Bhadrakali : a Complete Study

Orissa Review September - 2009

Bhadrakali : A Complete Study

Dr. Soma Chand

Rivers have always played a dominant role in Shaktipitha are found in different religious texts shaping the culture and civilisation of a particular as well as mythologies. The premier Deity Durga place. From the time immemorial civilisations of being born out of yagna fire has assumed the name Egypt, Mesopotemia, Indus et al. Owe their of Bhadrakali and has blessed the region. The contributions to eternal flow of the rivers presence of Sri Jagannath (the last which fulfill the basic necessities of incarnation of Krishna) in the same human life. platform marks the peaceful co- The Salandi valley existence of the place. culture at Bhadrak serves a Shaktipuja or worship of glaring example in this Shakti occupies a very context. The flow of significant position in the Salandi and its tributaries ancient Indian tradition. have played a major role Though various opinions in enriching its tradition, have been put forward by culture and custom. When the historians, Indologists, we try to reconstruct the archaeologists about the glorious cultural heritage of origin of the cult, it is a the district the very first universally accepted fact that thing that strikes our mind shakti worship constitutes a is the name of Goddess very important aspect of our Mahakali from Meghasani religion. (origin of the river Salandi) As per µDevi-Sukta¶ to Bhadrakali, the Devi Shakti represents daughter of Salandi - herself through various ways Goddess Bhadrakali, Bhadrak Presiding Deity of the through deaming and region - Mahamaya Bhadrakali. knowledge in the form of Saraswati, through From ancient time till today the place has wealth in the form of Laxmi, through general its own sanctity as one of the renowned benevolence in the form of Durga or through shaktipithas of Orissa. Frequent references to this violence in the form of Kali.

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µAkeiba Shakti Paramesvarasya upper right hand she holds sword and in the upper Bibidha badanti vyavahara kale left hand there is Kharpara. A baby (whom the Bhoge tu Bhavani Purushesu Laxmi devotees accept as Balgopal Krishna) is found in Shakte tu Durga Pralaye tu Kali the lower right hand along with a garland of beads Form ancient scriptures as well as in the lower left hand. The hands, feet, shoulders, Tantrasastra it is clearly evident that from 3rd- neck, nose, ears and head of the Deity are 4th century A.D. to 12th Century A.D. ornamentally carved. On both sides of mother, there Shaktipithas grew into prominence in various are the images of Jaya and Vijaya. The five gods parts of the Country. In the Tantric ritualistic of Hindu tradition such as Ganesh, Vishnu, descriptions Orissa has been regarded as one of Bhaskar(Sun), Siva and Durga are also enshrined the important pithas. here. The mythological description of the Deity goes as follows : Odrakhyam Pratham Pitha Dwitiya Jala Sailakami Srikali Bhadrakali danavadalini kesari Trutiya Purnapithastu Prusthasamstha, Srikrushnaka Santarupa nikhila Vayahara Kamarupam Chathurthakam niradava trinetra Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab rightly opines Bakhoyordhe khadga bamecha that out of the four important Shaktipithas - Kharparadhara Anaya bhaktavatsala Vaishnavi Vishnu maya bhabatu varada patu mam Odrakha, Srihatta, Pumakoti and Kamakshya - Bhadrakali Odrakha or Odyamsa or Orissa is the first pitha. Among the famous Devipithas of Orissa mention Mother Bhadrakali is a quite ancient may be made of Sarala of Jhankad, Cuttack Chandi mythological deity. The entire Indian tantra of Cuttack, Bhagavati of Banpur, Kichakeswari of literature is full of prayers and hymns for mother. Khiching, Charchika of Banki, Mangala of The Gadaparva of Mahabharata Padma Puraha, Kakatapur, Vimalapitha of Puri, Viraja of Jajpur, Markandeya, Purana, Chandi Purana of Sarala Samaleswari of Das, Vishnu Purana, Srimad Bhagabata Sambalpur and Tantraprasanga of Sri Krishna and the second part Bhadrakali of of Harivamsa make vivid references to goddess Bhadrak. They are Bhadrakali as all pervasive and eternal incarnation all one and the of Parambrahma. same. They are the The eleventh chapter of Saptasati Chandi Shaktis of makes references accordingly. Mahakala Siva. Jwala Karala Mrutyugra Mahisasura Sadanam The image of Trisula Patunobhite Bhadrakali namostute. goddess According to Durga Astottara Satanama Bhadrakali is made stotra : of black chlorite Agnijwala, Roudramukhi karalivi stapaswini, stone. It is around Narayani Bhadrakali Vishnumaya Jalodari four feet tall. She is four-handed and Thus she is the Emancipator of human Mahisamardini Durga, Khiching, sits on a lion. In the soul. For the gen eral welfare of the universe circa 10th-11th Century A.D. she has appeared in a metaphysical form.

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Legendary Study : Once the local kids had organised a picnic The present Bhadrakali pitha is situated on the river bed. The kid-loving affectionate in the eastern side of Bhadrak town. From Sangat goddess overwhelmed with childlike simplicity took food with them in disguise for which the place gurudwar of Puruna Bazar it is around five became famous as µAharapada¶ (place of taking kilometres and from Bhadrak Kacheri Bazar it is food). about seven kilometres. The place is better known as Bhadrakali Sahi. On the Eastern side of the After the Muslim menace was over a temple there is a tank and an opera mandap. River small temple was constructed. The Deity was Salandi flows in the west. On the Northern and shifted from the water to the temple. The Southern sides there are residential complexes particular portion of the river Salandi is known as meant for the devotees. Besides, a Jagannath µBhadrakali ganda¶ till date. temple is there in the compound Legend goes that the of Bhadrakali temple. Bhuyan devotees brought The popular belief goes brahmins from Siddhesvara that this is not the original seat of village of Jajpur to worship the the goddess. Different legends Deity. The small temple gradually began to deteriorate with the also strengthen this view. If ravages of time. So the present history is the life of civilisation, temple came into existence in legend is its soul. Even though the between 1953 to 1959. legends are not research oriented findings like history, still then they Another legend goes on play a very important role in to say that the original place of shaping history. worship of the Deity was on the Meghasani hill in Mayurbhanj According to one legend district. This being the starting the original image of Bhadrakali point of river Salandi, one tantrik was worshipped in a very sage Tapas by name used to beautiful temple at Bhuyan worship the Deity Bhadrakali. Mahala situated in the eastern Oneday being overwhelmed side of Bhadrak town. The Mahisamardini Durga, Bindu Sarobara Tank, Bhubaneswar, with the hymns of the sage milk Muslim conquest of Orissa circa 8th-9th Century A.D. began to ooze from the left breast brought in its wake destruction of the Deity. The flow of milk of temples and places of Hindu worship. The joined a spring and took the shape of a river. As original temple of the goddess also fell prey to it flowed through a forest of Sal trees, it took the Muslim invasion . The devotees of Bhuyan dynasty name of Salandi. prayed mother who directed them in a dream to The sage Tapas became extremely happy shift her place of worship.The devotees and drank the water of the river as the blessing of accordingly took the image in a boat in river the Deity. Then his soul mingled with eternal soul. Salandi and moved eastways. Then she remained His disciple Bhadranath created a tomb of his in a hidden form in the river. master and started worshipping the Deity.

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One day surprisingly he saw that the body The next day holding the sacred flower of his master had come out of the tomb. Being the youngman proceeded being followed by perturbed he started praying. Suddenly he heard Mahamaya. The jingle on her feet began to ring a heavenly voice that he should give pinda to his as she walked behind. While the youngman was master in the river. Further he should place the covering the dry bed of the river Salandi, he Deity in the water with pure heart. He should follow couldn¶t hear the sound. Thinking that the goddess the sound of jingles attached to the feet of the had deserted him, he looked back and the eternal goddess. He would stop his journey where the mother took the shape of a stone image. jingle would become silent. Bhadranath did As per the description of Ratnakosha, accordingly. At a particular place he couldn¶t listen goddess Bhadrakali was the family deity of the sound of jingles. Out of suspicion when he Bhuyan dynasty. This Maratha youngman was the looked back, the heavenly voice instructed him founder of Bhuyan dynasty. The name of the place to stop there. Bhadranath stayed there and began was Bhuyan Mahala which was the ancient capital to worship the Deity. of Bhadrak. The Bhuyans were the rulers of the The legend further tells us that once two adjoining areas of Salandi river. They were Chauhan Maratha brothers came to Purushottam worshippers of mother Bhadrakali. Later on they Puri for pilgrimage. They lost their way and shifted their seat of rule to Dola Sahi after being entered a dense forest. All on a sudden they came attacked by ferocious Afghan invaders. The place across a radiant glow and followed it. At last they is now well-known as Bhuyan Uasa from where reached a cottage. their successors migrated to different areas. They It was the residence of yogi Bhadranath are now better familiar as Samantaray family of where two brothers took rest. The next day Talapada, Bhuyan family of Kubera and Kanungo younger brother fell ill. The elder one advised him family of Nadigaon. to take rest at the sage¶s cottage and started his The historical background of the study journey. The daughter of the sage treated the of the deity can be traced back to a fragmentary younger brother with utmost care and affection, inscription discovered from the present precinct while he began to recover the two had fallen in of the Bhadrakali temple. The inscription occupies love. second place after Hatigumpha Inscription of the The Chauhan boy marked a peculiar thing Kharavela so far as its date is concerned. It is that everyday Bhadranath was going to an written in Pali language with Brahmi script. unknown place. He followed him one day and (Siddham) Maharaja Sri Ganasah Samvat reached the spot at a distance. To his utter surprise (8) Mula japena Deva (3) Data he found it to be a place of worship and the Deity (Adha !) Bapa 80 Mahakulapati who was being worshipped was none else but Mahamaya Bhadrakali. - Aya Agni Samenam Pani - Deva Dingi patichhidam That particular night the youngman saw a dream. The goddess gave him a flower with Adhirasa ka Bhada apabasara ghali adasam. instruction to walk and cover as much distance The archaeologists place the inscription as he could so that he would become the master at 3rd century A.D. from its language and style. It of that entire area. is known from the inscription that by 3rd century

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A.D. one king named µSri Gana¶ was ruling over description of the image of Bhadrakali in Devi the area presently known as Bhadrak. Bhagavata, Tantrasara and the hymn of meditation It is evident that by 3rd century A.D. there (Dhyanamantra) of mother Bhadrakali bear no was Murunda rule in Tosali with its capital at Uttar resemblance to the present image. Rather her Kalinga or Amita Tosala. Maharaja Sri Gana of feature ascribes it to Bhauma period (736 A.D.- Bhadrak was probably a feudatory ruler under 960 A.D.). Most probably the original image of the Murundas because no other details are the deity was destroyed by the Muslim invaders available due to the fragmentary nature of the and the present form appeared later on. inscription. But one thing is clear from the legends Dr. Harekrushna Mahtab opines that that in the beginning mother Bhadrakali like Lord Maharaja Sri Gana of Bhadrakali inscription was Jagannath was worshipped by the non-Aryans in a contemporary of the founder of Gupta dynasty the hilly region. In course of time the seat of - Maharaja Srigupta of 4th century A.D. The worship was shifted to the plains and from the northen part of Orissa alongwith Bhadrak and non-Aryan goddess she became the presiding Balasore were under Gupta hegemony. deity of the Aryan Hindus. But Bhadrakali of Bhuyan Mahala was Scholars are of opinion that the name worshipped much earlier than the establishment µBhadrak¶ has been derived from goddess of Gupta rule in the region.1 Bhadrakali. Bhagirathi Nanda Sharma cites the Dr. K.C. Panigrahi has given a different evidence that like Balasore from Basesvar, version. He is of opinion that in 3rd and 4th Sambalpur from Samalai, Bhubaneswar from Century B.C. the ruler of Bhadrak was Bhubaneswari, the name Bhadrak has also came Surasharma. In his 8th regnal year one lady named from goddess Bhadrakali. Others even opine that Rangoli made some gifts for a pious lady, the name Bhadrak may be the abridged form of Parnadevi.2 But D.C. Sarkar has read the name full name µBhadrakali¶ like popular name Puri as Maharaja µGana¶ instead of Maharaja which comes from full name µPurushottam Puri¶. 3 Surasharma. Dr. N.K. Sahu also opines that The word µBhadra¶ means fortune, good, Maharaja Gana of Bhadrakali inscription was a auspicious,4µka¶ means to get radiant.5 So the feudatory of the Murunda king of Pataliputra. meaning of Bhadrak is to get the radiant glow of Now the question arises who is this goodness or welfare. Naturally the place is µParnadevi¶. From legendary source we get the illuminated with the blessings of Bhadrakali. reference of one cottage. Is the word derived µOm µKa¶ Brahmam µKa¶ Vishnu from µparna kutira¶ (cottage made of leaves) or is µKa¶ Devi Maheswari she the goddess Parna Sabari of Vedic Age or µKa¶ Bhadra µKa¶µKali¶ Parna Sabari of Jain religion or Parna Devi of Saikasha Bhadrakeswari¶ Buddhism ? The riddle is yet to be solved because Mother Bhadrakali plays a very dominant no other corroborative sources give us any role in the cultural life of the region. Raja festival, information in this regard. Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Chaitra Purnima and Maha The iconographic feature of the image Visuva Sankranti are the five major festivals of doesn¶t ascribe to 3rd Century A.D. The goddess Bhadrakali.

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The first village in Orissa is found where there is no place day of every of worship of gramadevi or the village Deity. The Oriya month villagers take refuge under the feet of the mother (Sankranti) to lead a happy and prosperous life. She may be each dark Sarala, Pataneswari Mahamayee, Jagulai, night Batamangala, Basulei, Sureswari, Manikeswari, (Amavasya) Viraja or Bhadrakali - the various incarnations of and the full- mother goddess in different forms. moon night All children are equal before the mother. (Purnima) are Her children are objects of Her love, affection important and mercy. She is beyond caste, creed or colour. days of Devi- She is µAdyashakti Chandi¶. She is the Destroyer worship. On of Evils. Her seat is the melting point of all religious. the New She is universal mother. Let mother Bhadrakali Moon day of bestow all her blessings for the general welfare Mahalaya and benevolence of the mankind. before Durga Puja the References : Mahisamardini Durga, Konarka, (now in mother takes (i) Devi-Sukta, Saptasati Chandi, Ratnakosa, the British Museum, London) circa 13th µSubhangi Harivamsa, Chandi Purana of Sarala Das, Century A.D. Vesa¶ which Markandeya Purana etc. is equivalent to µGanga Darshan¶. From Pratipada (ii) Bhadrakali (Oriya) - Babaji Nayak, Maa (First Day after New Moon) to Vijaya Dasami Bhadrakali (Oriya) - Banamali Dikshit. (tenth day of New Moon) during the Durga Puja, (iii) Bhadrakali by H.C. Das (Souvenir of Orissa the goddess appears in various apparels as History Congress 1997). Salandi Vally, Culture and Bhadrak - S.C. De (Centenary Souvenir of mentioned in Chandi Purana. Bhadrak High School) During Kumar Purnima the deity takes (iv) History of Orissa - Vol.I - Dr. H.K. Mahtab. the apparels of Raja Rajeswari (Laxmi) and in Specific References : Dipavali New Moon day she is worshipped in the form of Shyama Special Pujas and Yanjnas 1. Epighaphia Indica - Vol.XXIX are offered in Kali Puja. 2. Indian Historical Quarterly - XXXV, P-327. Besides, horse-dance or Chaiti-ghoda 3. Epigraphia Indica, Vol.XXIX, p.169. festival in the month of Chaitra and Patua dance 4. Puma Chandra Bhasakosa, Page 6039. (Jhamu Yatra) of Visuva Sankranti deserve special 5. Ibid, p.1195. attention. These festivals and ceremonies during different times of the year play a very dominant role in moulding the socio-cultural life of the region. Mother goddess-worship is a very Reader in History, Ravenshaw College, ancient tradition of Orissan culture. Not a single Cuttack.

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