Jagannath Temple, Puri – History

Jagannath Temple, Puri – History

Puranic & Historical References:

Puri, the holy land of Lord Jagannatha, also known by the popular vernacular name Shrikhetra, has many ancient names in the Hindu scriptures such as the Rigveda, Matsya purana, Brahma Purana, Narada Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana, Kapila Purana and Niladrimahodaya. In the Rigveda, in particular, it is mentioned as a place called Purushamandama-grama meaning the place where the Creator deity of the world – Supreme Divinity deified on an altar or mandapa was venerated near the coast and prayers offered with Vedic hymns.

Over time the name got changed to Purushotama Puri and further shortened to Puri, and the Purusha came to be known as Jagannatha. Sages like Bhrigu, Atri and Markandeya had their hermitage close to this place. Its name is mentioned, conforming to the deity worshipped, as Srikshetra, Purusottama Dhama, Purusottama Kshetra, Purusottama Puri and Jagannath Puri. Puri, however, is the popular usage.

It is also known by the geographical features of its location as Shankha Kshetra (the layout of the town is in the form of a conch shell), Neelachala ("Blue mountain" a terminology used to name a very large sand lagoon over which the temple was built but this name is not in vogue), Neelachalakshetra, Neeladri. In Sanskrit, the word "Puri" means town or city, and is cognate with polis in Greek.

Another ancient name is Charita as identified by General Alexander Cunningham of the Archaeological Survey of India, which was later spelled as Che-li-ta-lo by Chinese traveler Huan Tsang. In the temple's historical records it finds mention in the Brahma Purana and Skanda Purana stating that the temple was built by the king Indradyumna, Ujjaini.

However, the Moghuls, the Marathas and early British rulers called it Purushottama-chhatar or just Chhatar. In Moghul ruler Akbar's Ain-i-Akbari and subsequent Muslim historical records it was known as Purushotama. In the Sanskrit drama Anargha Raghava Nataka as well, authored by Murari Mishra, a playwright, in the 8^th century AD, it is referred to as Purushotama. 

As Buddhist Site:

S. N. Sadasivan, a historian, in his book A Social History of India quotes William Joseph Wilkins, author of the book Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Puranic as stating that in Puri, Buddhism was once a well-established practice but later Buddhists were persecuted and Brahmanism became the order of the religious practice in the town; the Buddha deity is now worshipped by the Hindus as Jagannatha. It is also said by Wilkinson that some relics of Buddha were placed inside the idol of Jagannatha which the Brahmins claimed were the bones of Lord Krishna.

Even during Maurya king Ashoka's reign in 240 BC, Kalinga was a Buddhist center and that a tribe known as Lohabahu (barbarians from outside Odisha) converted to Buddhism and built a temple with an idol of Buddha which is now worshipped as Jagannatha. Wilkinson also says that the Lohabahu deposited some Buddha relics in the precincts of the temple.

Kharavela Period:

The antiquity of Jagannatha can be taken to the second century B.C. when Kharavela was the emperor of Kalinga (the ancient name of Odisha). There is the mention of one Jinasana in the historic Hatigumpha inscription of the emperor on the top of Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar and though it clearly speaks of a Jaina deity, it is often identified with Jagannatha.

Deities:

The deities of the Puri temple are generally known as the Trimurti (Trinity) though, to the scholars, they are Chaturtha murtis (or images, 4 in number). Some think that originally there was only Jagannath as the object of worship and when Neela Madhava disappeared, King Indradyumna fabricated the body of Jagannath out of a log of wood that was picked up from the sea, as per a divine direction received by the King. Scholars holding the view that originally the Present-day Trinity was not there, cite the example of a Temple found in the Cuttack District in Orissa (belonging perhaps to the seventh century A.D.) where the images only of Jagannath and Balabhadra have been carved and Subhadra is not to be seen there.

It is, therefore, believed that when there was a great resurgence of Saktism from the 7^th century onwards, there was a successful attempt to install an image of the Mother Goddess (Durga or Sakti) in the Puri Temple by the side of Jagannath. According to some others, installation of the image of Durga or Sakti (who is also known as Bhadras, Mangala etc.) might have taken place during the visit of Sankaracharya to Puri. In the Konarak Temple built in the 13^th century A.D. (about a century later than the Puri Temple), there is a panel of three images. Jagannath is seen in the middle and to his left is the Mother Goddess, while to his right is a Linga (phallus).

From this, it is deduced by some that this might have been the "Trio" of the Puri Temple, indicating the equal importance of Vaishnavism, Saktism and Saivism. There is another hypothesis that Bhadra or Mangala (Durga) came to be called as Subhadra and at the time of Vaishnavite preponderance, she was introduced as Srikrishna's sister, whose name also is Subhadra. Similarly, one of the names of Lord Siva is Veerabhadra. Somehow, at a time of Vaishnavite efflorescence, he was transformed into Balabhadra. (The second half of this name i.e., ‘Bhadra' was retained and the first half was substituted by Bala). Thus, he was called as Balabhadra and was introduced as the elder brother of Srikrishna.

Medieval Period:

The temple was originally built by the Kalinga ruler Ananta Varman Choda Ganga (1078 - 1148 CE). Much of the present structure was built by King Ananga Bhima Deva in the year 1174 CE. It took 14 years to complete and was consecrated in 1198 CE. It is believed that the image of Jagannath was buried thrice in the Chilika lake for protection from invaders. The Eastern Ganga king Anangabhima III dedicated his kingdom to Lord Jagannatha, then known as the Purushotama-Jagannatha, and resolved that from then on he and his descendants would rule under "divine order as Jagannatha's sons and vassals".

It was only after the 12^th century AD that Puri came to be known by the shortened form of Jagannatha Puri, named after the deity or in a short form as Puri. It is the only shrine in India, where Radha, along with Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Durga, Bhoodevi, Sati, Parvati, and Shakti, abodes with Krishna, who is also known by the name Jagannatha. Like Ganga kings, the kings of the succeeding Surya dynasty made extensive endowments in land and jewelries for the Deities.

The temple flourished under patronage of the independent kings of Orissa till the death of Mukunda Deva, the last independent King of Orissa. The system of worship of the Deities and rituals in their present form, have an unbroken tradition over 800 years. Thus, maintenance and administration of this great temple is like maintaining a small state within a big state. The foundation of a sound administrative system was laid by the Gajapati King for smooth management of the temple.

The management of the temple continued under the Hindu rulers till 1558, when the State of Orissa was conquered by the Afghan Nawab of Bengal and the temple was attacked by the Afghan General ‘Kalapahad’. Then, an independent Khurda kingdom was established by Ramachandra Deb, who assumed the management of the temple. He consecrated the temple and reinstalled the deities. Raja Mansingh, a General of the Mughal King Akbar, defeated the Afghans and annexed Orissa in to the Mughal dominion. It remained under the Mughals till 1751 A.D. Till 1760, the temple continued under the Khurda Raja, who was paying tribute to Mughals and Marathas. Marathas took up direct management of the temple till 1803.

Invasions:

The history of Puri is on the same lines as that of the Jagannatha Temple, which was invaded 18 times during its history to plunder the treasures of the temple, rather than for religious reasons. The first invasion occurred in the 8^th century AD by Rashtrakuta king Govinda-III (798–814 AD), and the last took place in 1881 AD by the monotheistic followers of Alekh (Mahima Dharma) who did not recognize the worship of Jagannatha. From 1205 AD onward  there were many invasions of the city and its temple by Muslims of Afghan and Moghul descent, known as Yavanas or foreigners.

In most of these invasions the idols were taken to safe places by the priests and the servitors of the temple. Destruction of the temple was prevented by timely resistance or surrender by the kings of the region. However, the treasures of the temple were repeatedly looted. The table lists all the 18 invasions along with the status of the three images of the temple, the triad of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra following each invasion.

Invasion number	Invader (s), year (s) AD	Local rulers	Status of the three images of the Jagannatha temple
1	Raktabahu or Govinda III (798–814) of the Rashtrakuta Empire	King Subhanadeva of Bhaumakara dynasty	Idols shifted to Gopali near Sonepur. Was brought back to Puri by Yayati I after 146 years and re-consecrated after performing Nabakalebara.
2	Illias Shah, Sultan of Bengal, 1340	Narasinghadeva III	Images shifted to a secret location.
3	Feroz Shah Tughlaq, 1360	Ganga King Bhanudeva III	Images not found, though rumored that they were thrown into the Bay of Bengal.
4	Ismail Ghazi commander of Alauddin Hussain Shah of Bengal, 1509	King Prataprudradeva	Images shifted to Chandhei Guha Pahada near Chilika Lake.
5	Kalapahara, army assistant general of Sulaiman Karrani of the Afghan Sultan of Bengal, 1568	Mukundadeva Harichandan	Images initially hidden in an island in Chilika Lake. However, the invader took the idols from here to the banks of the Ganges River and burnt them. Bisher Mohanty, a Vaishnavite saint, who had followed the invading army, retrieved the Brahmas and hid it in a drum at Khurdagada in 1575 AD and finally re-installed it in the deities. Deities were brought back to Puri and consecrated in the Jagannatha Temple.
6	Suleman, the son of Kuthu Khan and Osman, the son of Isha (ruler of Orissa), 1592	Ramachandradeva, the Bhoi dynasty ruler of Khurda	Revolt was by local Muslim rulers who desecrated the images.
7	Mirza Khurum, the commander of Islam Khan I, the Nawab of Bengal, 1601	Purushottamadeva of Bhoi Dynasty	Image moved to Kapileswarpur village by boat through the river Bhargavi and kept in the Panchamukhi Gosani temple. Thereafter, the deities were kept in Dobandha - Pentha.
8	Hasim Khan, the Subedar of Orissa, 1608	Purushottam Deva, the King of Khurda	Images shifted to the Gopal temple at Khurda and brought back in 1608.
9	Hindu Rajput Jagirdar Kesodasmaru, 1610	Purusottamdeva, the king of Khurda	Images kept at the Gundicha Temple and brought back to Puri after eight months.
10	Kalyan Malla, 1611	Purushottamadeva, the King of Khurda	Images moved to 'Mahisanasi' also known as 'Brahmapura' or 'Chakanasi' in the Chilika Lake where they remained for one year.
11	Kalyan Malla, 1612	Paiks of Purushottamadeva, the King of Khurda	Images placed on a fleet of boats at Gurubai Gada and hidden under the 'Lotani Baragachha' or Banyan tree) and then at 'Dadhibaman Temple'.
12	Mukarram Khan, 1617	Purushottama Deva, the King of Khurda	Images moved to the Bankanidhi temple, Gobapadar and brought back to Puri in 1620.
13	Mirza Ahmad Beg, 1621	Narasinga Deva	Images shifted to 'Andharigada' in the mouth of the river Shalia across the Chilika Lake. Moved back to Puri in 1624.[23]
14	Amir Mutaquad Khan alias Mirza Makki, 1645	Narasingha Deva and Gangadhar	Not known.
15	Amir Fateh Khan, 1647	Not known	Not known
16	Ekram Khan and Mastram Khan on behalf of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, 1692	Divyasingha Deva, the king of Khurda	Images moved to 'Maa Bhagabati Temple' and then to Bada Hantuada in Banpur across the Chilika Lake, and finally brought back to Puri in 1699.
17	Muhammad Taqi Khan, 1731 and 1733	Birakishore Deva and Birakishore Deva of Athagada	Images moved to Hariswar in Banpur, Chikili in Khalikote, Rumagarh in Kodala, Athagada in Ganjam and lastly to Marda in Kodala. Shifted back to Puri after 2.5 years.
18	Followers of Mahima Dharma, 1881	Birakishore Deva and Birakishore Deva of Athagada	Images burnt in the streets.

Colonial History:

The Britishers annexed Orissa into British empire in 1803 and allowed Puri Raja to manage the temple. The position continued till 1947. The British recognizing the importance of the Jagannatha Temple in the life of the people of the state, they initially appointed an official to look after the temple's affairs and later declared the temple as part of a district. The city is the site of the former summer residence of British Raj, the Raj Bhavan, built in 1913–14 during the era of governors.

Modern History:

For the people of Puri, Lord Jagannatha, visualized as Lord Krishna, is synonymous with their city. They believe that Lord Jagannatha looks after the welfare of the state. Even though princely states do not exist in India today, the heirs of the Gajapati dynasty of Khurda still perform the ritual duties of the temple; the king formally sweeps the road in front of the chariots before the start of the Ratha Yatra.

However, after the partial collapse of the Jagannatha Temple (in the Amalaka part of the temple) on 14 June 1990, people became apprehensive and considered it a bad omen for Odisha. The replacement of the fallen stone by another of the same size and weight (7 tonnes (7.7 tons)), that could be done only in the early morning hours after the temple gates were opened, was done on 28 February 1991.

Puri has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of the Indian Government. It is chosen as one of the 12 heritage cities with "focus on holistic development" to be implemented within 27 months by the end of March 2017. Non-Hindus are not permitted to enter the shrines but are allowed to view the temple and the proceedings from the roof of the Raghunandan library, located within the precincts of the temple, for a small donation.

Management:

After independence, the State Government, with a view to getting better administrative system, passed The Puri Shri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952. It contained provisions to prepare the Record of Rights and duties of Sevayats and such other persons connected with the system of worship and management of the temple. Subsequently Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 was enacted to reorganize the management system of the affair of the temple and its properties. Gajapati Maharaj Shri Dibyasingha Deb is the "Adhya Sevak" (chief servitor) of the temple. He took the role in 1970 at the age of 17, after the death of his father, Birakishore Deb, then the Maharaja of Puri.

Tribal Worship:

The iconic representation of the images in the Jagannatha temple is believed to be the forms derived from the worship made by the tribal groups of Sabaras belonging to northern Odisha. These images are replaced at regular intervals as the wood deteriorates. This replacement is a special event carried out ritualistically by special group of carpenters.

Landmark for the Sailors:

In the 17^th century, for the sailors sailing on the east coast of India, the temple served as a landmark, being located in a plaza in the centre of the city, which they called the "White Pagoda" while the Konark Sun Temple, 60 kilometres (37 mi) away to the east of Puri, was known as the "Black Pagoda".

Char Dham:

Puri is the site of the Govardhana Matha, one of the four cardinal institutions established by Adi Shankaracharya, when he visited Puri in 810 AD, and since then it has become an important dham (divine centre) for the Hindus; the others being those at Sringeri, Dwarka and Jyotirmath. The Matha (monastery of various Hindu sects) is headed by Jagatguru Shankaracharya. It is a local belief about these dhams that Lord Vishnu takes his dinner at Puri, has his bath at Rameshwaram, spends the night at Dwarka and does penance at Badrinath.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:

In the 16^th century, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Bengal established the Bhakti movements of India, now known by the name the Hare Krishna movement. He spent many years as a devotee of Jagannatha at Puri; he is said to have merged with the deity. There is also a matha of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu here known as Radhakanta Math.

Mathas:

The city has many other Mathas as well. The Embar Matha was founded by the Tamil Vaishnava saint Ramanujacharya in the 12^th century AD. This Matha, which is now located in front of Simhadvara across the eastern corner of the Jagannatha Temple, is reported to have been built in the 16^th century during the reign of kings of Suryavamsi Gajapatis. The Matha was in the news on 25 February 2011 for the large cache of 522 silver slabs unearthed from a closed chamber.

Kararashram:

In 1906, Sri Yukteswar, an exponent of Kriya Yoga and a resident of Puri, established an ashram, a spiritual training center, named "Kararashram" in Puri. He died on 9 March 1936 and his body is buried in the garden of the ashram.  

Saints Visit to Puri:

Sri Ramanuja visited Puri between 1107 and 1117 AD and stayed for some time. Visnuswami visited Puri in the second half of the 12^th century and established a matha near Markandeswar Tank, called Vishnuswami Matha. Nimbarka Acharya also made a pilgrimage to Puri, and Srila Prabhupada visited in January 1977.

Cultural Importance:

All disputes among different groups of priests and other groups of people engaged in temple services are solved by the scholars of Mukti Mandapa Sabha. Not only Gajapati Maharaja or Sevakas i.e. people engaged in temple for religious rites, but also common people seek the advice of Mukti Mandapa Sabha on disputes of religious and social nature. The yearly religious almanac popularly known as Panji, published by different publishers are submitted to Mukti Mandapa Sabha for their approval to authenticate specific dates of different religious rites. The committee of nine scholars as selected by other scholars of Mukti Mandapa Sabha is considered as the apex committee to take immediate decision during any conflict in the religious field and in the administration of Jagannath temple. During Nabakalebara, all rites pertaining to it are managed by the scholars of Mukti Mandapa Sabha.