Jagganath means ‘Lord of the Universe’. Lord Jagganath is a form of Krishna or Maha Vishnu. His mount is the Garuda and abode is Mount Nila. Panchajanya and Sudarshana Chakra are his weapons. Sri Mahalaxmi is his consort and sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra are his siblings. In India, a number of regional traditions of Hinduism worship this deity. He is Krishna’s abstract representation for many of Vaishnava Hindus. He is Bhairava’s symmetry-filled tantric representation to some of the Shakta and Shaiva Hindus. His festive rituals and name is obtained from Jeenanath of Jainism tradition, to some Jains. In the Buddha-Sangha-Dhamma, he represents the Buddha to some Buddhists.
Uncommon rites in Hinduism are included in the rituals, sacraments and procedures of Lord Jagganath’s worship. Conspicuous absence of legs or hands, the symmetric face, large round eyes, the decorated and carved wooden stump describe Lord Jagganath’s icon. There isn’t much clarity about evolution and origin of his worship. A possible origin could be a hymn interpreted in his name, in the Rigveda, according to certain scholars. According to some others, Jagganath has tribal roots and is a syncretic deity.
He is considered a non-sectarian divine being and significant in a number of states in India including Gujarat, Odisha, Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand and Bihar. In Vaishnavism, the massive 200 feet high Jagganath temple located in Puri, Odisha is of particular importance. Since around 800 CE, the temple has been an important destination for pilgrimage for the Hindus. Each year the Ratha Yatra is an annual festival celebrated in eastern Indian states.
