The Origin of Jagannath and His Cult Is Always
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he origin of Jagannath and his cult is always a matter of controversy. There are a large Tnumber of mythological stories and legends relating to the establishment of the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri and the installation of the deities therein. But there are no definiteness, validity and reliability in these Puranic stories and poems. But from some legendary account, we may go back to the date of the King Indradyumna of Birata dynasty. He was directed by Jagannath in a dream to build a temple for Him on the Nilasundara mount or Nilagiri hill. He went on searching, but could not find Jagannath on the hill through certain phases. According to the Madala and the king worshipped Shivamarkandeswara Panji, the Temple Chronicle, the original temple because at that time Puri was already a centre of was rebuilt by Yayati Keshari in the 9th Century. Tantric-Saivite worship. Markandeswara, A D. The history says that Chodaganga Deva, The First Historical Account of Navakalebara and Abhinav Indradyumna Dr. Janmejay Choudhury pleased with the Puja, directed him to meet tribal the founder of Ganga Dynasty reconstructed the leader Jara. Indradyumna met Jarasabara and existing temple in about 1135 A D, but the work through their joint efforts found a piece of Daru was completed by Anangabhima Deva towards or log of wood floating in the Rohini Kunda, the end of the 12th Century AD. It is not definite which is said to be the remnant of unburnt body when the Navakalevara ceremony was introduced of Krishna. From this wood the sacred images of for first time. Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were There are two types of Navakalevara. carved out and placed on the Ratna Simhasan in The first one is the construction of new icons in the Grand temple at Puri. As the structure is made which the sacred Brahma- the inhering spirit is of wood, after few years it gets spoiled and thus changed and other is ‘Srianga Phita’ which means the old images are changed by new ones. Since renovation of the images. Navakalevara is the then Navakalevara has been taking place at periodical renewal of the wooden images of certain intervals of time and ceremony takes place July - 2015 # Odisha Review 161 Sudarshana, Balabhadra, Subhadra and after a gap of 7,12, or 19 years depending upon Jagannath. It is the most unique festival in the Hindu occurrence of Second Ashadha month.1 How old religion which involves the replacement of four is the festival ? The research has not yet been able worshippable images with the new ones and old to point out the probable date or period of the images are buried underground. The icons are origin of this unique festival. Sri G.C. Tripathy, in renewed at an interval of twelve years. (Though his illuminating article ‘Navakalevara’ observes : it is roughly calculated as twelve years, the twin ‘if the above presumption is correct and historical Ashadhas have not so far fallen exactly in twelve facts as well as the literary evidence make it seem years. Sometimes it falls in eight years, sometimes very probable, it would mean that though the rite in eleven years, nineteen years and twenty seven of Navakalevara itself may well have existed at years) Navakalevara has been celebrated in the all times, envisaged to be performed as and when years in which two Ashadhas fall. (Normally, the necessity to renew the images was felt, its Ashadha according to Hindu calendar falls celebration at the regular intervals of 11 (or 19 approximately around June-July. But depending years) has been introduced after the reinstallation on the Hindu leap year calculation, an extra month of Jagannath figures in 1590 A.D.”2 It is however is added, in order to adjust the short fall. improbable that the ceremony was performed at Therefore, at times we get an extra month. When regular intervals during the period of 160 years such a month comes, normally Lord Jagannath’s (from 1590 A.D to the establishment of Maratha Navakalevara is being celebrated). This is known rule in Odisha) when the temple was subjected as Adhimasa, Malamasa, Purushottamamasa or to brutal and atrocious attack invaders.3 intercalary month. In this intercalary month, no L.S.S.O.Malley in his Gazetteer Puri, writes that auspicious rites and rituals are performed. But the the ceremony was not performed in 1893, though wooden images are replaced by new images in Jodaah Ashadha month fell in that year.4 Although the Navakalevara ceremony. This ceremony has the wooden images existed, the clothes on the been performed in the years 1593, 1608, 1625, upper portion were only changed which could be 1646, 1665, 1684, 1698, 1714, 1730, 1749, called a partial Navakalevara. The Queen of Puri 1768, 1790, 1809, 1828, 1855, 1863, 1874, didn’t allow the Navakalevara to be celebrated 1893, 1912, 1931, 1950, 1969, 1977 and 1996. on the plea of “cumbersome process and heavy Normally people believe that the expenses”. Of course, the Car Festival was held Navakalevara occurs in every twelve years. But with much pomp and grandeur that year as it fell according to historical records the Navakalevara during the Navakalevara. Malley further writes has never been held at an interval of twelve years that, “popular belief is that the festival depends in the past. It is prescribed that the Navakalevara upon the durability of the wood of which the shall be held when two lunar Ashadha months images are made. It therefore appears that festival conjoin in a year. Accordingly, the Navakalevara has become a part and parcel of Jagannath cult festivals were celebrated in the past which fell only since 1590 AD., its continuity has been maintained at an interval of nineteen years. The ceremony unless the impediments were too high to Navakalevara, the periodical renewal of the overcome. wooden images of the Deities in the temple of Odisha had passed through recurring Jagannath is a unique ceremony in many respects periods of religious depression on account of in the Hindu religious worship. The ceremony falls brutal and ruthless raids on the temple and the Deities by the Hindu as well as Mohammedan 162 Odisha Review # July - 2015 Governors of Mughals and then, successor to Madala Panji, while Kalpahada was burning Nawabs of Bengal. The festival of Navakalevara the images, his own body started bursting to in those critical periods of her history had pieces. As the wise men observed - all this due to succeeded in keeping alive the devotion of their disdaining the Lord Jagannath. His son threw the people towards their Lord and “had made them half-burnt images to the river Ganga. At the nick well prepared for any new sacrilege on the temple of the time Bisar Mahanty who was desperately and in their devotional feelings towards Him”. If pursuing the Muslim army carrying the deities, the cult has survived till today, it is on account of could salvage the images, particularly the inner deepest reverence and unflinching faith of her cores called Brahmas and concealed the same people through Navakalevara and other periodic inside his drum. He brought the ‘Brahma’ to and regular religious festivals of the temple. Kujanga Garh and kept them in the house of a Khandayat. It is aptly mentioned by Krupasindhu In the past, so many invasions from Mishra (Utkal Ithas, p.163) that Kujang Raja outside have caused great damages to the temple, made the images of the deities and preserved its deities, its treasury, its arts and architecture. Brahma inside. The history has also reported that Due to these unfortunate incidents the images of the images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and the deities have been shifted and brought back Subhadra were reinstalled by Sri Ramachandra for security and sanctity on several occasions. Deva of Bhoi Dynasty in 1575. This is said to According to the historical evidence, in 1509 AD have been the first historical account of the invasion by Ismail Gari, the Commander of Navakalevara which was held in the month of Bengal Sultan resulted in shifting of the images Ashadha. Most probably since then it has been from the temple, which were kept hidden in the tradition to celebrate Navakalevara in the Chadhei Guha hill inside Chilika and then brought particular year having two Ashadha. Sri back for reinstallation. Several times, the images Ramachandra Deva started the Car Festival after were, either burnt or thrown to water by the eight years and is given the national honour as invaders. The most unfortunate incident occurred “Abhinav Indradyumna” or the “Duti when Kalapahada, caused irreparable loss to all Indradyumna’ or the second Indradyumna.5 aspects of this world famous shrine. It is said that The years of accession of Ramachandra Kalapahada was a Hindu Brahmin and married a Deva has been ascertained from evidence Muslim girl as a result of which he was ostracized gathered from four inscriptions. These are from the Hindu Society. Subsequently, he Baripada Museum stone Inscriptions, two Srijang repented, but was not allowed to re-enter into stone inscription and Kasiari inscriptions. All these the Hindu fold by the religious leaders. He was inscriptions of the reign of Ramachandra Deva therefore disappointed and took a vow to destroy found in remote regions of Odisha like and denigrate the Hindu temples, deities and the Mayurbhanja, Balasore and Midnapore have religion itself. As the Commander of the Bengal fixed the date of occasion as 1567-68 A.D. It is Sultan he invaded Odisha in 1590 AD and mentioned in the Madala Panji that there was demolished the temples and images of the deities.