February-March - 2014 Review

Tribal Origin of the Cult of the

Abhimanyu Dash

The origin of the cult of Jagannath is mysterious. of the Jagannath. Almost in a similar way they The deity itself accepts almost all the sects of Hindu narrate the Indradyumna story and explain how Pantheon like Vedic religion, , the deity was originally worshipped by the Saivism, Tantricism and Brahminism in His abode. aboriginal Savara chief Visvavasu in the forest and In addition to these sects, Jainism and Buddhism later on how it appeared at . acclaim the Jagannath triad belonging to their The story in the Purusottama Mahatmya of religions. In spite of this, scholars in the cult of Skanda Purana – The story10 recorded in the Jagannath believe in the aboriginal tribal (Savara) Purusottama Mahatmya of Skanda Purana says origin of the Jagannath triad. that the shrine of Nilamadhava was located in the The scholars in the field of the cult of Blue hill (Nila Saila) surrounded by a forest. Jagannath also differ in holding their own views Indradyumna, the king of came to know and theories. But among all the theories about the sanctity of the place and Lord propounded regarding the origin of the Jagannath Nilamadhava. He sent Vidyapati to the place to cult, the theory of tribal origin is the most accepted get information of Nilamadhava. Once Vidyapati one. Scholars like B.M.Padhi1, A. Eschmann2 told to his wife Lalita about his desire to see the G.C. Tripathy3, H. Kulke4 and H.V. Stietencorn God. At first Visvavasu was unwilling to allow have dealt with the tribal origin of the Jagannath Vidyapati to take him to God Nilamadhava but cult. Though many arguments and counter later on he took him by covering his eyes in order arguments have been put forth by the scholars to to keep the secrecy of the shrine. But clever support their own theories regarding the origin of Vidyapati on the way secretly dropped mustard the cult no one has been able to deny the intimate seeds, which germinated after a few days and association of the Savaras or the tribals with the opened the secret path to Nilamadhava. Vidyapati cult of Jagannath from its inception. Even scholars then returned to his master Indradyumna and 5 6 7 like B. Mohanty , N.K. Sahu , K.C Mishra , reported the location of the shrine. The King was 8 9 S.Mohanty and G.N.Mohapatra have accepted overwhelmed and started for Blue hill to have a the tribal influence in the cult of Jagannath. Darsana (view). But to his misfortune he could The legends of the Puri and the not find the image there. In the night the king had Purusottam Mahatmya of the Skanda Purana, the a dream in which he saw a noble tree coming Musali Parva, the Vanaparva of Sarala Dasa’s from the Svetadvipa where God Visnu appeared , Deula Tola of Sisu Krshna Das and in his blue form. In the morning news came to the Nilambar Das refer to the Savara or tribal origin king that a log impressed with the signs of Visnu

1 Odisha Review February-March - 2014 had come floating in the sea to the shore. The log After this revelation, both Indradyumna was brought to the shore with great rejoicing and and Jara Savara went to Nilagiri and they saw carved into four images of Jagannath, Balabhadra, the wooden form of God in the Rohini Kunda. and Sudarsana Chakra. Then Vasudeva and King Indradyumna brought the Indradyumna constructed a temple on the Blue Daru out of the Kunda and Jara Savara undertook hill and consecrated the images. the task of carving the image. Visvakarma himself The story in Sarala Dasa’s Mahabharata - joined Jara in this work. They cut the Daru into The story10 gives the account of tribal origin of three pieces. The image making work supposedly Jagannath in a different way. When Srikrsna continued in a closed room for fifteen days but breathed his last, and Savara Jara, who no sound was heard outside. When the King, in had killed Krsna, tried to cremate the corpse. They his anxiety, opened the door, he discovered three soon found that the fire was helpless in burning images but there was no trace of Jara or the dead body, since it was the himself. Visvakarma in the room. At the end of the full day, only the palms, legs and The story in Deula Tola of Nilambara Das – the nose were burnt, and then a divine sound was In the 15th century Nilambara Das wrote a work, heard saying “O, Arjuna, the fire cannot convert entitled Deula Tola11 (the making of the temple). the dead body into ashes please throw it into the His story in relation to aboriginality of Jagannath Sea.” Arjuna acted accordingly and went to is as follows. When Indradyumna came to know Dvaraka. of Nilamadhava in Nilachala (situated in the After sometime ‘Jara Savara’ saw Krsna eastern shore) he sent his messenger, Vidyapati in dream, when he woke up, he found beside him to find the truth. Vidyapati went there, saw the an image of Visnu. This was the very image that God and accordingly reported the facts to the later Jara Savara worshipped on the Dhauli Hill King. Indradyumna, with his army marched to Puri near Bhubaneswar. and at a place called Charchika, Visvavasu surrendered himself to the King. The author then When Galamadhava, a Vaisnava King of describes the episode of the disappearance of the Kanchi learnt of Krsna’s death, he set out in quest God. Indradyumna observed fast for twenty one of Krsna’s corpse, which in fact, had been thrown days. He was told in his dream that the Daru was into the sea. His servant Vasudeva Brahmana, who floating on the sea. He found the Daru and had proceeded to the south, located the body Visvakarma got down to the making of images in there on the Dhauli Hill, being worshipped in the a closed room. The King prompted by Gundicha, form of an image. On receiving the news, his queen, opened the door and found three Galamadhava moved the image to Nilachala. Jara images, all incomplete and unfinished. Savara at that time was away to Konarka on the seashore in quest of Krsna’s dead body. At the Like Nilambara Das, Sisu Krsna Das has same time, Indradyumna, a King in the line of also written a book named ‘Deula Tola’. Likewise , built a temple at Nilachala with the some more Deula Tola books were written in the aforesaid image he consulted the Savara Jara. At later period among which Krsna Das’s work this Jara prayed to God and was answered in a enjoys greater popularity in Odisha. divine voice, “I will certainly appear at Nilagiri in The story in Deula Tola of Sisu Krsna Das – the Buddha incarnation. This unburnt dead body The Deula Tola12 of Sisu Krsna Das is more will change into Daru (wood)”. important and acceptable so far as tribal origin

2 February-March - 2014 Odisha Review of Jagannath is concerned. Vidyapati, under the Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. But before orders of Indradyumna arrived at a Savara village the stipulated period was over the king in haste in quest of the God. Lalita, the daughter of the and anxiety opened the door and found the three Savara Chief Visvavasu fell in love with him. The incomplete images. And Ananta Maharana was Brahmin Vidyapati was consequently forced by not to be seen anywhere. Visvavasu to marry Lalita. The King was so disturbed that he Vidyapati with the help of Lalita and decided to commit suicide. But just then, he Visvavasu traced the God in Nilagiri. In fact, the heard, “O King, I shall hold the incarnation of clue came to him from a crow that became four Buddha in the Yuga”. The sons of Vasu armed when it fell from the ‘Kalpa Vrksa’ into Savara will be called as Daita and they will serve the ‘Rohini Kunda’. Vidyapati thus reported this me. The sons of Lalita will be known as Suara to Indradyumna and the king started for the place and they will cook for me. The sons of Vidyapati with his army. In course of his journey to Nilagiri will be my Panda and they will worship me. he came across the river Chitrotpala, Indradyumna, in return prayed to God that he Chatakeswara, Ekamra (Bhubaneswar), Lingaraj, should not have progeny to claim the temple in Kapotesvara (near Chandanpur), Kalindi or the future. Here concludes Deula Tola of Krsna Das. river Yamuna (near Sakhigopal – Bir In addition to this, scholars like W.W. Narasinghpur) and so on. Hunter on the basis of Indradyumna legend has Reaching Nilachala, the King arrested the remarked “The very origin of Jagannath proclaims Savara and got hold of the God’s image. But soon him not less the God of the Brahmanas than the under command that he heard from the , low caste aboriginal races13. He further states, he set Savara free. The king constructed a temple “The aboriginal people were worshipping a blue of 120 cubits height and went to Brahma Loka to stone, in the dense forest. But the deity has grown invite Brahma to preside over its inaugural tired of the jungle offering of the primitive people ceremony. In the meantime, a fierce sand storm and longs for the cooked food of the more civilized buried the temple and King Gala discovered it. Aryan race. When the Aryan element at length When Indradyumna came back from Brahma comes on the scene, the rude blue stone Loka there arose a dispute between both the disappears and gives place to a carved image14. Kings as each supported his claim for the Another Europeon scholar W.J. Wilkins ownership of the temple. Finally, Brahma brought tracing the origin of Jagannath to tribal worship about a compromise between them and settled has stated (Jagananth) was the local divinity of the matter amicably. some, now unknown tribe, whose worship was King Indradyumna then learnt in a dream engrafted into and the God when that a Daru was floating on the sea. He recovered admitted into the pantheon was regarded as the Daru from there with the help of Vidyapati another manifestation of Visnu15. and Vasu Savara. But the King found no carpenter B.M. Padhi16 has also traced the origin able to carve out the image of the god. Finally, an of Jagannath to the Daru (wood) worship of the old carpenter, Ananta Maharana of Dvaraka Savaras from the pre-historic times. He has based appeared there. He worked there in a closed room his arguments on the basis of the cult of tree for twenty one days, made the very images of worship which was prevalent among the proto-

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Australoids. They at first worshipped ficus tree plays within Hinduization in Eastern and later on the concept of tree worship entered and his special relationship to tribal deities to other religions. Further, he states that the represented by wooden posts, it could be Savaras or the Sauras of Ganjam and Koraput concluded that the Jagannath figure was the result districts worship tree as their Kitung (God). They of a process of Hinduization where a tribal deity believe that their Kitung lives on a tree, so they represented by a wooden post was identified never cut a tree which is called Jagant, another with Narasimha. The original symbol was changed name of Kitung. They also believe that Kitung accordingly by being combined with the popular had ten incarnations similar to the concept of ten iconography of Narasimha : a head with arms. incarnations of Visnu. In his opinion17 the word This accounts for the iconographic particulars of Jagannath is neither a word nor a Pali the Jagannath figure, the head is an attempt to word but a sanskritised form of austric word represent a lion head, the round eyes are typical Jagannath. features of Narsimha’s fury20. According to G.N. Mahapatra, “ancient The tribal element has also not been name of Jagannatha, as currently in vogue in the completely lost in the cult of Jagannath. Among Savara villages of Odisha is Jaganaelo (made of the temple servitors, an important section are the wood). The name of the deity in the Savara Daitas or descendants of the autochthonous languages is ‘Sonam’ and the images are known religious leader Jara. They have many important as ‘Kitungs’. Of all the ‘Kitungs’ Jaganaelo is functions in the ritualistic services. Though the the greatest, and Savaras call him the Lord of the worship is conducted by the Pujapandas, who Universe (The Land of Visnu)”. are Brahmins in name only, from the Bathing The tribal origin of the Jagannath cult is Festival till the conclusion of the Car Festival, Jagannath is worshipped exclusively by the further elaborated by the German Orissa 21 Research Project (1970-76). A host of scholars Daitas . like A. Eschmann, H. Kulke, G.C. Tripathy, H.V. This is an important festival of Jagannath Stietencorn through interdisciplinary approach, and is attended by pilgrims from far and near. To field study and anthropological investigations have the devoted people at large, this pouring of 108 shown that Jagannath primarily is a tribal deity18. pots of water on each of the idols, is explained as the Gods indulgence in water to ward off excessive A.Eschmann19 is of the opinion that summer heat. But in a symbolical way this bathing Jagannath is primarily a tribal God and in the process of Hinduization it became a Brahmini also washed away the non-autochthonous traits God. Further, she has connected the Narasimha which Jagannath had acquired in course of ages. Soon after the Bathing Festival the Jagannath cult with the tribal worship of wooden posts and later on in her opinion, Narasimha was accepted triad with Sudarsana return to Anasara Tati, a in the Visnu worship. On the basis of the prevalent thatched construction erected in an impromptu manner, for the occasion, inside the temple, for legends she identified Khambesvari or 22 Stambhesvari with Subhadra. She has remarked, the sojourn of the images till the Car Festival . “Narasimha and Jagananth are intimately linked Anasara is an archaic Odia word, which and were identified at an early stage. Even today means close relations and Tati means a hut. Thus a Jagannath figure is found to be worshipped as Anasara – Tati means the hut of the close relations, Narasimha. From the important role which which resembles the hutments of the tribal people.

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This strange practice is an annual enactment of philosophies make Jagannath Universal and the drama of the return of Jagannatha to his unique. His name still draws faithful belonging to Kinsmen, in as much as during the Anasara period, all denominations in millions to the holy sands of the Brahmin priests are not allowed to enter the Puri. Tati much less to worship. The rituals conducted Sheorinarayan : The original place of by the Daitas, inside the Anasara Tati is kept a Jagannath – There are contradictory views closely guarded secret, as no one can enter the regarding the original place of Lord Jagannath. Tati or the hut, except the Daitas. During this Sarala Dasa in the and Musali Parva Anasara period which lasts for about a fortnight, of Mahabharat26 has given the traditional account Jagannath is offered only such fruits and berries of how King Galamadhava brought the Lord as are available in jungles. During the Anasara Savarinarayana to Puri. According to him period Mahaprasad or the cooked rice offering or Savarinarayana was being is discontinued. Thus the tribal strands of the worshipped by the Savaras in the forest. King Jagannatha cult is also existing in practice, though Galamadhava being informed proceeded to the not in rituals, along with the sophisticated Savara village to take possession of the deity. On Brahmanical elements23. the basis of this story K.C. Mishra27 has stated that Jagannath was brought to Puri from Partaking of Mahaprasad or cooked rice Savarinarayana. On the other hand, G.N. is an important sacrament of the cult. It seems to Mohapatra28 states that Savarinarayana was be tribal in character. Jara Savara’s cooked rice worshipped by the Savaras on a hill called Dhauli offering seems to have originated from this near Bhubaneswar. tradition. It may be noted in this context, that communal eating of food offered to Lord S.N. Rajaguru29 on the basis of the Telugu Jagannath by the devotees of the Hindu version of preserved at the Govt. communities, irrespective of caste, is even today Oriental Manuscript Library at Madras states that prevalent in Odisha. Since the first Mahaprasad Jara, the Savara Chief was residing on the top of offering was cooked in the Temple kitchen, it has the Mahendra mountain. He was the worshipper recognized no caste or creed in partaking it, even of Parasamani. Further, he has associated the the high caste Brahmin, could eat Mahaprasad, legendary King Indradyumna with King Indravarman of the Svetaka branch of the Gangas. from the same potsherd used by an untouchable24. At present people take their food from The German Scholars like H.V. Stietencorn, H.Kulke, A.Eschmann believe that the earthern cooking pot or potsherd, even the cult of Jagannath came from Western Orissa thrown or left by some persons after they have to Coastal Orissa during the time of -I of taken their food. They take their food together the Somavamsi dynasty30. Their opinion is based from the same pot or potsherd without any caste on the accounts of Madala Panji in which it is prejudice nor restriction and without any hesitation 25 mentioned that King Yayati had brought the image they take leftover food or offal . of Jagannath from Sonepur of Western Orissa. Thus inspite of deeply entrenched Sheorinarayana or Savarinarayana, the Brahmanic influence the autochthonic strands still original place of Jagannath has been identified by persists in the Jagannath cult in a transmuted form. scholars like R.V.Russel31, Hiralal32 and most This syncretism of opposing religious creeds and recently J.P. Singhdeo33 with the modern village

5 Odisha Review February-March - 2014 of the same name situated about 40 Kms. South 2) A.Eschmann, et.al.eds. ‘The Cult of Jagannath and –East of Bilaspur in Madhya Pradesh. This place the Regional Tradition of Orissa’, New Delhi, 1978, is a tribal dominated area inhabited mostly by the PP. 79-99. 3) Ibid, PP. 477-490. Savaras, Gaudas and other aboriginal tribes. 4) Ibid, PP. 125-137. There are a number of legends prevalent among 5) B.Mohanty, ‘Odisara Adivasi Sanskriti’ (Odia), the tribals centering Sheorinarayana connecting it Bhubaneswar, 1954, PP.118-151. with the cult of Jagannath. The tribal legends of 6) N.K. Sahu, ‘Odisare Boudhha Dharma’ (Odia), the Savaras say that local tradition traces their Bhubaneswar, 1959, PP. 49-50. origin to Savari of who offered fruits 7) K.C. Mishra, ‘The Cult of Jagannath’, Calcutta, 1971, P.181. to Lord during his exile. He was supposed 8) S. Mohanty, ‘Lord Jagannath’, Bhubaneswar, to have stayed near Sheorinarayana on his way 1982, PP. 12, 23-25. to Lanka. Another legend states that the Savaras 9) G. N. Mohapatra, ‘The Land of Visnu’, Delhi, 1979, were created for carrying stones for the PP. 26-29. construction of the great temple at Puri and for 10) Ibid, PP. 26-27. dragging the car of Lord Jagannath at the time of 11) Nilambara Das, ‘Srikshetra Mahatmya ba Deula Tola’ (Odia), Kantei, 1916. car festival. Regarding the name of the place 12) Sisu Krsna Das, ‘Deula Tola (Odia) Cuttack, 1968. Sheorinarayana, the tradition says that once this 13) W.W. Hunter, ‘Orissa, Vol.I, London, 1872, PP. 88- place was a forest in which lived an old Savara 89. who was worshipping Jagannath. Later on, the 14) Ibid, PP. 94-95. deity was removed to the temple at Puri by a 15) Quoted by S.K.Panda, ‘Evolution of Jagannath Brahmana. In order to remind the people, Cult’ in “Comprehensive History and Culture of Orissa”, Vol.I, New Delhi, P.549 Jagannath wished that the place should contain 16) B.M. Padhi, Op. Cit, PP. 15-36. the names of both worshipper and the 17) Ibid. worshipped. Hence the place was named as 18) Ibid. Savarinarayan or Sheorinarayana. 19) A.Eschmann, Op.Cit, PP. 99-117. 20) Ibid, P. 116. According to another legend, Savari 21) S.Mohanty, OP. cit, P.23. Narayana was originally worshipped at Seori 22) Ibid. Narayana in Madhya Pradesh. The King of Puri 23) Ibid, P.24. (Odisha) brought the idol of the deity to Puri and 24) Ibid. had it installed here. But Seorinarayana, in fact, 25) Ibid, P.25. 26) S.K.Panda, OP. Cit. PP.549-550. referring to the name of the original place, 27) K.C. Mishra, Op. Cit, PP. 13,17. 34 remained unchanged. 28) G.N. Mohapatra, Op.Cit, PP. 7, 26. Whatever may be the original place of 29) Quoted by S.K. Panda, OP. Cit, P.550.. 30) A. Eschmann, Op.Cit, P. 141-142. Lord Jagannath, there is no doubt that the Lord 31) Quoted by S.K. Panda, Op. Cit. P.550 was first worshipped by the Savaras either in 32) Ibid. Western Orissa or in the adjacent Bilaspur region 33) Ibid. of Madhya Pradesh and later on appeared at 34) Quoted by G.N. Mohapatra, OP. Cit, P.8. Puri. References : 1) B.M. Padhi, ‘Daru Devata’ (Odia), Cuttack, 1964, Dash, Lecturer in History, Surajmal Saha PP. 15-36. Mahavidyalaya, Chitrakar Sahi, Puri.

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