Khandabasa Jatra of Junagarh
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Orissa Review Similarly, each goddess is illumination and the fragrance of perceived in terms of specific mouth-watering delicacies. roles and appearances. Thus, Junagarh is situated on the bank Khandabasa we have Lankeswari of of the river Hati. It is about 25 Junagarh, perceived as an kilometers from Bhawanipatna Jatra of omnipotent power capable of on the Bhawanipatna-Jeypore destroying enemies. road. The literary meaning of Junagarh Traditionally, Junagarh is old fort or old Lankeswari has been capital. In the past, Junagarh worshipped by the rulers of this was the capital of Kalahandi. Dr. Chitrasen Pasayat area to defeat the forces of It was the seat of the Naga enemies. She is worshipped rulers up to about 1850. There both by the caste Hindus as is, however, no trace of this old fort or palace. One finds only The onset of autumn means the remnants (Senapati and homecoming of the mother Kuanr, 1980: 448-449). goddess. She brings with her Previously, the modern the aura of festivity and Junagarh was known as sensation of celebration. It is the Kalahandinagar, which is time when people begin the evident from the ³Junagarh preparation of Dasahara jatra Dadhivaman Temple all over the country. The Inscription´ of 1718 (Senapati worship of mother goddess in and Kuanr, 1980: 41). India is believed to be pre- Aryan in nature and origin as Even earlier, it was well. Its beginning is often known as Junabali or traced back to the Rig-Vedic Jenabalipatna. The word times. For some scholars, it can Junabali is derived from two be traced back to pre-Vedic words namely µJena¶ which period or Indus valley indicates human being and civilization too. µBali¶ which means sacrifice. Thus, it was so called for the As found elsewhere, reason that, human sacrifices an important feature of the local were occasionally offered to religious tradition of Kalahandi well as the tribal people, Lankeswari Devi of Junagarh is also worship of goddesses in moreover the common people (Senapati and Kuanr, 1980: various forms. Each form of this area. Apart from the 53). celebrates a specific aspect of grandeur and splendor feminine energy and power. associated with her festival, The worship of female Each goddess of Kalahandi is preparations ahead of it are energy i.e. Sakti in its various associated with her own enough to envelop Junagarh in deified forms is a pan-Indian mythology and history. a combination of decoration, religious practice. The idea and 48 September - 2010 Orissa Review concept of Sakti is normally Tretaya Juga, Lankeswari century AD. This shows that supposed to be a part of the was the protector of Lanka, the the religious faiths of Kali and tradition of Tantra. kingdom of Ravana. She was Visnu worships were getting Khandabasa Jatra at the Pitha known as Lankini and Lanka synchronization in West Odisha of Lankeswari Devi in Devi. It is pertinent to mention during Tantra period. Junagarh in the month of here that, Lankeswari is Lankeswari is the Aswina reminds us by and large worshipped in Sonepur as well. tutelary deity of a number of this aspect of Sakti worship. Of She was the presiding deity of dynasties namely course there is no denying that, Sonepur during the reign of Chindakanaga, Ganga and Sakti worship has been Chindakanagas. Notably, a Naga. One finds innumerable assimilated into the Vedic and whirlpool of Mahanadi is also legends associated with then into the Saiva, Vaishnaba called Lankeswari darha. and even Buddhist religious Lankeswari Devi. It is said The image of rituals. that, the Banka Paikas Lankeswari deity is carved in (soldiers), a warrior caste had Of course, in course of black chlorite stone measuring brought Lankeswari from the its development Saktism has 32" by 16". The iconographic south by the order of the king. been flourished as a separate description of the idol given by It was a tradition generally stream of religious worship. the noted historian Jitamitra observed in some cases that, Khandabasa Jatra at Prasad Singh Deo (1987:316) the winning king used to bring Lankeswari Pitha of Junagarh is quite interesting. It is a four the deity from the land of the is an important festival of armed idol sitting on defeated king as a mark of Kalahandi district in the month Padmasana. At the first sight, it victory. It was regarded as an of Aswina (September- appears to be a Kali image for October). Junagarh is situated honour for the conquering king the reason that Lankeswari has to carry the deity/deities from on the bank of the river Hati. her tongue spread out. But her Kalahandi was a princely state the conquered territory to install iconic feature is of Kali in his capital and kingdom. during the British rule. After synchronous with Visnu. She independence, it merged with holds Sankha (conch) and As per the tradition, st the state of Odisha on 1 Chakra (disc) in her upper left the Banka Paikas defeated the January, 1948. However, and right hands respectively, enemy and brought Junagarh was the capital of which indicates her Vaisnavite Lankeswari Devi to the capital Kalahandi till 1850. Raja Fate representation. Her lower right city at Jenabalipatna i.e. Narayan Deo shifted his capital hand is in Varada Mudra and Junagarh by beating of to Bhandesir Patna i.e. the lower left hand is in Abhaya Ghumura. We find a similar present Bhawanipatna in the Mudra. She is worshipped with legend in case of Bastaren year 1850. Vana-Durga Vija Mantra. Devi, who is worshipped in Lankeswari is the However it is believed that, the different parts of Bolangir presiding deity of Junagarh, image is different from anySakti district or the erstwhile Patna which is the old capital of idol across the country. kingdom. She was brought Kalahandi. As per the tradition, According to Singh Deo, this from Bastar by Patna king after she is a Pouranic deity. In can be assigned to eighth his victory over Bastar. September - 2010 49 Orissa Review It is said that, human king. The defeat of Sonepur The most important sacrifice was once prevalent in was imminent. So, the king event of Lankeswari Pitha is this pitha. It is also said that, approached Rampur Zamindar Khandabasa Jatra on the the vanquished kings were under his kingdom for his help night of Mula-Astami in the brought and were sacrificed and cooperation. Rampur month of Aswina. After the before Lankeswari Devi. It is Zamindar surrendered before Gupta niti (secret ritual), the believed that, as Lankeswari the goddess Chandlipat who two ceremonial swords of the Devi was very much furious, the assured him the victory of deity are placed by the Raja of original idol was buried near Sonepur. Next day Kalahandi over two heaps of Dey-Muhan in the confluence There are numerous arua chaul (sun-dried rice) on of Bhatra Jor and Hati River. folktales in the name of both sides of the altar. As per Thereafter, a new idol of Lankeswari Devi. She is not the tradition, Kalahandi Raja Lankeswari Devi was only furious as a war goddess performs this niti every year. The installed. However, brutal and but also very much lively. People Raja belongs to the Naga cruel form of blood sacrifice, believe that, often she comes dynasty. In other words, he which was once common in this out from her temple in the form becomes the chief Purodha of Sakti Pitha, is of the history of a young beautiful girl and the Khandabasa niti. On this now. play with the young girls of the occasion, Dakbunglow of area. She participates in folk It is also believed that, Junagarh becomes an integral songs and dance with them. As Lankeswari Devi is treated as part of this festival, when the per an oral narrative, one day war goddess, who not only Raja of Kalahandi comes to when the priest arrived at the confers victory and success in Junagarh and stays here for the temple he found a Chudiwala purpose. the battle field but also (glass bangle seller) sitting participate in the war against the outside. He told the priest that, As per the convention, enemy as per the prevailing a young girl from inside the Raja of Kalahandi is greeted tradition. This reminds us the temple purchased chudi and with traditional µGhumura Kanchi Abhijan of told him to get the payments baja¶. He was accommodated Purushottam Dev who was from her father. He went into in the Dakbunglow of helped by Lord Jagannath in the temple and found the deity Junagarh, which becomes the the battle field. This also wearing new chudis. The priest temporary residence of the reminds us the episode of could understand the mischief Raja of Kalahandi. The priest Kalapahada, who was of the Lankeswari Devi and of the Lankeswari temple successfully driven out by paid the price to the takes out two swords namely Samaleswari Devi and Chudiwala. It is said that, the µPata-Khanda¶ and Pataneswari Devi from priest expressed her annoyance µSanguari¶ (another sword) Sambalpur (Pasayat, 2003). It for the mischief of the deity and from the temple ofLankeswari also reminds us a similar soon the chudis fell down from and takes them to the residence episode of battle between the idol. This story reminds us (Dakbunglow) of the king. Sonepur and Boudh. It is said Pataneswari Devi of Sambalpur These two swords are washed that, there was a battle between who was also playing similar in the courtyard of the the Boudh king and Sonepur mischief (Pasayat, 2003). Dakbunglow. This niti or ritual 50 September - 2010 Orissa Review of washing the swords is Tantra seems to have and it reveals the facts of known as Marjana.