Unity in Diversity: the Uniqueness of Jagannath Culture of Odisha

July - 2013 Odisha Review Unity in Diversity: The Uniqueness of Jagannath Culture of Odisha Archana Kanungo The fame and popularity of “the Lord of the among different groups. But the fundamental Universe: Jagannath” is noticed both among the principle of Jagannath Culture is based on “Unity foreigners and the Hindu world. Despite many in Diversity” to respect all human beings cultural invasions by outsiders and cross cultural irrespective of their caste, colour, religion, barriers by few insiders, Odisha is still maintaining ethnicity. This ‘Cultural uniqueness’ reduces its ‘unique culture’ i.e. ‘Jagannath culture’ of “Unity fundamentalism, communalism and encourages all in Diversity”. Since time immemorial the very pilgrims to visit ‘Jagannath Dham’ and watch car name “Cultural Unity” is maintained by its ‘wide festival again and again. ‘Car Festival’ of Jagannath range of varieties’. Odisha’s Jagannath culture Culture is a bright and beautiful example of cultural maintains its unity through its Cultural inclusion and reduction of exclusion. This article distinctiveness. Odisha tries to highlight the is a beautiful land of importance of many religions, many Jagannath Culture traditions, many castes through its uniqueness and linguistic groups, so of “Unity in also multiplicity is found Diversity”. It tries to in Odia culture. encourage the true spirit of ‘Cultural Odisha’s Jagannath Uniqueness’ through Culture binds every social inclusion of all devotee under “one devotees to visit platform”, that is well ‘Jagannath Dhama’ or known as “Jagannath ‘Srikshetra’ — a pure Dhama” or it is also and holy land of known as “Jagannath Puri” which is very popular Odisha region. worldwide. Jagannath culture is so rich, pure and powerful that attracts many outsiders to visit The human society in Odisha is based on Jagannath Puri time and again, especially during some form of order of organization on the basis the world famous car festival. Sometimes, diversity of Jagannath Culture. To recognize the ‘Jagannath may create threat in terms of cultural differentiation Culture’ in true sense, one needs to understand 57 Odisha Review July - 2013 and identify the in-depthness of its ‘cultural linguism and regionalism are notable. uniqueness’. The very essence of Jagannath Communality in the society refers to feelings of culture implies on arrangement of parts into an rivalries based on religious differences. But integrated whole, unlike human body consists of ‘Jagannath culture’ stands much above all these different organs or parts, they are different in forms narrowness. Though, in Hindu culture variety of but integrated by a single soul, such a harmonious sub-cultural and sub-linguistic groups are found functioning of the unique culture is referred as but they all believe in one God, Lord Jagannath, Jagannath culture. Let us understand the different one culture that is Jagannath culture which teaches parts of Jagannath culture, then only, it will help us to love, care and respect all human beings. us to understand the importance of integrated whole. The modern Odisha comprises the ancient States of Odra (part of Khurda district, Odisha’s traditional culture is a Nayagarh, Dhenkanal, part of Angul), Utkal combination of varieties; so diversity is found in (present Balasore, part of Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Jagannath culture. Diversity means difference. It Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Puri, part of means collective differences, such differences Khurda and Nayagarh), Kalinga (present Ganjam, mark off one group of people from other. These part of Boudh, part of Gajapati, part of Khurda), differences may be biological, religious, linguistic Kangoda (tracts in between Rusikulya and etc. On the basis of religious differences we have Mahanadi rivers and between Salima river (the religious diversity. Racial diversity is analysed on modern day Salia river which flow in Banapur the basis of biological differences such as black Tahasil area), Dakshina Kosala (comprising and white, (Aryan and Dravidian). When a group Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, part of of people share similar characteristics such as Nuapada districts) and Trikalinga (comprising language, religion etc, more uniformity is found in Kalahandi, part of Phulbani, part of Boudh, part such case, whereas , group of people who come of Nuapada, undivided Koraput and part of from different races, religion and language etc, Ganjam).The modern day Odia script is an they represent diversity. evolution of Odramagadhi which was prevalent in the above tracts of area more concentrated in However, it is a fact that Odisha’s Dakshina Kosala, Trikalinga, Odra and part of Jagannath culture is based on its tradition,religion, Utkal, Kalinga and Kangoda. Though there are language, folkways, etc. So diversification is varieties in terms of geographical boundaries observed in Jagannath culture.Jagannath culture within Odisha, but its evolution is associated with starts from ‘Jagannath Dham, Puri’ (eastern all these geographical territories. The Jagannath Odisha) continues to West, North and Southern culture is a part and parcel of life of the people in parts of Odisha like Aska and Gajapati. It spreads these geographical boundaries. There are different in diversified geographical areas of Odisha. Within Jagannath temples found in the said areas, the territory different castes, tribes, linguistic different people performed their rites and rituals groups are residing together, so sometimes as per their local traditions. In this way conflict may take place in the name of religion, geographical diversification is found in the castes, colours, which is a biggest challenge Jagannath Culture.Unlike geographical against cultural unity. There are several diversifying diversification, cultural diversification is found in factors among which communality, casteism, the Jagannath Culture. Shrikshetra of Puri 58 July - 2013 Odisha Review Jagannath, as is commonly known, can verily be aboriginal tribes, who had a civilization and culture said to be a truthful replica of Indian culture. The quite distinct from that of the Vedic Aryans. The impact of culture of Lord Jagannath in Odia Aryans migrated to Odisha at a later stage and literature has been such that it has moulded into a the Vedic religion and culture along with the composite literature revolving round the culture Upanisadic philosophy and Smarta rituals then of Lord Jagannath. The Odia script and Odia began to spread in this country. Buddhism had literature are nothing, but manifestation of various better times during the rule of the Mauryan aspects of Lord Jagannath in the eyes of the poets emperor Asoka, who conquered Kalinga (the and literary Pundits. To understand this culture, coastal region of Odisha as known by that time) one has to have some idea of the history of this after a dreadful war in the third century B.C. It is land, which again is different from that of other said that after the conquest of Kalinga, Asoka countries of the world. Starting from Lord abandoned violence, embraced Buddhism and left Jagannath Himself, history has it that he was a no stone unturned to propagate it throughout India tribal deity, adorned by the Sabar people, as a including the newly conquered Kalinga. It symbol of Narayan. Another legend claims him continued to be popular in Odisha for several to be Nilamadhava, an image of Narayana made centuries before Sankaracharya visited Puri in the of blue stone and worshipped by the aboriginals. ninth century A.D. Jainism was perhaps at the He was brought to Nilagiri (blue mountain) or height of its glory when Kharavela espoused its Nilachala and installed there as Shri Jagannath in cause and took all steps to propagate it in the company with Balabhadra and Subhadra. The second century B.C. It is, therefore, historically images made of wood are also claimed to have reasonable to hold that the cult and culture of their distant linkage with the aboriginal system of Jagannatha found its origin in the primitive system worshipping wooden poles. To cap it all the of worship of the non-Aryan tribals who had Daitapatis, who have a fair share of responsibilities established a shrine for Jagannatha here, in this to perform rituals of the Temple, are claimed to part of the country in a very ancient time, with all be descendants of the aboriginals or hill tribes of their religious fervour. Then the Aryans had taken Odisha. So we may safely claim that the beginning it over to worship Jagannatha in Vedic rites and of the cultural history of ‘ Shrikshetra’ is found in the fusion of Hindu and Tribal Cultures. So rituals with all religious practices connected with diversification is found in the origin of Jagannath them. Buddhism and Jainism have penetrated in culture.In this way caste, culture and traditional to the innermost apartments of the shrine of diversification are abserbed in the Jagannth Jagannatha with all their religious and spiritual Culture. This has been accepted as a facet of our implications. There are different rites; rituals and proud heritage. The three deities came to be the day-to-day service (Vidhis) of Lord known as the symbols of Samyak Darshan, Jagannatha which owe their origin either to Jainism Samyak Jnana and Samyak Charita usually or to Buddhism, or may be the combination of regarded as Triratha (of the Jain cult), an both, it is difficult to say that, but there are assimilation of which leads to Moksha (salvation) diversities found in those practices. As it is or the ultimate bliss. mentioned earlier that the Puranic texts corroborate that Jagannatha was originally a deity Historical Diversity in Jagannath Culture: of the aboriginal tribes and was known as Nila In the remote past, Odisha was inhabited by the Madhava, his image being made of some sort of 59 Odisha Review July - 2013 blue stone. Later, the god manifested himself in tribal groups of Odisha celebrate car festivals of the form of four wooden images that we worship Lord Jagannath as per their own regional now and came to be known by the present-day customs.In this way Jagannath culture is names in an atmosphere of Vedic re-orientation.

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