October - 2013 Review

Kanak of Jeypore

Indrajeet Mohanty

The city of Jeypore – the city of victory enshrines as the state deity and the annual Durga Puja within her palace ramparts the deity of Vijay festival which “fetched the king good name and Durga- The Durga of Victory also known as fame all over ” reflects a boastful attitude, Kanak or Golden Durga. The installation of this suggesting that the ritual policy of the Jeypore murti or image, nearly five centuries back evinces rulers sought to emulate the achievements and an intentionally conceived amalgamation of the fame of their overlords and aspired after greatness tribal and the Hindu ways of worshipping the themselves. This must have taken place in the mother Goddess and making Her a symbol of late fifteenth century A.D. politico religious powers. She remains the royal Religious life in Jeypore centred around Goddess and presiding deity of the Jeypore the worship of the Mother Goddess or Earth palace. Goddess. They are named Thakurani, Hundi, According to the “Jeypura Raja Dharani etc. These Goddesses are represented Vamsavali” by R.N. Sarma, Kanak Durga was by a large stone, wooden pillar or some other stolen from the Gajapati Ruler, Purushottam Dev, symbol and represent the presiding deity of a connected with the Kanchi-Kavri legend. While village. Their powers and influence is restricted returning from his successful expedition against to the boundary of a village. These ambivalent Kanchipuram, Purushottama Dev was ambushed goddesses reveal a character that is generative by Vijay Chandra (1476 A.D.) the king of and creative, but also frightening and destructive. Jeypore, a vassal, in the dense forest of Nandapur These deities are non-iconic symbols placed out which was the earlier capital of the Jeypore ruling in the open and the villagers associate them with family. The latter stole one of the elephants of the life, growth, sexuality, blood, fertility and wealth. Gajapati overlord and a golden statue of goddess These goddesses are worshipped by a non- Durga. This image was installed with much Brahmin priest from the lower caste or a tribal. ceremony in Nandapur and became the state deity Sacrifices were common rituals to appease there of this Jungle Kingdom. There is no mention of Goddesses, even frequent human sacrifice it this in any of the Chronicles. The legend recorded. narrates the theft of a Durga image by a little king With the advent of the Goddesses of from his own overlord. The mention of the Great tradition i.e. Kanak Durga the above splendour with which the Goddess was installed goddesses underwent a transformation as the

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Jeypore Kings tried to Hinduize, not only religion Jeypore was built and Kanak Durga was shifted but also politics. They now opposed the Gajapati here from the old fort. A man named Dibyasingh rule of Puri and tried to take shelter under the Nanda, a Brahmin from Puri was appointed as Imperial Umbrella of the Vizayanagara Kings. In priest and was granted villages at Nandapur. This this process Kanak Durga became not only the move totally Hinduized Kanak Durga and She “Kuladevata” or presiding deity of the Royal now resided inside the palace, in close proximity household, but also “Rashtradevata” or Goddess with the king and inside a shrine specially of the state. The statue of Kanak Durga, in which constructed for Her. the goddess had assumed bodily form was housed Despite the introduction of new traditions in a temple guarded and served by Brahmin priests and worship of Raghunath, and Jagannath, and could not be approached by anyone at any Kanak Durga was far from fading into time. All the tribal Goddesses now merged in insignificance. She became the of Kanak Durga and began to be worshipped as the realm. She remained at the very centre of the different attributes of the greater goddess. politico-ritual life of Jeypore. The Durga Puja The Jeypore Kings, over the centuries and Dussehra is the most important festival in patronized Kanak Durga as their family deity. The Jeypore in autumn. family chronicle of the Jeypore kings talks of the During the Dussehra festival Kanak Durga devotion of Vishambara Deo towards Kanak sits next to the King in the Darbar. She leads the Durga. It is stated that this ruler used to go to Dussehra procession as the savior Goddess with Nandapur daily from Narayanpatana and never symbolic sacrifices made to Her. The famous took any food till he visited the deity. Once, due “Jhanda Yatra” representing the subordination of to flood he was standard for two days without surrounding Tribal goddesses and tribal powers food till he got darshan of the Goddess. In a to the Deity of Kanak Durga follows the dream, the goddess advised the King to install a procession. She goes with the King, the Yuva duplicate image of Her at Narayanpatna, which Raj, the tribal goddesses and her military retinue the King did. This shows that She was a moveable to the mango grove known as the “Dasara Padia” tutelary goddess allowing flexibility to a King's and festivities are carried out throughout the night. movement. It was under Viravikram Deo (1637- 1669), the royal capital was shifted from Nandapur to Jeypore. This is regarded even today as being a result of a curse of , the dark side of Durga. Viravikram Deo did not, however, take the original image of Kanak Durga to Jeypore, but had a duplicate effigy installed.

It was during the time of Rama Chandra Indrajeet Mohanty, Reader in History, Vikram Deb Deo II (1781-1825) that the present palace of (Auto) College, Jeypore (K).

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