Month: October 2017

“Prasad” or the food offerings made to god hold a very significant place in Hindu religion. Having Prasad with full devotion is almost equivalent to worshipping the almighty with all respect and reverence, as it is the food that has been taken and blessed by the deity. It is believed that any puja or prayer ritual is incomplete without bhog or prasad.

Puri- Where Lord Jagannath Dines

Almost every temple big or small offers bhog to the devotees; however the importance of Mahaprasad of Jagannath is altogether different and holds special prominence.  Why?

Because Puri is one of those Char Dhams that are very special to Lord Vishnu and it is this place where he dines daily. There goes a belief that Lord Vishnu observes his daily routine at four places- He bathes at Rameswaram, meditates at Badrinath, dines at Jagannath Puri, and retires at Dwarka.

So now it’s quite obvious that why the Mahaprasad, which is also known as ‘Anna Brahma’, of Puri holds special prominence. With the belief that it is this place where Lord Vishnu comes to dine, the food offerings become more respectable and important.

Also the Skanda Purana states that-

 “Lord Jagannath redeems the devotees by permitting them to partake his Mahaprasad, to have His darshan and to worship him by observing rituals and by offering of gifts.”

The Mahaprasad

Mahaprasad is of two types- Sankundi and Sukhila.

The Sankundi comprises of 56 types of dishes, including various types of dals, rice, saaga bhaja. Khatta, porridge etc and are prepared every day. Sukhila is generally sweetmeats. The Prasad is offered to Lord Jagannath first and then to Goddess Vimala, and then attains the position of Mahaprasad.

The Mahaprasad is available in Ananda Bazaar. Apart from the 21 days preceding the Rath Yatra, Mahaprasad is never ceased.

The temple kitchen prepares Mahaprasad for lakhs of devotees daily. The food is prepared in earthen pots using firewood. The Mahaprasad is offered to every devotee, irrespective of caste.

Nirmalya is another type of Prasad available at Puri, which is also known as Kaibalya.

Daily Offerings

There are 6 time slots of the day, when Lord Jagannath is served.  The local names for daily offerings are Dhupa (when offered through Sodasa) and Upchars and Bhoga (when offerd by pancha upcharas). They include-

1. Gopala Vallabha Bhoga
2. Sakala Dhupa
3. Bhoga mandapa bhoga
4. The Madhyanha dhupa
5. Sandhya Dhupa
6. Bada Simhara Bhoga

The Legend

The tale of Mahaprasad becoming “Mahaprasad” is also quite interesting like the other takes of Jagannath Puri.

According to one legend when Lord Rama returned after defeating Ravana, he questioned Laxaman that what happened to the food packets he gave to Laxman during the ban-baas, because it was possible for him to kill Indrajeet (Ravana’s son), only if he had not eaten and slept for 14 years. Laxman then told him that he hid and preserved those food packets in a tree in Panchbati. Lord Ram ordered Hanuman to bring those food packets. Hanuman was bit reluctant as he thought that task was a small job for him but followed the orders of his prabhu. But because of his ego, he could not move that food packets and returned to Lord Ram stating his inability to complete the given task. At last, Laxman himself fetched those food packets. The food was still intact and in condition to be consumed. However, 7 packets were missing and Laxman informed about the 7 seven occasions when he was not offered any food and thus 7 packets were missing. Everyone present there praised Laxman for such a supreme sacrifice.

It was Lord Ram, who praised Urmila, Laxman’s wife and said that it was her, in actual sense, who has made the supreme sacrifice and patiently waited for her husband to return. In return he ordered the creation 4^th throne for Urmila along with his, Laxman’s and Sita’s throne, but Urmila declined the gift in very humble manner and asked for opportunity to serve Lord Ram.

Lord Ram was immensely pleased and granted her a boon, for which she asked that she did not desire to be worshipped in future or to be seated on any throne, but would like to bean incense stick that will offer fragrance to you and be at your feet for the ages. Lord Ram granted her wishes by giving opportunity that when in Kal Yug he will reside at Jagannath Puri and Laxman will be his elder brother, she will spread fragrance and flavour as Mahaprasad.

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India is a land of rich heritage. Its ancient culture has continued to thrive over the course of time and the credit goes to the literary works like Vedas, Upanishads, holy books like Ramayana and Shree Bhagvad Geeta and of course innumerable mythological stories and legends that not just throw light on the history of ancient India but have also built strong foundation of faith and religion in the due time.

If we talk about stories then there are thousands and thousands of long and short stories, with various versions that entertain and impart knowledge. These legends very interestingly share the tales from the past and enlighten. However, out of so many, there is the legend of Lord Jagannath, who resides at Puri, a city in Odhisa state of India is more popularly known as “Jagannath Puri” or “Jagannath Dham”, which is really fascinating. Puri is one of the most prominent “Char Dhams” that find special significance in Hindu religion.

Meaning and Significance of Name “Jagannath” In Different Religions and Cultures

The literal meaning of “Jagannath” is “Lord of Universe”. The word “Jagannath” is made up of two words “jagat” and “nath” that eventually lead to “Jagannath”. Though he is identified more in Hinduism, but Buddhism and Jainism are two other religions wherein he is worshipped and finds religious significance. Over the years, Lord Jagannath and his rigmaroles have played a crucial role in shaping the way of life in the region.

Connections to Buddhism are predicted on the basis of an unexamined relic in Jagannath shrine in Puri that is believed to contain “tooth of Buddha”, and also because the temple is said to never had any caste barriers for the followers, which is a prominent feature of Buddhism Culture.  In addition, there have been literary works too that lend support to Buddhism connection like Gita Govind in which he is said to be one of the Dasavathars and in Jnanasidhi where ancient Buddhist king describes him as a Buddhist deity.

Under Jainism culture, attempts have been made to connect the thread with Jagannath with different circumstantial evidences, however unlink Buddhism any strong bond is yet to come to spotlight. There have been assumptions that on the basis of few findings like discovery of Jaina images at Khandagiri and Udaygiri, considering the 23 steps of the main temple known as Baisi Pahacha, a symbolic reference to the 22 of 24 Tirthankaras and few others.

The Lord Jagannath Saga Under Hinduism

Lord Jagannath enjoys more importance in Hinduism than any other religion. He finds mention in Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana, in which he is believed to be created during the reign of king Indradyumna who ruled Ujjain.

As per the legends, when Lord Krishna met his illusionary death, his mortal remains were left to decay, where they were collected by some unknown men. It was himself Lord Vishnu who informed king Indradyumna about the remains and directed him to create a statue from a wooden log and preserve the mortal remains in the belly of the statue. King Indradyumna appointed Vishwakarma as the chief creator of the statue. But Vishwakarma had a condition. He demanded to be left alone to carve the statue from a wooden log which washed ashore at Puri. But the king could not hold his eagerness and visited the place where Vishwakarma was working. When Vishwakarma came to know about his visit, he felt that his condition has not been fulfilled and left the statue unfinished, without hands and feet, which can be seen till date, even after the idols are replaced after certain time. It was Brahma who came to rescue king Indradyumna and promised him that the statues will be worshipped in the same state and will hold special significance.

Apart from this text, mentions of Jagannath have been found in Ramayana and Mahabharata and there are few tribal versions too that have different accounts for Lord Jagannath.

The Kanchi Conquest is another famous tale related to Lord Jagannath, which we will soon share in some other post. Stay connected for more such fascinating mythological information, facts, and culture of Puri and its deities.

The JagannathPuri temple is famous worldwide and is one of the significant pilgrimage destinations. Located in Odhisa, India, the city Puri attracts lot of devotees round the year. The main deity is Lord Jagannath and is present in the city temple with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. JagannathPuri is one of the CharDhams and the annual “RathYatra” is the biggest festival celebrated in Puri.

Apart from being a pilgrim site, the Jagannath Temple is also an architectural masterpiece. Majestic and grand, the temple’s architecture is reflection of the skill and talent of the then builders and creators. The temple’s structure also unfolds a lot of aspects from the history.

The Architecture and Construction of Jagganath Temple, Puri

The temple is believed to be constructed in the era of Anangabhimadeva, who is also identified as Anangabhima III, from the Ganga Dynasty. The temple chronicle of Puri states that Anangabhimaproposed the construction of a temple, which was to be of 100 cubits in height and followed SrivatsaKhandasala architectural type. However it is believed that on the advice of royal priests, the height was reduced to 90 cubits. And today we see the magnificent structure standing as same as it was built at that time.

The Structure of The Temple

The main temple is comprised of 4 structures–

1. Vimana or BadaDeula Sanctum– it is constructed over Pancharatha (five pagas or segments) in a curvilinear spire known as Rekha order. The five pagas have their specific names which are- Raha (the middle one), Anuraha (the two flanking pagas) and Kanika (the two corners).
2. The Jagmohan or Mukhshala (the porch)
3. The Natamandir (audience hall)
4. The Bhogamandap (hall for residuary offerings)

All the four structures are built in axial alignment in east-west direction. The major portion of the temple is underground and only three moldings are visible that are intricately carved. The Puri temple structure shows the full-fledged Odishan templewith fourvertical divisions that are Pitha(pedestal), the Bada (wall), the Gandi (trunk) and the Mastaka (the head).

The Bada is Panchanga Type and consist of five elements-

• Pabaga(foot)
• Lower Jangha(shin)
• Bandhana(bond)
• Upper Jangha
• Baranda

The Mastakaconsists of

• Beki (neck)
• Amalaka( an Indian fruit )
• Khapuri (skull)
• Kalasa
• Ayudha (weapon)

Similarly each structure has unique name that signifies it purpose, function or program. All structures together offer gigantic look to the temple. The above mentioned structures are the most important elements in the temple. The temple has so many unique and symbolic carvings on the outer walls that decorate it and possess some meaning too. Overall to understand the architectural significance of the temple one must have to attain the knowledge of Indian temple architectures that were built in different dynastic eras as each dynasty followed its own format. Though Jagganath Temple architecture is very complicated to understand, the marvelous view of the temple is enough to tell the excellent skill that ancient India possessed.

To know more about Puri, Lord Jagannath, and the culture of the city stay tuned with us only on Hotel Holiday Resort Blog!