SOME LESSER_KNOWN RITUALS AND PRACTICES IN SHRI JAGANNATH TEMPLE

 

This discussion invites attention to some lesser-known rituals and practices in the Temple of Lord Jagannath in Puri. The Temple is popularly known as Badadeula (Big Temple). It is also called Shrimandira, and some say that “Shri” here refers to goddess Lakshmi. The discussion maintains that “lesser-known” in this context does not mean “less important”. It proposes why it considers these rituals and practices significant.  

 

Goddess Lakshmi’s Jealousy (embodied in a certain ritual in the Jagannath Temple)

There are many Lakshmi-centred compositions in Odia:

“Sudasa Brata katha”, “Manabasa Katha”, “Dhana Manikia Katha”, “Shyamadei Bratakatha”, Lakshmi Purana, “Nityani Gurubara Katha”, “Laksmi Narayana Kali”, and perhaps more. In the last three, Mahaprabhu (Lord) Jagannath figures. Lakshmi Purana and “Laksmi Narayana Kali” are narratives of conflict. Lakshmi Purana is about space. The goddess demands her space within her family and successfully fights for it. “Laksmi Narayana Kali” is the wife’s protest against the indifference and neglect of her spouse, Mahaprabhu Jagannath. “Nityani Gurubara Katha” is about goddess Lakshmi’s caring nature. She is the thoughtful and loving goddess in the story of her elder sister,  Alakshmi, in Kartika Purana. In Sarala Mahabharata, goddess Parvati and goddess Lakshmi quarrel about whose spouse is greater. But in none of the narratives mentioned is Lakshmi jealous.

 In this context, the following practice in the Temple is interesting. It is rooted in goddess Lakshmi’s jealousy: Every morning, Lord Jagannath’s adhara mala of the bada sinhara besha (“besha”, i.e., dress) of the previous night is sent to the goddess (in the Lakshmi temple in the Jagannath Temple compound). But before it is given to her, every tulasi (tulasi leaf) is taken out of it. Lakshmi is jealous of Tulasi. The relationship between Lord Vishnu and Tulasi is part of the episode of Jalandhara's killing. Lord Vishnu violated the virtuous Vrinda, Jalandhara's wife and his ardent devotee, who self-immolated, knowing that she had lost her chastity. Lord Vishnu showered favours on his devotee. She was reborn as the plant “Tulasi”. The Supreme god wears the leaf on his head, and tulasi leaf is indispensable for his worship. In popular view, Tulasi is his spouse. In this ritual, namely, the removal of the tulasi leaf from the adhara mala, Lord Jagannath is considered to be the same as Lord Vishnu.

In the last besha every night, called the badasinghara besha, in which the Deities have shayana (sleep), Lord Jagannath wears “nakha (nail) tulasi”. On each leaf, a bit of Jayadev’s Gita Govinda is written in sandalwood paste. In their badasimhara besha, the Deities wear patta vastra (silk clothes) on which slokas from Gita Govinda are stitched. In Lakshmi’s eyes, Tulasi is her spouse’s other woman. This is the reason behind the ritual of removing tulsi leaves when Lord Jagannath’s garland is offered to goddess Lakshmi.

Lord Jagannath wears tulsi garlands in every besha during the day, the exception being the Abakasa besha (Snana besha). Some garlands are of tulsi leaves without any flowers, and some are long and reach the “Ratnasimhasana”, the mandapa on which he sits. On one side of him is the goddess Sridevi, a form of the goddess Lakshmi( Bhudevi on the other). The tulsi leaves touch her, but that is acceptable in the ritual system. But it conflicts with the removal of tulasi leaves from Lord Jagannath’s garland before it is offered to goddess Lakshmi. However, the ritual system in the Temple does not view it as a contradiction. After all, Shridevi doesn’t wear tulasi. The “no-tulasi restriction” applies to the goddess, worshipped as goddess Lakshmi, in her temple. In the “Lakshmi temple”, she is called “Lakshmi”, not “Sridevi”.

Interestingly, this restriction applies to Lord Jagannath himself during a certain period. He (and Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra, and Lord Sudarshana) does not wear tulasi during the first ten days of the fifteen-day Anasara period. Neither is tulasi used in any ritual, including food offering to him, during this period. Now, this is very atypical of the worship of Lord Vishnu. Incidentally, during the Anasara period, goddess Sridevi (Bhudevi, too) is not with Jagannath. The tulasi-restriction, even when Sridevi is not with Lord Jagannath, raises questions about identifying  Lord Jagannath with Lord Vishnu. 

Rukmini’s (treated as a form of goddess Lakshmi for at least one ritual in the Temple) uneasiness with the gopis of Srimad Bhagavata has no impact on the ritual system. This may be surprising because Krishna is identified with Jagannath by all sects of  Vaishnavas. Many Krishna-based rituals are part of the rituals in the Jagannath Temple. This fact could lead to meaningful explorations in the cultural history of Odisha with respect to the Radha-centric Vaishnavism. Incidentally, the observance of “Radhastami” in the Temple involves goddess Lakshmi, not Radha. Lord Madanamohana, the representative deity for Lord Jagannath, is not involved in this observance.

The same holds for the “Rasa” in the Gundicha Ghara, where the Deities stay for a week during the Ratha Yatra.  Rasa is Lord Krishna’s leela (divine play) with the gopis in Vrindavan. Rasa is observed on the last three days of the Deities’ stay in Gundicha Ghar. Ignoring details, Gaudiya Vaishnavas view Jagannath as Krishna, and for them, Gundicha Ghar is Vrindavan. But no Agyanmala is given for the Rasa, and Lord Madanamohana is not there. So, Rasa is not part of the Temple's ritual system.  

Lakshmi in the Rai Damodara Besha and Puja (the local tradition resisting the “classical” tradition)

In a local tale, goddess Lakshmi shares her spouse, Lord Jagannath, with his newly married wife, Rai. Some consider Rai a colloquial term for “Radha”. They call the besha “Radha Damodara besha”. It is gaining acceptance increasingly. This shows the power of the classical tradition. The classical tradition assimilates the local tradition. In the local story, Rai is a servitor’s daughter whom Lord Jagannath marries as a favour to his servitor-devotee. He then advises her to please his spouse, Lakshmi, and he tells her that when pleased with her, she would offer her a boon; she must ask her to give him to her. Things happened precisely that way, and the shocked but promise-bound Lakshmi tells her that for a month, including the first 25 days in the holy month of Kartika, she would receive worship with Lord Jagannath, but should then leave him for her. In the holy month of Kartika, Jagannath specially dresses for Rai – this is called the “Rai-Damodara besha” by those who respect the local tradition - during the days she receives worship with Him.  

Like the story of Dasia Bauri Lord (Jagannath receiving his offerings directly, without the involvement of a priest), of Salabega (Lord Jagannath waiting for him in his Ratha), of Balarama Dasa (Rathas would not move until Das returns to the Ratha yatra), then Manika Gauduni, who fed him and his elder brother with curd, and the girl who sang songs from Gita Govinda in the brinjal field at night, and many others of this kind, Rai Damodara is a local story. Such stories, we suggest, should be viewed as resistance narratives against the extremely rich and predominant Jagannath myths of the classical tradition.  

Jagannath’s origins are said to be unknown. He, the relevant narratives say, was worshipped by the tribals. We consider it the most persuasive account, but we are not giving any details in support of our view. But there are always questions.  For instance, in which tribal language is there the word “Jagannath”? After being appropriated by the classical tradition, he must have come to be known as “Jagannath”. Many religions and sects have tried to own Him. Details are out of place here. He was identified as Lord Vishnu. Thus, the stories of Lord Vishnu and his Avataras (such as Vamana, Krishna, and Rama) became his stories. He had none of his own until these local stories, mentioned above, came up: thus, for example, Lord Jagannath (as Jagannath) married Rai, not (as) Krishna or Vishnu. This is important because it sheds light on the processes of “classicalization” (that is, the classical tradition trying to assimilate him) and “de-classicalization” (resisting classicalization through local tales) of Lord Jagannath. The story of Rai can also be viewed as an instance of the local tradition resisting the classical tradition. 

The Driving Out and the Invoking of a Spirit

During the Ratha Yatra, when the Deities return to Sri Mandira after a week’s stay in Gundicha Ghara, the temple is guarded by a spirit, popularly known as “Babana Bhuta (ghost named Babana)”. The day before Ratha Yatra, the followers of the highly revered Sri Chaitanya voluntarily clean the Gundicha Ghara premises, a seva (devotional service) initiated by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (as his disciples call him) himself about five hundred years ago.  Knowing that the Deities are coming, so goes the legend, the Bhuta leaves the Gundicha Ghara. And as soon as the Deities leave, he returns to keep watch over the temple. This reflects the popular understanding of the ritual of invoking Lord Bhairabha (Bhairava) by a mantra, after the Deities leave. He is the caretaker, as Lord Lokanath is the caretaker of the treasury in the Bada Deula. Unlike the Babana Bhuta of Sarala Mahabharata, this bhuta has not figured in Odia literature, written or oral. Unlike Sarala’s bhuta, which is a malignant spirit, this is not a bhuta; despite being called as such, he is really Lord Bhairava. If this is correct, the caretaker of both Gundicha Ghara and Badadeula is the same. There is no story associated with Babana Bhuta of Gundicha Ghara. Ordinary ghosts have stories (of revenge, protection, terror, etc.) in popular imagination; Lord Shiva’s ghosts have no stories of either revenge or attachment that connect them with the world or the mortals.

Incidentally, there is a practice associated with Babana Bhuta. Traditionally, before partaking Mahaprasada in Gundicha Ghara, one takes out a little arna (rice), dal, etc. for Babana Bhuta. About 60 years ago, this was what my close friend and well-wisher, the Singhari sevaka Sri Bhagirathi Kar, who was in his early twenties, did when, after having Navami darshan, we were going to partake Mahaprasada. I asked him why he did that. He said that it was for Babana Bhuta who guards Gunchicha Ghara when Mahaprabhu is not there. “We must respectfully leave some Mahaprasada for him”, he told me.  

Agyanmala 

Agyanmala (a flower garland that symbolizes Mahaprabhu Jagannath’s permission) is connected with every ritual in which his representative deity is involved. For instance, after receiving the agyanmala from Lord Jagannath, the representative deities go for the Chandan yatra (for boating in the pond called “Narenda Puskarini”. It would not be incorrect to say that after receiving agyanmala from Lord Jagannath, goddess Lakshmi does things in and outside Gundicha Ghara, including breaking a part of his Ratha. When the Nabakalebara of the Deities is to take place, the process starts with agyanmala from the Deities. The agyanmala ritual embodies the idea that everything happens as willed by him, including his own renewal (Nabakalebara). Sridevi (a form of goddess Lakshmi) receives agyanmala from Lord Jagannath's left arm and Madana Mohana (Krishna) from the right arm for the “Rukmini harana (kidnapping of Rukmini)” ritual. This might be an expression of the concept that Lord Jagannath is both male and female. Some other rituals express it even more explicitly. The day before Krishna’s birth, Lord Jagannath is the pregnant mother. He is offered a special bhoga, containing a sour preparation, as the pregnant mother, and the following day he is the newborn Krishna. The same ritual takes place for the birth of Lord Vamana and Lord Ram also. Thus, he is the one who gives birth and also the one who takes birth. This, one might suggest, is implemented in the form of the ritual, Sri Krishna’s declaration in Srimad Bhagavad Gita that he, the Lord, is the father and the mother and the grandfather of the universe (Chapter 9, slokas 16 -17).

The Anasara Rituals (Jagannath Worship before classicalization)

The non-Brahmin Daita servitors do their seva during the Anasara rituals. In brief, during the fifteen-day-long Anasara period, the Deities remain in an enclosed area in the Temple, and apart from Daita sevakas and Patimohapatra sevaka, no one can enter that enclosed space. The Deities are supposed to be suffering from fever; such is the narrative of his leela, and only these servitors do seva (service) to the Deities. The Anasara rituals situate Jagannath worship in the pre-classical tradition.

Now, in addition to Anasara, Snana Yatra, and Ratha Yatra, the Daita servitors perform seva in some other rituals; needless to list them here, in Sri Mandira. When the Daita servitors serve the Deities, Sridevi and Bhudevi are not there with the Deities.

The performance of the rituals stops when Lord Sudarshana leaves Ratnasinhasana for a short period, but this does not happen when Sridevi and Bhudevi are not there on Ratnasinhasana. This shows how (loosely) the goddesses connect to the Deities. Unlike Sudarshana, they are not integral to the worship of Jagannath. In contrast, goddess Sridevi (or Lakshmi) is integrally connected to Lord Vishnu. The question that arises here, as in the case of the tulasi-restriction mentioned above, concerns the connection between Jagannath and Vishnu. There is another question: Is it possible that Sridevi is a later incorporation into the conceptual and ritual systems in the worship of Lord Jagannath?

There is an important ritual that reflects how rituals of different sects co-exist harmoniously. Goddess Bimala is associated with both the tantric and the Vaishnavite sects. Prasad offered to Lord Jagannath becomes “Mahaprasad only after it is offered to the goddess. This might be taken to mean that, despite being a form of Shakti (Parvati), she is a Vaishnavi. This note says nothing about how this happened. Now, on three nights (Mahasaptami to Mahanavami), she is offered non-vegetarian food (fish). That’s a tantric ritual. It conflicts with Vaishnavite belief (Vaishnavites here refer to devotees of Lord Vishnu). This conflict is resolved harmoniously in the following ritual.

On those days, Jagannath’s pahuda (sleeping) rituals take place much earlier than usual. Around midnight, the non-veg food is offered to the goddess. It is brought into the Temple surreptitiously. We skip the details of how it is done when the Temple is closed, once the Pahuda rituals are over. There are other things as well, which we skip. The following morning, before the Temple opens, the entire floor area of the Temple compound is sprinkled with limestone water, which, in ritual terms, is purifying. Then, Mahaprabhu Jagannath’s wake-up rituals take place, and mangala arati is offered to him. That is, whatever unacceptable happened was when he was asleep. This accommodation of the conflicting rituals is non-Vedic, non-Brahminical, non-Vaishnavite, and non-tantric. It then has to be a local innovation of accommodating rituals of conflicting sects, each of which has tried to appropriate Jagannath. Thus, for instance, Jagannath is Lord Vishnu for the Vaishnavites and Lord Bhairava for the Shaktas. This innovation of a ritual that accommodates sharply conflicting rituals embodies the concept of Jagannath as all-embracing. Nothing stands excluded from him. And as such, he is the container of contradictions, and being the container of contradictions,  he transcends all contradictions.