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.