Who is jagannath bhagwan

According to stories heard from so long, The poet Tulsidas once visited Puri in search of lord ram, which he used to call Raghunath. After completing his darshan of Lord Jagannath, he was extremely disappointed.

He was so sad that he walked away. Tulsidas then reached a village called Malatipathpur. There he sat down under a tree and started to cry. A boy passing by came up to him and asked him the reason for his agony. The poet explained to the boy that his Raghunath, whom he loved so dearly, had actually eluded him at Puri and that he was non-existent in what he saw at the temple. It was then that Tulsidas realised his folly and rushed back to Puri to find his Raghunath.

According to people of old times, it is said that the temple was originally presided over by a Vishnu statue with four hands holding the signature shankha, chakra, gada, padma , conch, wheel, mace and the lotus made of blue sapphire Neelam, hence the name Neela Madhab. Jagannath is worshipped even today as Neela Madhab. This temple was attacked many times by the Mughal emperor, as also later on, by Kalapahar, the 16th-century marauder.

The idol was badly damaged many times. The king of Puri then took a decision to replace it with something that can be recreated time and again, no matter how many times it gets destroyed. Finally in the 16th century Guru Nanak came here during his travels across the country. Today Puri has over a hundred monasteries and many temples are run by various Vaishnava sects.

Most icons in Hindu temples are made of stone or metal but here they are of wood. The images that stand on the pedestal called ratnavedi are made of margosa wood and they are very simply carved unlike the traditional forms of most temple icons. The three images have large faces with wide circular eyes and broad smiles. Jagannath is painted black, Balabhadra is white and Subhadra is saffron coloured. The images are made anew every twelve or nineteen years in a ceremony called navakalebar.

Historians feel that at one time Jagannath was a tribal deity as tribal communities of this region often worship a block of wood called a daru. The rulers of Kalinga had a large population of tribal people as their subjects and were thus keen to include a tribal deity in the Hindu pantheon. This explains the complex tale of Nilmadhav- Jagannath and even today the sabar tribe is intimately connected to the rituals of the temple along with the Brahmin priests.

The Jagannath Temple is an example of the tolerant character of Hinduism that often absorbs many religious traditions. As with all the great temples of India, the Jagannath shrine is also a patron of arts and crafts. The Jagannath Temple has been the centre of not just religion but also of culture. In ancient times the temple had temple dancers called maharis who performed before the deities during the pujas. These dancers created one of the most beautiful of classical dance forms that we today call Odissi.

For example the square chauka posture of the Odissi dancer symbolises Jagannath who is always worshipped before every performance. The deities stay in Puri's Gundicha Temple for a few days, after which the chariots are pulled back to the main temple.

Similar processions are organized at Jagannath temples throughout the world. Spotlight Blockchain a game changer for seed funding? Thus, he got a hint about the material he would have to use for making the idols.

Soon, the king rushed to the spot to find the log mentioned by Vishnu in his dream. However, he wondered who would craft idols out of it. Indradyumna appointed several sculptors, but none could succeed in cutting the wood as their instruments broke. Worried that he wouldn't be able to build the temple, as the king sat disappointed, Lord Vishwakarma, the architect of Gods appeared before him in the disguise of an artist named Ananta Maharana.

Though he volunteered to make the sculptures, he put one condition. He said none should see him or open the doors of the workshop until he gives his consent. Days, months and years passed. The king was eager and curious to check the developments.