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Home , Puri, Rameswaram, Ratha Yatra, Srirangam, Tirtha (Hinduism)

Orissa Review July - 2008

The , Rituals and Worship - A Study on as Kshetra

Sunil Kumar Patnaik

Travellers from within the land and abroad, visit and Goddesses and resonant with purity. A tirtha a tirtha (pilgrimage) to discover the soul of our possesses three elements that make it so sacred ancient land. Tirthas are seldom anonymous -it is suchi, pure; it brings ; merit and places. They all have their unique character and goodness and it is shubha; auspicious. This makes ambience. Places of pilgrimage are distributed a tirtha a place where you can gain Nirvana; throughout and are called tirthasthanas or enlightenment and achieve or liberation. Kshetras. These ancient cities are like living Pilgrims aspire to attain salvation by visiting holy symbols of history. The concept of tirtha in Indian shrines to prepare for release from the temporal context originates from the time when world. Moksha cannot be attained before fulfilling began to be composed around 4th century A.D. one's duty towards one's family and society. The gargantuan size of the tirthas in some of the Pilgrimage, thus, came to be consciously Puranas was clearly the result of their promoted by traditions that have grown up around unprecedented proliferation and continual a shrine and its locale. They are used to explain addition to the Puranic list. According to the and sustain the shrine's claim to sanctity. Thus, Purana, their number is so large that arose a large corpus of literature called they cannot be enumerated. A rough statistical Sthalapuranas (ancient stories of a sacred site) estimate prepared by P.V Kane fixes the number or Mahatmya (greatness of a shrine /site).A of Puranic verses devoted entirely to the subject sacred geography is created by the process of of tirthas as about 1,200 in Purana, 3,182 bringing together cult centers of a particular in Purana,4000 in Padma Purana and tradition through myths and symbols. In India this 6,700 in . Some exclusive studies has happened at various levels i.e. local, regional on the subject based on single Purana, especially and pan-Indian. Cults created their own religious Skanda Purana, would further bear testimony to topography through links with other regional such over growth. A statement in Skanda Purana centers by means of myths and legends evolving claims as many as half crore tirthas in the country. around a specific cult. Many such cultic A place of pilgrimage is a tirtha or geographies emerged in India particularly in south tirthasthana. A pilgrimage is a tirthayatra and a India between the 7th and 17th centuries. The pilgrim is a tirthayatri. The meaning of a tirtha is a cult of Balajee, as the famous Venkateswara at sacred place charged with the power of Gods (a temple) is known, acquired a

101 Orissa Review July - 2008 pan-Indian status being elevated to it after the performance of rituals at tirthas is infinitely more Vijayanagar rulers made Venkateswar their effective than performed in one's home (Matsya tutelary deity. So also the cult of Purana). Infact, tirthas came to be recommended acquired a pan-Indian status after the Gangas and in the Puranas as cure for most ills, an infallible Gajapatis made Lord Jagannath as their state means of spiritual quest, an ultimate source of deity. Infact, pilgrim networks expanded in the moral redemption. Ganga and post-Ganga periods when significant The greatest tirthas are often a combination reorganization, elaboration and changes in the of a number of sacred elements. The supreme temple ritual and festivals, incorporating manifold tirtha Kasi offers the combination of a river, a Vedic and Agamic practices, took place. temple and Ganga, the Kasi Vishwanath Temple The tirthamahatmyas speak aloud about a and the presence of . Puri has the Lord particular place (tirtha), especially with regard to Jagannath Temple, the Mighty ocean Mahodadhi their cultic and functional importance and magical and the grand festival, famous and potency. The Skanda Purana (v.2) itself is the presence of Vishnu. Puri is known in the brimming with such sections as Sulvaramahatmya ancient scriptures as Dham, Purusottama varnana, Simhesvara-mahatmya, Ekanamesa Kshetra, Jagannath Dham etc. It is recognized as Mahatmya, Avantikshetra-Mahatmya, Dham or a tirtha particularly after 9th century Purusottama Kshetra Mahatmya etc. However, A.D. Although, the Epic Mahabharat in the Matsya Purana,which is considered as one of the tirthayatra section has a reference about oldest of the Puranas mentions Purusottama Swayambhu Lokeswara and the Vedi, a famous Kshetra in two places. It mentions only deity spot in Puri itself. Scholars try to trace the antiquity Vimala in Purusottama Kshetra. Among the later of Puri from the time of Mahabharat. However, Puranas, namely Visnu, , Padma, Narada, no concrete evidence is available so far. But from Brahma and Skanda, we get references to our recent exploration in the old city of Puri, we Jagannath, the deity and place of his installation. have traced some of the mounds particularly, But it is only in Agni, Padma, Brahma and Skanda Balisahi, Markandeswara Sahi and behind Purana, there occur passages about the sanctity to tank. From of the place, construction of the temple and part surface exploration, it is found that number of red, played by Indradyumna. J. Padhi writes that black and slipped pot-shreds available in plenty. Kurumaurana mentions that Purusottama tirtha It can safely draw a conclusion that there might belongs to Narayana although it is named after be an earlier city buried which could be dated Purusottama. The supreme Purusa Narayana earlier to Somavamsis. Some sporadic findings resides here with all glory. A pilgrim after taking such as sculptural pieces, brick bates, parts and holy bath in this sacred tirtha and worshipping architectural pieces are also reported from different supreme Visnu (Narayana) and feeding the places in recent times. To get the clear stratigraphic secure the abode of Visnu. position of early historical period of Puri intensive A set of uniform popular form of ritualism study with excavation is highly necessary. were prescribed for a tirtha. Some of these are However, the cult of Sri Jagannath has its snana, dana, , pinda dana, katha deep root as pre - or un-Aryan or Tribal recital etc. According to one Puranic dictum the features. In the remote past, at the earliest phase,

102 Orissa Review July - 2008 the God represented a simple form of tree worship Matsya and Varaha very definitely had totemic or it may be that he was worshipped in the form affiliations, suggesting their close links with tribal of a wooden deity by aboriginal Savaras in cultic beliefs. In fact, we have a temple dedicated Eastern India. Orissa was continued to be a tribal to Marjara-Kesari, the feline incarnations of Lord dominated area for long period at least up to early Vishnu at Narasimhanath, in Western Orissa. mediaeval period. We have references in Another example could be given here as how was Emperor Asoka's Edict (3rd C. BC) as well as in the impact of tirthas on the tribes of Chhotnagapur. various literatures. We believe that there must be According to a popular legend connected with somewhere in ancient Orissa, wood or tree the construction of a Jagannatha Temple situated worship (Daru) was in vogue at least up to 3rd about 10 kms from Ranchi by Thakur Ainisahi in century A.D ( Daru Devata, Beni Madhav Padhi, 1691, A.D, both Thakur and his Oran servant 1964). Scholars like BM Padhi, S.N Rajguru had visited Jagannatha temple of Puri and after (1996) have focused Jagannath's origin, again, in their return, it is said Lord Jagannath appeared in relation to the Sabara tribes of South Orissa. dream and asked to build a temple for Him in K.C Mishra (1971), A Eschman (1978), came Chhotnagpur. According to Oran, the forward with the discovery of several peculiar annual at Jagannathapur is the biggest relations between Jagannath cult and religious religious and social event connected with any practice of the Konds in / religious creed in Ranchi district and is exercising region of Orissa. very strong influence in Hinduizing the tribes, who Puri emerges as a tirtha having pan-Indian are known to freely join the festival in pulling the character since early part of 12th century A.D., ropes of the chariot. with the increasing process of ritual royalization It was during 12th century A.D, that the of the deity Lord Jagannath. Among the prominent temple town Puri might have assumed the greatest Gods extensively portrayed in Puranic mythology prominence under the rule of Imperial Gangas as being instrumental in tirtha formation were (1078-1435. A.D). The present magnificent Vishnu, Shiva and /. It may be pointed temple of Purusottama-Jagannath was out that Vishnu in His milder and more popular constructed during this period. It is mentioned in aspects portrayed through His numerous an inscription in the temple Garttesvara (Siva) at incarnations, particularly those having tribal or Alagum, about 15 km from Sakhigopal that pastoral affiliations, such as , , Chodoganga seems to have invited some selected , , Purusottama, Pandits or Vaisnavas from Kanchi and Venkatesvara etc., naturally bore closer affinity settled near Puri, for propagation of Dvaitya- to those native groups that originally subscribed philosophy. to those cults. Thus, we find that Krishna had special affiliations with pastoral tribes like the Sri Jagannath temple was more organized Yadavas. Similarly a special relationship seemingly during the rule of Anangabhima III (1211-1238). existed between Jagannatha and the Savaras, It was this king who regarded Purusottama as Venkateswara of Tirupati and Kurubas and real Emperor, himself being his representative. Narasimha in Andhra Pradesh and the Chenchus. He used the title Paramabhattaraka, Moreover, among the numerous incarnations of Purusottamaputra and Durgaputra (Drakasaram Vishnu listed in the Puranas, the ones like Kuruma, Ins, SII, IV, No-1329, p-469). Madalapanji

103 Orissa Review July - 2008 also states that this king introduced 36 types of Jagannath Das and Jossabanta Das revealed the duties for Sevakas, known as Chatisanijoga, and gospel of devotion based on knowledge and Panda system as tirtha . The other Ganga in preference to the doctrine of emotional love kings like Bhanudeva-I, Narasimhadeva-II, and faith as professed by Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Bhanudeva-II had made all efforts to make Puri Gradually there developed a common all as chief religious centre. India pilgrimage network, consisting of Siva, During the rule of Suryavamsi or Gajapatis Vaisnava, Sakta and Subramanya temples. Holy (1435-1540 A.D.) under the able kings like centres from the ancient days, located on the Kapilendradeva, Purosottamadeva and mountains, confluences of rivers and river Prataparudradeva Puri was protected from crossings, centres with epic associations became Muslim invaders and much patronage was given a part of this network. , , for propagation of Jagannath cult by , Amarnath, Kasi (), Puri, and Chaitanya. Dvaraka, , , Tirupati, The mention of anecdotes concerning the and are some of the images being made of Daru (wood) found floating important places in this pilgrimage network. The on the sea by Sarala Das (1435-1466 A D) in list often swells with the addition of new cults Oriya Mahabharat, and in Skanda Purana show which have originated in India from time to time the eager views of the authors of these texts to up to the present day, such as cult of Vaisnodevi establish connection of the worship of Lord near . Jagannath with Vedic tradition concerning the All these centres have developed elaborate Daru as given by . Scholars like Stietencorn system of ritual worship. They start with waking have dealt elaborately Jagannath's relation to of the deity with chants and music, followed by Narasimha cult. the first of five or six main Pujas of the day. Twice Again, Jagannath cult was renewed and a day, the deity is given a sacred bath and reached at its climax particularly Vaisnavism with decorated with beautiful garments and ornaments. the Movement of Sri Chaitanya (A.K The offering of food (naivedya or bhoga) Muzumdar 1969). Jagannath cult on the principle completes the morning Upachara.(It is an offer of Prema Bhakti or devotion by love was made or homage to divine sovereign).After the dawn only the path to attain Mukti and become the cult puja, various objects such as a mirror, parasol, of mass and thus the cult was spread over Orissa, fan, flag, embalm, flywhisk, incense, lamps and and Assam (A.L Basham, 1975). camphor are offered to the sound of bells and From first part of 16th century the pilgrim temple music, accompanied or followed by chants movement to Puri was grown and it became the of invocation, dedication and praise. Distribution epi-centre of Vaishnava cult in the whole of eastern of Prasada is then carried out. Then, follows the India. The rituals like Nagar brought the noon puja, sandhya (twilight) puja and ardhajama medium for popularization of Jagannath cult and (midnight) puja and putting the deity to sleep rested deep into heart and mind of the common ceremonially. These are part of the shodasa maha people. All along with this movement, again in upachara or the 16 kinds of great offerings to the 16th century the works of Pancha Sakhas like deity, a ritual which was also at one time, Balaram Das, Das, Achyutananda Das, ceremonially performed for the king at his palace.

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However, these system is an all India phenomenon Vasantotsav, Dipavali, the festivals of Lord varied slightly at regional level. Besides special Jagannath such as Chandana Yatra, Snana Utsav, occasions are also being observed with elaborate Sayana Utsav, Dola Yatra, Ramanavami, Puja ceremony. Damanaka Yatra and Ratha Yatra and many others Festivals again evolved around the myths are being celebrated. Ratha Yatra or Car Festival and legends of particular aspect of the deity of Lord Jagannath is very important and retains enshrined in the temple, and the popular beliefs the age old tradition. Car festival of Puri in Orissa encoded into the temple's origin myths. They grew and Tiruvarur in have special in number and importance depending upon the importance because of their close association with temple's locale, the founder-patron, and their royalty, such as mediaeval Eastern Gangas and significance for the community. Birth asterisms of Gajapatis of Orissa and Cholas of the Tamil the royal family and of Bhakti saints and spiritual region. Processional images thus became part of leaders were important occasions for institutions. temple's iconography and ritual. Festivals, particularly for religious leaders, References : continue to this day. Other festivals to celebrate K. C.Mishra, The Cult of Jagannath, Culcutta,1971. the God's victory over evil forces /demons, which S.M. Bhardwaj, Hindu Places of Pilgrimage, have been basic to the Puranic , are still California,1973. observed in all temples. Festivals associated with Siva, Visnu, (), and Subramanya are V., Puranas and Acculturation, , 2001. celebrated in their respective temples. Durga killing P.V.Kane, History of Dhramasastras, Vol.iv, Poona,1953. Mahisasura is amongst the major myths A.B.L Awasthi, Studies in Skanda Purana,Vol.II1, New celebrated in these temples. Processions of the Delhi,1992. deities, regally attired and ornamented, on their E Alan Morinis, Pilgrimage in Tradition, Delhi, decorated vahanas (vehicles) or in their chariots 1984. are still major events in scared centres on all such S A Dange, Encyclopaedia of Puranic Beliefs and occasions. These processions have their Practices, ,1987. counterparts in royal processions, about which B , The Spectrum of the Sacred, New Delhi, poetic compositions are known from 11th century 1984. .On such occasions, the interface between the J Padhi, Purusottam as Tirtha, Occasional Paper, 2008. sacred and secular is highly visible. B.M.Padhi, Daru Devata, Oriya, 1 Festivals in general display a cyclic concept of time. Here, at Puri, like other sacred places Dvadasa- of Lord Jagannath is being celebrated round the year. Niladri-Mahodayam, the Sthala Purana of 14th century gives detail Sunil Kumar Patnaik is an Archaeologist and Research about the festivals. Like Brhamotsav, , Scholar, lives at E-63, Shreekshetra Colony, Puri-2.

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