Jagannath Temple

Jagannath temple in typical Orissa style

The Jagannath Temple in the city of Puri in the state of Odisha is one of the most important Vishnuit temples in India . Entry is only permitted to Hindus ; Others may look into the inner area of the temple complex from a viewing platform. Countless shrines for the numerous deities of the Hindu pantheon can be found around the entire temple.

history

background

For many Hindus , the state of Odisha (formerly Orissa ) is the land of Jagannath , the "Lord of the Universe", a special, abstract form of the god Krishna . His temple in Puri is considered to be one of the most important Hindu pilgrimage centers and a particularly gracious place of pilgrimage , which is why the coastal city is also known as the “Holy City”. Every year in June or July, the world-famous Rath Yatra takes place here, a festival in which the statues of the gods of Jagannath and his two siblings are drawn through the streets in procession on three large floats (Ratha).

Jagannath and his "siblings"

In the temple reside as Trimurti (trinity) Jagannath , his "brother" Balabhadra and his "sister" Subhadra - all three dressed in silk and adorned with golden treasures. These three statues, carved from the wood of the neem tree, which is sacred to Hindus, stand on a stone pedestal in the sanctuary, which is only accessible to Brahmins .

The temple was founded by Codaganga Anantavarman (1088–1160), the first imperial ruler of Orissa around 1130, and about 100 years later it was declared a kind of imperial temple. Jagannath was proclaimed the actual ruler of Orissa; the king saw himself only as his representative, so that every rebellion became a sacrilege.

temple

Rath Yatra Festival

Under the center of the temple complex, crowned by a tower and raised by a lucky and blessing amalaka ring stone with a kalasha jug on it, the cella ( garbhagriha ) is where Jagannath's “apartment”, together with his brother and sister, is located; further vestibules ( mandapas ) house the visitors' hall and the sacrificial and dance hall, where people danced in honor of the god. This building complex with its stepped pyramid-shaped roofs was built in the 12th century.

Noteworthy is the large temple kitchen, where "Mahaprasad" (the great Prasad ) is cooked for thousands of pilgrims every day : rice, dal (a lentil porridge), vegetables and sweets. Cooked according to the regulations in earthen pots, it is first offered to Jagannath as a food offering; only then does a normal meal become the blessed prasad for the believers. Pilgrims can then buy it for a few rupees .

Temple administration is the responsibility of the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee . It consists of representatives of those volunteers who have performed certain tasks for generations as well as representatives of some religious institutions associated with the temple. The Provincial Government of Orissa has the right to appoint a certain number of these people.

Others

In the early 16th century, the Bengali mystic Chaitanya spent the last years of his life here.

literature

Hermann Kulke : Jagannātha cult and Gajapati kingship. A contribution to the history of religious legitimation of Hindu rule. Steiner, Wiesbaden 1979.
Anncharlott Eschmann, Hermann Kulke, Gaya Charan Tripathi (eds.): The Cult of Jagannth and the Regional Tradition of Orissa. Manohar Publications, New Delhi 1978.
Hermann Kulke, Burkhard Schnepel (ed.): Jagannath Revisited. Studying Society, Religion and the State in Orissa. Manohar Publications, New Delhi 2001.
Hermann Kulke: The contested "Lord of the World". Jagannatha and the East Indian temple city of Puri. In: Angelika C. Messner, Konrad Hirschler (ed.): Holy Places in Asia and Africa. Spaces of divine power and human worship. EB-Verlag, Schenefeld / Hamburg 2006, ISBN 3-936912-19-X , pp. 257-281.
Mahimohan Tripathy: A Brief Look at Shri Jagannath Temple. Fourth revised edition. SGN Publications, Puri 2003.