṭha’ or ‘Govardhana Pīṭha’.
Rāmānuja (A. D. 1017-1137) had visited this sacred place. So also Kabīr (A. D. 1440-1518). Śrīkṛṣṇa Caitanya (A. D. 1485-1533) lived here for quite a long time and was closely associated with the temple and the king Pratāparudra of Orissa.
In Purl also five tīrthas or holy places are mentioned, which every pilgrim is expected to visit. They are: the pool of Mārkaṇḍeya, the Vaṭa tree, Balarāma, the sea and the pool of Indradyumna.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore