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ri : The divine face of umbilical cord of a common ancestral womb for Spluralism. Why I chose this topic ? As an a fleet second. individual, I subscribe to pluralism. I believe in Now in my home, in my puja room, the the plural nature of the Nature, the humanity and Trinity of Jagannath, Balabhadra and by implication the plural nature of our cultures, preside over, the other Gods and . languages, faiths and belief systems. Then the next question I ask myself: Do I Some 33 years back, when I came to qualify to speak on a topic like this ? I am not Odisha for the first time, the Odia culture was sure whether I am qualified in terms of my unknown to me. Though the name Jagannathan is scholarship. But, the very idea of visualising a common name in my place, I had not seen the Jagannath as the ‘Divine Face of Pluralism’ excites Jagannath temple. Somewhere down the line, I me enough and it encourages me to go further. started internalizing the idea that Lord Jagannath And, at this point, I gratefully look back is a symbol of pluralism, inclusiveness and and wonder at the distances I have travelled in diversity. My exposure to tribal heartland of

Sri Jagannath : The Divine Face of Pluralism

R. Balakrishnan

Koraput in late 80’s had an anchoring effect in this State, the hills I have climbed and the riddles shaping my understanding of pluralism. of this culture I dared to explore. My academic investigations about the genesis of Sun Worship; The very concept of a numero uno about the unknown aspects of Konarak; about presiding deity of the State being seen in the the ancient contacts between Kalinga and company of His elder brother and younger sister, Indonesia opened for me new windows of as a Trinity in the form of wooden images painted understanding. in three different colours, was something very new to me. My idea of deities till that time was basically Whether it was about the unexplored “network of wells” in Chaurasi village of Prachi bronze and granite stone sculptures. valley or about the roots of tribal substratum of Whenever I stand in the dimly lit, sanctum Odisha’s impressive superstructure or my sanctorum of Sri Mandir I feel overwhelmed, not experiments with the use of the place names of precisely due to religious affinity, but due to an Odisha to trace its multilayered foundations I was obscure sense of being part of a ‘primordial truly blessed with infinite enthusiasm and above environ’ as if I get directly in touch with an unseen all rare opportunities.

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I have been fortunate to be the Secretary, of reconstruction of the past, the evidence for an , (2001-2004) by far the most uninterrupted continuity is far more relevant and honourable and in my view the ‘highest’ position important than the obscure point of origin. I have ever held in . I The Existing Suggestions believe that I strived hard to justify that trust. There are many existing suggestions about I feel good that I could be part of some the genesis of the Jagannath culture. Alexander memorable efforts taken. The publication of the Cunnigham, W.W.Hunter, R.L. Mitre and Dr. “Cultural Atlas of Odisha”, a first of this kind H.K. Mahatab are among the scholars who initiative in ; publication of ‘Charles Grome’s subscribe to the Buddhist origin. Nilakantha , Report on the Temple of Jagannath (1805); and Kedarnath Mohapatra and Binayak Mishra ‘George Webb’s Report on the Temple of believe in its Jaina association. Benimadhab Padhi, Jagannath (1807)’ with the help of Professor K.S. A Starling, S N Rajguru and A Eschmann Behera and others and the recent documentation subscribe to Savara tribal origins of the Jagannath of the Management of Naba Kalebara 2015. worship. A.P.Pattnaik traces the evolutionary Besides, my research articles about Odisha growth of Jagannath worship with immigrant published in various national and international Sumerians in the ancient past. These would give journals. All these, in a way have given me the a broad idea about the spectrum of possibilities. conviction and zeal to deal with this topic. Besides, scholars like K.C. Mishra, S.N. I request you to consider my views as Das, Subhakanta Behera, A. Eschmann, Hermann purely academic in my capacity as a part time Kulke, G.C. Tripathy and Roland Hardenberg researcher, and I will be extremely thankful for have dealt with various aspects of identity any suggestions, viewpoints, which I will humbly discourses and the regional traditions associated welcome with open mind. with the Jagannath worship. Dealing with the Remote Past I would like to specifically acknowledge Dealing with the remote past, particularly the work of Subhakanta Behera who have when verifiable documents are seldom met with, analysed the construction of identity discourse is a great challenge. We have a tendency to start around Jagannath culture based on any narrative about the past with a generic and other resources during the period 1866 (the beginning long-long ago’. But, most of the time unforgettable year of great famine) and 1936, the we do not know, ‘how long ago’ and in fact no memorable year of commencement of Odisha as one knows ! The undated and unknown realm of the first linguistic State of modern India. distant past gets merged into a known zone of However, while dealing with the subject, intermediate and immediate past. I propose to travel back and forth with a free The origin and growth of Jagannath wielding liberty of an amateur researcher. Culture has given scope to multiple claims, What is Pluralism? speculations and theories. That by itself is indicative of its remoteness as well as its plural Against this background, let me start the nature. We need to keep in mind that in the process conversation with a question: “What is pluralism?”

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Pluralism denotes a diversity of views or stands Baudhayana in his Dharma sutra states that it rather than a single approach or method. A plural was sinful to visit Kalinga and if one visits, one society is described as a society in which members should perform penances to redeem oneself. of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups (Dharmasutra.14., P.Olivelle, “The Law codes maintain and develop their traditional culture or of Ancient India”). The Manava Dharmasastra special interest within the confines of a common places the Odras, outside the ambit of the Aryan civilization. as they are counted along with the Paundrakas, Pluralism as a political theory Dravidas, , Yavanas, Sakas, Parads, acknowledges the belief that there should be , Cinas, Kiratas, Dardas and Khasas. diverse and competing centres of power in (Manava Dharmasastra.44, trns. William society. Value pluralism is the idea that several Jones). values may be equally correct and yet in conflict In the also Kalinga was with each other. And, finally the religious pluralism not portrayed in a positive light. It was probably amounts to the acceptance of all religious paths due to the fact in the battle of Kurukshetra, the as equally valid, promoting coexistence. king of Kalinga was an active supporter of the The Jagannath Culture and Pluralism Kauravas, the antagonists. I think there is something fundamentally The Brihat-Samhita, a work of plural about this place. Since ancient times, there astronomy by Varahamihira states that the have been multiple identities such as Kalinga, countries of the Udra and Kalinga were under Odra and Utkala associated with this region. the direct control of the Sun god. (H.K .Mahatab, Pluralism as a philosophy is manifested in every The History of Orissa, p.12.) aspect of life in Odisha. Pluralism seems to be It is relevant to note that though Sun is the language of its Soul. The Jagannath Culture at propitiated as a life-enhancing source of power once represents the regional, social, cultural, and healer in the Vedic hymns, the worship of religious, political and linguistic narratives of Sun as the Supreme God was not taken kindly Odisha. by the orthodox school of Vedic order. As already pointed out, extensive The Bharadwajas were the special priests researches have been done and much has been of Pusan, a Vedic Sun god. They were not rated written about the origin and growth of Jagannath high. Bharadwajas considered Sun to be the Culture with reference to various affiliations. highest reality and this view was opposed by in the context of Odisha was a Gautama. Bharadwajas were bracketed with post-Ashokan development. If there was a other non-Aryan tribes like Suhmas, Dardas, the considerable resistance from the periphery of Barbaras. (For further details see: V.C. Kalinga that merited an invasion from the Srivastava, Sun Worship in Ancient India, Mauryan the society of that time had to Allahabad: Indological Publications, 1972, p.112) be essentially a non-Buddhist one. Hence, I emphatically rule out the The Aryan perception of Kalinga and possibility of the dominant faith of Kalinga during Odra in ancient times was somewhat uncharitable. pre -Ashokan times to be one of Vedic Aryan.

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Even today the tribes of Odisha account In case of Jagannath there is a clear for 22.1 per cent of its population. Nearly 10 per vertical of the God- King relationship well nurtured cent of all tribes of India live in Odisha. Hence, over centuries. Nowhere else in the country one we can easily imagine the nature of demography could see this unique articulation of State Craft of ancient Kalinga. Based on this, we have through the personality and symbolism of a reasonable scope to believe that the Kalingan specific God. spiritualism and faith systems had their probable Draksharama inscription (1216 A.D) roots in the plural and diverse tribal foundations. praises Anangabhima III as deputy (ravuta) Against this backdrop, I would like to and the son (putra) of the Trinity namely focus on few fundamental aspects that contributed Purusottama, Rudra and . to the plural credentials of the Jagannath Culture Anangabhimadeva III acknowledges such as emergence of Jagannath as the ‘State Purusottama as the divine overlord of the empire. God’ with all its political ramifications; the close (H. Kulke, Kings and Cults, p.23). According to an inscription at Lingaraj temple, he described link between and the Jagannath himself as a servant of the God of Culture and how this connection contributed to who was regarded as the real Lord of the strengthen the plural nature of Odisha’s social dominions.(E.I,XXX, 1954,p.18). fabric. Gajapati king (1435- Besides, I also propose to suggest the 67A.D) made Lord Jagannath symbolically probability of close and root- level link between responsible for all his important decisions and Sun Worship and the Jagannath Culture and deeds. In Warangal inscription, he stated to have present a ‘four dimensional matrix of symbolism become the king of the Utkala country at the of “God- King Sun-Lion.” command of Lord Purusottam-Jagannath of Puri. The Uniqueness of Jagannath- the ‘Emperor’ ( EI.XXXIII, 1959-60,pp.128-29). The concept of Jagannath being a unifying In Rajabhoga section of the Madala yet a plural philosophy can be well understood Panji, Jagannatha has been described as the “king only when we illustrate that in terms of of the kingdom of Odisha”. In Kanchi-Kaberi comparison. written by Purusottama Das, Lord Jagannatha has been described as king of Odisha. In this narrative Let us take the examples of the Tamil Lord Jagannatha is directly brought to the “battle Society where Lord Murugan is called the Tamil field” in defense of Odisha. God; the composite where Lord The real life politics was no different from Balaji of Thirumala is considered the most the poetic narratives. The Suryavamsi king important deity or the case of Kasi Viswanath of Kapilendra allowed his court poets and priests Benares and so on. The story of Jagannath is to call him an “Elected of Jagannath.” In one of significantly different from these examples. He is the inscriptions Kapilendra claimed to have literally and figuratively venerated as the State consulted Jagannatha before initiating action God. In case of other examples given above the against rebellious chiefs. Kapilendra called himself sovereign aspect of identity is missing. as a servant (sevaka) of Jagannath.

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As the imageries of the remote past have Cornwallis advocated a sort of “handle the rerun the ‘past’ repeats itself in the `present’. with care” approach when it comes to Puri. King Ramachandra renewed and consecrated the Nowhere else in India the British were so careful deities and installed the deities on the lion throne with an Indian God as that was in the case of of Puri temple, after “the destruction and removal Jagannath. No other God of India was the subject of the deities by Kalapahada for almost 20 years” matter of street protests and diplomacy in he hailed by the priests as ‘ Second Indrdyumna’. London. (H.Kulke, Jagannath Revisited, p.216). Lord Jagannath as 'Rastra Devata’ as Around 1766-1778 A.D. when the G.N. Dash puts it, had become the binding force Maratha King Januji Bhonsla put his 13 points of the heterogeneous elements that was the terms and conditions for ceding of Odisha Odisha empire. Later on Lord Jagannath becomes territory, he brought in the affairs of Jagannath as symbol of Odisha Nationalism during Paika the first point for negotiation with Rebellion and also become the focal point of Company. Similarly, the Company also had clear political development during rest of the 19th political agenda about the Jagannath Temple. In Century and subsequently. the preparations for war against the Marathas the Company was guided by their realization and The famous Puri Temple Case of 1886- awareness that “the possession of the God had 87 A.D., further cemented the relationship always given the dominion of Odisha” as W.W. between Odia Nationalism and Lord Jagannath. Hunter put it many years later. One of the most important aspects of Puri Temple Case was the role played by the legendary When the Governor General Wellesley , a Christian by choice (and not sent his “famous dispatch” addressed to Lt. Col. by birth) who was later on elected to be the Campbell he becomes the “first Christian President of the All India Christian Association Governor General” who came out with a policy twice. He gave legal advice to Rani Suryamani to be pursued with reference to a particular Hindu and pursued the case in Calcutta High Court, Temple. Even when the British troops participated in protest meetings and also wrote in approached Puri town the priests of the temple Press (Utkal Dipika). Madhusudan Das made a quoted “Jagannatha’s decided answer” to allow passionate call in 1928, in the name of Jagannath. the English Government to be the guardian of the temple. Melville did not hide the fact that he used “Save Jagannath” / Definitely Jagannatha’s “decided answer” as a stratagem to darkness would be displaced and you will see win over the feudatory chiefs of Odisha. the path of progress of the race/ Sudarshan When Mukunda Deva (1798-1817 Chakra will ring in His powerful hand. / A.D.), Raja of Khurda was confined in Mother Utkal would assume her former shape in 1805 he wrote a poem in which he appeals to and enemy would run away out of fear.” Lord Jagannath ‘to destroy the enemies of Odisha His religious faith did not stand on the way. with his sword in hand’. Lord Jagannath became the rallying point and

36 JUNE-JULY - 2018 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 embodiment of Odia nationalism, transcending different linguistic families such as Austro-Asiatic religious boundaries. with its North Mundarian South Mundarian sub created strong Odia groups, Dravidian Desia and Indo-Aryan sentiment in the Odia speaking regions of , Languages makes the issue of linguistic identity Bengal, and by means of as one of the most important prerequisites for slogan: building a political identity and territorial integrity compared to the religious identity the language “Let us tread the path and meet the identity is a more broad-based one and an inclusive Orissan road and let us tread this path and identity cutting across castes, creeds and other have a darshan (glimpse) of the black faced identities. god Jagannath”. Lord Jagannath thus invoked as the In that sense Odia speaking tracks symbol of Odia unity which was the need of the became the most important contours that defined hour for the unification of the Odia-speaking Odisha as a regional entity. When multiple regions. identities such as Kalinga, Odra and Utkala, which were connected but not coterminous, were When Parala Raja took over the wellknown outside the region, the articulation of responsibility of the first Prime Minister of Odisha a common binding force and a singular identity he rushed straight to Puri Jagannath to submit became a historic necessity. In such a situation, himself. Even now the Chief Ministers follow this building a binding factor which is essentially secular tradition. Biju Patnaik once said, “Jagannath, there yet enduring one was needed to be identified. is no leader except Jagannath”. Odia language at this stage as the binding force In fact, Odisha acquired a sort of ‘larger required an impetus and a sort of catalyst. than life political and territorial image’ through the instrument of God-King alliance. At a very relevant point of history Jagannath Culture and Odia language played a This aspect is most dramatically mutually complementary role. The arrival of Sarala immortalized in the Kanchi-Kaberi legend, which Das and Panchasakha poets in the literary horizon all of you aware of and I need not elaborate. This of Odisha made the big difference. Prior to that collaboration or expectation for a ‘political role direct or indirect reference to Jagannath and on the part of Jagannath’ as the ‘God Empire of Jagannath Centric Culture was somewhat mooted Odisha’ has been a continuing legacy. and lacked a territorial and political content. Odia Language and Jagannath brought all main characters Odisha became the first linguistically of Mahabharata to Odisha soil. Panchasakha reorganized State of Modem India. In that sense poets added an entirely different local flavor. As 1st of April 1936 was a Red Letter Day. Let us S. Behera puts it, Sarala Dasa reconstructed the reconstruct this glorious moment in the light of legend and made Lord Jagannath a Jagannath Culture and its plural secular base. thoroughly Odia God. (S. Behera, Oriya Odisha being home to 63 distinct tribes Literature and Jagannath Cult, (1866 1936). speaking languages and dialects categorized under p.24)

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The Company administration replaced the countries of the Udra and Kalinga were under Odia as the official language and introduced Hindi the direct control of the Sun god. Varahamihira in region. The most important reason lived in 6th Century A.D and himself considered for this decision was the fact that the foreign rulers a Sun worshipper. Aditya Dasa was his father’s apprehended the Mahaprasad brotherhood name. Varahamihira composed Pancha system followed by the Odia speakers was not siddhantika – five astronomical treatises which conducive for the colonial administration’s priority. includes -Siddhanta. The present Konarak Whatever the case may be, the fact was constructed by remains that the foreign rulers were worried about Deva I of in 13th century. 'Mahaprasad brotherhood' becoming the unifying That means seven centuries before the present factor among the Odia speaking employees. Konarak temple was constructed, Varahamihira Hence, in order to unsettle that equation they mentioned that Udra and Kalinga were under the wanted to bring in many Hindi speaking non-Odia direct control of the Sun god. Hence, it is obvious employees from the Central Province. That that Konarak Sun Temple was only the climax of calculation led to change in official language policy a Sun Worshipping culture and not the beginning. which resulted in ‘language agitation.’ This further In this context the old brick structures within strengthened the Jagannath centric Odia Konarak Temple Complex have to be taken into consciousness through the symbolism of account as an evidence for pre-existing Sun Mahaprasad brotherhood which further proved worship there. Apart from these, the fact that the the plural nature of the Culture in secular terms. entire Sun Temple has been structured as a Sun Worship and Jagannath Culture moving chariot with 24 wheels and 7 horses symbolically reminds probable association Konarak Sun Temple is one of the most between Sun worship and the Jagannath Culture. important achievements of Odisha. The image of It is needless here to remind the most prominent Jagannath sculpted along with Rudra and Durga iconic symbol of the Jagannath Culture is the “Car (as Trinity) in one of the stone panels of Konarak Festival” with the imposing chariots of the Trinity. temple provides an organic link between Sun The parallel imageries of Konarak temple as Worship and the Jagannath Culture. Notwithstanding the context of shifting of the gigantic chariot and the Nandighosa - the chariot Aruna Stamba from Konarak and its of Jagannath on the Grand Road are offering an establishment in front of the Lion’s Gate of interesting comparison. Jagannath Temple, the significance and symbolism I am of the view that the genesis of Sun cannot be missed. Worship in Odisha cannot be meaningfully studied In this context, I would like to discuss without taking the Sun Gods of tribal Odisha the probable deep rooted association between because of their antiquity and rootedness. In this the prominent worship of Sun God in Odisha and regard I recollect the Alice Boner National the Jagannath Culture. Here, it would be Memorial lecture; I delivered in 2002 at appropriate to recall that Brihat-Samhita, a work . In that lecture I elaborately dealt of astronomy by Varahamihira which states that with the tribal origins of Sun Worship.

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Singi Arke is the name of Sun God of Then does it give the Sun God of Bondas of Koraput who like in the case of Savaras Konarak, a pure Vedic origin ? It is very doubtful, speaks an Austro Asiatic language. Sing Bonga is because worship of Sun God as a Supreme God the name of the Sun God of Mundas who again was never appreciated within the Aryan concept. speaks an Austro Asiatic language. The common Now I would like to deal with the stem Sing / Singi in Mundarian language means probable connection between the Sun Worship the “Sun” .That is why the Munda homeland of and the Jagannath Culture at a remote point of “Sing Bhum” needs to be understood as land of time which may probably explain why the worship Sun. Arka is the one of the names of Sun god of Jagannath is being traced to a tribal or a mixed mentioned in Vedic texts. The name Konarak itself tribal origin. will bear testimony to the association of the term 'arka' with the Sun God. God-King : Sun- Lion symbolism and Narasimha —Jagannath If the emergence of Buddhism in Odisha is a post Ashokan development the question arises Now I propose to suggest the probability about the nature of faith and belief systems of close and root-level link between Sun Worship prevalent in ancient Kalinga. Considering the and the Jagannath Culture and present a ‘four importance of Sun worship among the tribes of dimensional’ matrix of symbolism of “God- King- Odisha and it’s predominant position in the ancient Sun-Lion” for your consideration. Kalinga cannot be ruled out. The Sun and Lion motif symbolism is near If the tribal origins of Jagannath worship universal in ancient cultures. The lion and sun are taken into account then the very form of symbol is based largely on astronomical and wooden image of Jagannath and its worship will astrological configurations: the ancient sign of the give clue about its tribal roots. Tree worship is Sun in the House of Leo which itself is traced one of the ancient forms of worship. Stone back to Babylonian astrology and near Eastern sculptures, Metal sculptures and traditions. anthropomorphic attributes of divine figures are The ancient Persian traditions continued later developments. Wooden image worship to celebrate this tradition. This root of this being preceded by a Silpa Shastra driven symbolism was so strong that the Sun and the anthropomorphic metal or stone images are a Lion were the two prominent elements in Iran’s remote possibility. National Flag until 1979 when the Rule of Shah I would like to underscore my argument was overthrown. that the tribal origins of the plural foundations of Let me discuss one more fundamental Jagannath culture through the probable medium aspects of Sun Worshipping Cultures and it’s of Sun Worship with the help of one more probable contribution to the genesis of Jagannath example. The origins of Sun Worship, that is the Culture. Sun God is considered the witness to worship of Arka, the Sun god in Konarak has truth. People who take oath in the name of Sun traditionally been associated with Samba Myth. are considered not to be telling untruth. Even today It is relevant to note that Arka is one of the 12 in Odisha people take oath touching ‘Aruna names of Sun god mentioned in Vedic literature. Stamba’ vouching for truthfulness. In front of

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Singhadwar stands Aruna Stamba. In Bonda hills The God-King association is strongly even now people take oath in the name of Singi expressed through the ‘State God’ nature of the Arke. It is believed that no one dares to tell a lie “Emperor Jagannath”. The royal seat of king is after talking the name of Sun God fearing called Singhasan not only because of the lion is retribution. considered the ‘king of the forests’ but also With this input let me come to Jagannath because lion is symbolically associated with Sun Culture. Mahaprasad represents one of the and by implication a witness to the truth. The ‘royal dominant symbolisms of the Jagannath Centric seat’ from where decisions are pronounced has Culture. In Odia families, the engagement to be Singhasan. Thus the God- King; Sun-Lion ceremony is solemnized by exchange of matrix perfectly explains the concept of Jagannath mahaprasad or nirmalya, so that parties are as the State Deity, King of Odisha empire, and committed in the name of Jagannath enter the the special relationship of Puri king with Jagannath marriage relationship. This is called Mahaprasad Temple and the concept of Mahaprasad and the Nirbandha. In this Mahaprasad, the symbol of Lion Gate. It also explains the probable nature of the Jagannath Culture stands witness to the words tribal origins of the Jagannath worship. spoken. It is still customary that the first invitation If we take a long and singular look at the of a Odia marriage, is made to Lord Jagannath entire length of legends, myths, traditions, so that Lord might attend the ceremony to bless epigraphic, and documented evidences put the married couple. The God again becomes together, one thing becomes very clear that witness to the compliance of the words spoken. whether it was with reference to the ‘undated Mahaprasad is the divine leveller, past’ are connected to the ‘dated history’, the symbolic equalizer. There is no question of any evidence for pluralism is visible. ‘untouchables’ when it comes to Mahaprasad. Here Mahaprasad plays the role of Sun for In the legends and myths there were whom there is no difference. He is above Savara tribes, Biswabasu, his daughter Lalita, everything. He is the ‘all seeing orb’, the ‘all seeing territorial kings like Indradyumna and Brahmanical eye’ the Omniscient. personalities like Vidyapati. There were turbulences, upheavals resulting in “travel of During my early years in Odisha I saw an Jagannath’ from one place to another through the Odia movie chaka akhi sabu dekhuchi; when I medium of Nature (i.e. Sea) and the agents of enquired about this I was told Chaka Akhi is the human intermediaries. round eyed Jagannath, the all seeing God. When I stand before the wooden image of Jagannath Even in the medieval traditional account that has prominent round eyes painted, I see the there were personalities like Kalapahara and the ‘all seeing Sun’, the primordial force before me; turbulence and upheavals and human when I think of his Association with Narasimha intermediaries like Bisar Mohanty who as per Avatar, the Sun-Lion symbolism comes to my traditional account supposed to have played a key mind; I recall the reality of the imposing `Lion- role as an ardent devotee of Jagannath in ensuring Gate’ of Jagannath Temple, the Singha Dwar. the continuity of Jagannath culture.

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When we come to the documented other differentiations. That is the day even the historical past again Anagabhimadeva, ‘foreign devotees’ of the Jagannath can have their Kapilendradeva, Ramachandra Deva (called darshan. Lord Jagannath is at his plural best on second Indradyumna) Marathas, Mughals, British that day. The ‘Juggernaut’ runs its epic course. empire, Cornwallis, Campbell, Sarala Dasa, And, all roads lead to Puri’s Grand Road. Panchasakha poets and of course Madhusudan The Inclusive God Das and Gopabandhu Das. One of the ‘litmus test’ for an inclusive In the continuing legacy of the Jagannath God is His ability to command the devotion of Culture apart from the institutional systems like people who otherwise profess another faith. Take temple, priests, kings, Sevaks and administrators the example of Salabeg. His bone melting songs the role played and being played by the common of devotion are immortal. Madhubabu had no men and women, the people of Odisha is hesitation in linking the destiny of Odias to the prominent and crucial. protecting Hands of Lord Jagannath. It is obvious that the foreign rulers of The story of Salabeg is hearsay to me. Odisha were worried about this ‘Juggernaut’ not But when Sikander Alam sang his Jagannath because of the might of the local army, but about Bhajans in Ravindra Mandap and Jayadev the power and faith of these millions. Bhawan I was an eye witness. When I listened to The grandness of the Jagannath culture his Bhajans with closed eyes, boundaries melted reaches its peak annually only when Jagannath and I felt within me a silent breaking of many a comes out in open ‘Sun Light’ and be available “narrow domestic walls”. to one and all, irrespective of caste, creed or any Jai Jagannath.

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