The Cult of Jagannath- Origin, Development and Impact on Odishan Society | Odisha State PSC (OPSC): Preparation - OPSC OCS (Odisha) PDF Download

 Page 1


 
 
 
 
 
Introduction 
Lord Jagannath has always remained as mysterious to the knowledge of mankind. The 
origin of Jagannath cult is shrouded in obscurity. The veil of darkness that pervades over this cult 
has not been lifted till today. However, God Jagannath has been accepted as the representative of 
the Oriya people, an embodiment of love, a guiding force behind the cultural heritage of this 
land, a synthesis of all the Hinduite faiths and finally, as the God of the universe.   
The Cult of Jagannath 
The cult of Jagannath embodies universal brotherhood, combining elements of Hinduism, 
Buddhism, Jainism and the native religious practices of the tribal people. The presiding deities of 
the temple, Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, portrayed in 
black, white and yellow, represent the three major races of humanity according to noted religious 
and social commentators. The cult of Jagannath shows special concern and compassion for the 
lowliest and the most unfortunate in society. It is this spirit of universal love that has attracted 
even Muslim devotees such as Salabega whose songs in praise of Lord Jagannath are popular 
among all Oriyas and devotees all over the world who celebrate the Car Festival or Rath Yatra of 
Lord Jagannath with ardent passion. 
Origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath 
The origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath is quite mysterious. Different 
scholars have different views regarding the origin and development of Jagannath Cult in Odisha 
which can be discussed as follows: 
Tribal origin of Lord Jagannath 
 The cult of Jagannath is stated to be of tribal origin. It is difficult to determine whether 
this tribal origin of God Jagannath is pre-Vedic or not. As per the depiction of Sarala's 
Mahabharata, God Krishna, killed by the arrow of Jara Savara, was not burnt in wood fully after 
Page 2


 
 
 
 
 
Introduction 
Lord Jagannath has always remained as mysterious to the knowledge of mankind. The 
origin of Jagannath cult is shrouded in obscurity. The veil of darkness that pervades over this cult 
has not been lifted till today. However, God Jagannath has been accepted as the representative of 
the Oriya people, an embodiment of love, a guiding force behind the cultural heritage of this 
land, a synthesis of all the Hinduite faiths and finally, as the God of the universe.   
The Cult of Jagannath 
The cult of Jagannath embodies universal brotherhood, combining elements of Hinduism, 
Buddhism, Jainism and the native religious practices of the tribal people. The presiding deities of 
the temple, Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, portrayed in 
black, white and yellow, represent the three major races of humanity according to noted religious 
and social commentators. The cult of Jagannath shows special concern and compassion for the 
lowliest and the most unfortunate in society. It is this spirit of universal love that has attracted 
even Muslim devotees such as Salabega whose songs in praise of Lord Jagannath are popular 
among all Oriyas and devotees all over the world who celebrate the Car Festival or Rath Yatra of 
Lord Jagannath with ardent passion. 
Origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath 
The origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath is quite mysterious. Different 
scholars have different views regarding the origin and development of Jagannath Cult in Odisha 
which can be discussed as follows: 
Tribal origin of Lord Jagannath 
 The cult of Jagannath is stated to be of tribal origin. It is difficult to determine whether 
this tribal origin of God Jagannath is pre-Vedic or not. As per the depiction of Sarala's 
Mahabharata, God Krishna, killed by the arrow of Jara Savara, was not burnt in wood fully after 
 
his death. As per the order of the divine voice, Arjuna and Jara threw the half-burnt body into the 
sea and that body was, later on, worshipped by Jara in the Dhauli hill at Bhubaneswar. In the 
mean while, Galamadhava, the king of Kanchi knowing about the death of Krishna, sent a 
Brahmin named Vasudeva to collect the body who located it in Bhubaneswar and transferred it 
to Nilachala. By that time, king Indradyumna had constructed a temple at Nilachala and by 
divine order, the king proceeded to that place. With the help of Jara, he brought the daru (wood) 
from Rohini kunda and installed the image inside the temple at Nilachala. Due to his folly, the 
images of God Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were found incomplete as he opened the 
door of the temple defying the request of the sculpture (Bisvakarma in disguise) who had 
instructed the king not to open the door before the expiry of fifteen days. The story revealing the 
tribal origin of God Jagannath is different in the Skanda Purana.  
The Purusottama Mahatmya section of that Purana narrates that the original place of 
worship of Nilamadhava (God Jagannath) was at Nila Saila (blue mountain) amidst a thick 
forest. In a dream, king Indradyumna of Avanti saw it and sent Vidyapati, a Brahmin to bring the 
God. Vidyapati married Lalita, the daughter of the tribal chief Visvavasu. After much persuasion 
of his daughter, Visvavasu took his son-in-law for the visit of Nilamadhava. While going to that 
place with his eyes covered, Vidyapati, cleverly threw the mustard seeds on the way. In the rainy 
season, the seeds germinated which clearly indicated the way to the place of worship of 
Nilamadhava. Vidyapati informed this to king Indradyumna who went to pays visit to the God. 
To his utter dismay, the God had vanished from that place. The king dreamt that a sacred log was 
coming from Svetadvipa where lied God Vishnu.  
In the next morning, he was informed that a log containing the signs of God Vishnu was 
found on the sea-shore. The king rushed to the sea-shore immediately and the log was brought 
with much rejoicement. Out of the log, four images i,e. Jagannath, Balabhadra Subhadra and 
Sudarsana were made and installed in the temple constructed at nila seus (Puri). Though this fact 
is narrated differently in the Deula Tala of poet Nilambara Das and the work of the same name 
of Sisu Krishna Das, the fact remains the same that God Jagannath had a tribal origin which has 
been accepted by many notable scholars like B. Padhi, G.C. Tripathy, H. Kulke and A. 
Eschmann. Further, the association of the sevakas of God Jaqannath in Puri bear the name 
Daitas. The Vanayaga before the search of Daru for Navakalevara of the God also speaks of the 
tribal origin of God Jagannath. The three tribal deities like Jaleri Penu, Tana Penu and Murani 
Page 3


 
 
 
 
 
Introduction 
Lord Jagannath has always remained as mysterious to the knowledge of mankind. The 
origin of Jagannath cult is shrouded in obscurity. The veil of darkness that pervades over this cult 
has not been lifted till today. However, God Jagannath has been accepted as the representative of 
the Oriya people, an embodiment of love, a guiding force behind the cultural heritage of this 
land, a synthesis of all the Hinduite faiths and finally, as the God of the universe.   
The Cult of Jagannath 
The cult of Jagannath embodies universal brotherhood, combining elements of Hinduism, 
Buddhism, Jainism and the native religious practices of the tribal people. The presiding deities of 
the temple, Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, portrayed in 
black, white and yellow, represent the three major races of humanity according to noted religious 
and social commentators. The cult of Jagannath shows special concern and compassion for the 
lowliest and the most unfortunate in society. It is this spirit of universal love that has attracted 
even Muslim devotees such as Salabega whose songs in praise of Lord Jagannath are popular 
among all Oriyas and devotees all over the world who celebrate the Car Festival or Rath Yatra of 
Lord Jagannath with ardent passion. 
Origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath 
The origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath is quite mysterious. Different 
scholars have different views regarding the origin and development of Jagannath Cult in Odisha 
which can be discussed as follows: 
Tribal origin of Lord Jagannath 
 The cult of Jagannath is stated to be of tribal origin. It is difficult to determine whether 
this tribal origin of God Jagannath is pre-Vedic or not. As per the depiction of Sarala's 
Mahabharata, God Krishna, killed by the arrow of Jara Savara, was not burnt in wood fully after 
 
his death. As per the order of the divine voice, Arjuna and Jara threw the half-burnt body into the 
sea and that body was, later on, worshipped by Jara in the Dhauli hill at Bhubaneswar. In the 
mean while, Galamadhava, the king of Kanchi knowing about the death of Krishna, sent a 
Brahmin named Vasudeva to collect the body who located it in Bhubaneswar and transferred it 
to Nilachala. By that time, king Indradyumna had constructed a temple at Nilachala and by 
divine order, the king proceeded to that place. With the help of Jara, he brought the daru (wood) 
from Rohini kunda and installed the image inside the temple at Nilachala. Due to his folly, the 
images of God Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were found incomplete as he opened the 
door of the temple defying the request of the sculpture (Bisvakarma in disguise) who had 
instructed the king not to open the door before the expiry of fifteen days. The story revealing the 
tribal origin of God Jagannath is different in the Skanda Purana.  
The Purusottama Mahatmya section of that Purana narrates that the original place of 
worship of Nilamadhava (God Jagannath) was at Nila Saila (blue mountain) amidst a thick 
forest. In a dream, king Indradyumna of Avanti saw it and sent Vidyapati, a Brahmin to bring the 
God. Vidyapati married Lalita, the daughter of the tribal chief Visvavasu. After much persuasion 
of his daughter, Visvavasu took his son-in-law for the visit of Nilamadhava. While going to that 
place with his eyes covered, Vidyapati, cleverly threw the mustard seeds on the way. In the rainy 
season, the seeds germinated which clearly indicated the way to the place of worship of 
Nilamadhava. Vidyapati informed this to king Indradyumna who went to pays visit to the God. 
To his utter dismay, the God had vanished from that place. The king dreamt that a sacred log was 
coming from Svetadvipa where lied God Vishnu.  
In the next morning, he was informed that a log containing the signs of God Vishnu was 
found on the sea-shore. The king rushed to the sea-shore immediately and the log was brought 
with much rejoicement. Out of the log, four images i,e. Jagannath, Balabhadra Subhadra and 
Sudarsana were made and installed in the temple constructed at nila seus (Puri). Though this fact 
is narrated differently in the Deula Tala of poet Nilambara Das and the work of the same name 
of Sisu Krishna Das, the fact remains the same that God Jagannath had a tribal origin which has 
been accepted by many notable scholars like B. Padhi, G.C. Tripathy, H. Kulke and A. 
Eschmann. Further, the association of the sevakas of God Jaqannath in Puri bear the name 
Daitas. The Vanayaga before the search of Daru for Navakalevara of the God also speaks of the 
tribal origin of God Jagannath. The three tribal deities like Jaleri Penu, Tana Penu and Murani 
 
Penu, worshipped by the Khonds Odisha are regarded as Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra 
respectively . 
Vedic origin of Jagannath 
Many scholars trace the Vedic origin of God Jagannath. The 3rd verse of the 155
th
 Sukta 
in the 10th Mandala of Rig Veda states : 
"There is a log floating on the sea and no one claims this as his property. O' ugly evil spirit, ride 
on that and remove yourself to the other side of the ocean." On the otherhand, Sayana, a 15th 
century commentator interprets the above quoted sukta as such : 
"O, you are difficult to destroy, take resource to the (sacred) log of wood which has no creator 
and which exists on the far distant sea coast, and achieve your salvation by the object." 
Through the above mentioned Sukta and its interpretation given by Sayana, the Vedic 
origin of God Jagannath is traced by several scholars. As, primarily, the cult of Jagannath is 
associated with tribal origin, which is non-Aryan in character, the Aryans might be aware about 
it and might have reflected that in a different way in the Rig Veda. This definitely gives a clue to 
the scholars to think the prevalence of the worship of Jagannath in a daru (log) from long before 
the Vedic age. However, this is controversial. 
Jaina origin of Lord Jagannath 
The Jaina origin of God Jagannath is traced by several scholars. As a heterodox religion, 
Jainism gave great challenge to Vedic religion. It has already been discussed earlier that before 
6th century B.C., Jainism had entered into Odisha. It received royal patronage from Kharavela, 
the mighty monarch of the Chedi dynasty. Jainism gained momentum in the nook and corner of 
Odisha. The numerous Jaina monuments of Odisha amply justify the fact. Owing to the 
popularity of Jainism in Odisha, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannath have been regarded as the 
three cardinal principles of Jainism like Samyak Jnana, Samyak Charitra and Samyak Drishti by 
N. K. Das. The concept of Kalpa tree in Jainism is regarded as the Kalpavata inside the sacred 
complex of God Jagannath temple at Puri. Kaivalya Mukti, one of the tenets of Jainism is 
identified with the Kaivalya (Mahaprasada) of Lord Jagannath that offers salvation to man. 
Further, B.M. Padhi tends to locate Vaddha Managala and Nandipada, the two Jaina symbols in 
the image of God Jagannath that give scope to presume the Jaina origin of the deity. However, 
these facts did not conclusively prove that Jagannath had a Jaina Origin. The principle of 
Page 4


 
 
 
 
 
Introduction 
Lord Jagannath has always remained as mysterious to the knowledge of mankind. The 
origin of Jagannath cult is shrouded in obscurity. The veil of darkness that pervades over this cult 
has not been lifted till today. However, God Jagannath has been accepted as the representative of 
the Oriya people, an embodiment of love, a guiding force behind the cultural heritage of this 
land, a synthesis of all the Hinduite faiths and finally, as the God of the universe.   
The Cult of Jagannath 
The cult of Jagannath embodies universal brotherhood, combining elements of Hinduism, 
Buddhism, Jainism and the native religious practices of the tribal people. The presiding deities of 
the temple, Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, portrayed in 
black, white and yellow, represent the three major races of humanity according to noted religious 
and social commentators. The cult of Jagannath shows special concern and compassion for the 
lowliest and the most unfortunate in society. It is this spirit of universal love that has attracted 
even Muslim devotees such as Salabega whose songs in praise of Lord Jagannath are popular 
among all Oriyas and devotees all over the world who celebrate the Car Festival or Rath Yatra of 
Lord Jagannath with ardent passion. 
Origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath 
The origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath is quite mysterious. Different 
scholars have different views regarding the origin and development of Jagannath Cult in Odisha 
which can be discussed as follows: 
Tribal origin of Lord Jagannath 
 The cult of Jagannath is stated to be of tribal origin. It is difficult to determine whether 
this tribal origin of God Jagannath is pre-Vedic or not. As per the depiction of Sarala's 
Mahabharata, God Krishna, killed by the arrow of Jara Savara, was not burnt in wood fully after 
 
his death. As per the order of the divine voice, Arjuna and Jara threw the half-burnt body into the 
sea and that body was, later on, worshipped by Jara in the Dhauli hill at Bhubaneswar. In the 
mean while, Galamadhava, the king of Kanchi knowing about the death of Krishna, sent a 
Brahmin named Vasudeva to collect the body who located it in Bhubaneswar and transferred it 
to Nilachala. By that time, king Indradyumna had constructed a temple at Nilachala and by 
divine order, the king proceeded to that place. With the help of Jara, he brought the daru (wood) 
from Rohini kunda and installed the image inside the temple at Nilachala. Due to his folly, the 
images of God Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were found incomplete as he opened the 
door of the temple defying the request of the sculpture (Bisvakarma in disguise) who had 
instructed the king not to open the door before the expiry of fifteen days. The story revealing the 
tribal origin of God Jagannath is different in the Skanda Purana.  
The Purusottama Mahatmya section of that Purana narrates that the original place of 
worship of Nilamadhava (God Jagannath) was at Nila Saila (blue mountain) amidst a thick 
forest. In a dream, king Indradyumna of Avanti saw it and sent Vidyapati, a Brahmin to bring the 
God. Vidyapati married Lalita, the daughter of the tribal chief Visvavasu. After much persuasion 
of his daughter, Visvavasu took his son-in-law for the visit of Nilamadhava. While going to that 
place with his eyes covered, Vidyapati, cleverly threw the mustard seeds on the way. In the rainy 
season, the seeds germinated which clearly indicated the way to the place of worship of 
Nilamadhava. Vidyapati informed this to king Indradyumna who went to pays visit to the God. 
To his utter dismay, the God had vanished from that place. The king dreamt that a sacred log was 
coming from Svetadvipa where lied God Vishnu.  
In the next morning, he was informed that a log containing the signs of God Vishnu was 
found on the sea-shore. The king rushed to the sea-shore immediately and the log was brought 
with much rejoicement. Out of the log, four images i,e. Jagannath, Balabhadra Subhadra and 
Sudarsana were made and installed in the temple constructed at nila seus (Puri). Though this fact 
is narrated differently in the Deula Tala of poet Nilambara Das and the work of the same name 
of Sisu Krishna Das, the fact remains the same that God Jagannath had a tribal origin which has 
been accepted by many notable scholars like B. Padhi, G.C. Tripathy, H. Kulke and A. 
Eschmann. Further, the association of the sevakas of God Jaqannath in Puri bear the name 
Daitas. The Vanayaga before the search of Daru for Navakalevara of the God also speaks of the 
tribal origin of God Jagannath. The three tribal deities like Jaleri Penu, Tana Penu and Murani 
 
Penu, worshipped by the Khonds Odisha are regarded as Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra 
respectively . 
Vedic origin of Jagannath 
Many scholars trace the Vedic origin of God Jagannath. The 3rd verse of the 155
th
 Sukta 
in the 10th Mandala of Rig Veda states : 
"There is a log floating on the sea and no one claims this as his property. O' ugly evil spirit, ride 
on that and remove yourself to the other side of the ocean." On the otherhand, Sayana, a 15th 
century commentator interprets the above quoted sukta as such : 
"O, you are difficult to destroy, take resource to the (sacred) log of wood which has no creator 
and which exists on the far distant sea coast, and achieve your salvation by the object." 
Through the above mentioned Sukta and its interpretation given by Sayana, the Vedic 
origin of God Jagannath is traced by several scholars. As, primarily, the cult of Jagannath is 
associated with tribal origin, which is non-Aryan in character, the Aryans might be aware about 
it and might have reflected that in a different way in the Rig Veda. This definitely gives a clue to 
the scholars to think the prevalence of the worship of Jagannath in a daru (log) from long before 
the Vedic age. However, this is controversial. 
Jaina origin of Lord Jagannath 
The Jaina origin of God Jagannath is traced by several scholars. As a heterodox religion, 
Jainism gave great challenge to Vedic religion. It has already been discussed earlier that before 
6th century B.C., Jainism had entered into Odisha. It received royal patronage from Kharavela, 
the mighty monarch of the Chedi dynasty. Jainism gained momentum in the nook and corner of 
Odisha. The numerous Jaina monuments of Odisha amply justify the fact. Owing to the 
popularity of Jainism in Odisha, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannath have been regarded as the 
three cardinal principles of Jainism like Samyak Jnana, Samyak Charitra and Samyak Drishti by 
N. K. Das. The concept of Kalpa tree in Jainism is regarded as the Kalpavata inside the sacred 
complex of God Jagannath temple at Puri. Kaivalya Mukti, one of the tenets of Jainism is 
identified with the Kaivalya (Mahaprasada) of Lord Jagannath that offers salvation to man. 
Further, B.M. Padhi tends to locate Vaddha Managala and Nandipada, the two Jaina symbols in 
the image of God Jagannath that give scope to presume the Jaina origin of the deity. However, 
these facts did not conclusively prove that Jagannath had a Jaina Origin. The principle of 
 
Kaivalya Mukti or salvation of Jainism is found in other religious faiths too. Similarly, 
Kalpavatas are worshipped in different parts of India. 
Buddhist origin of God Jagannath  
Some scholars trace a Buddhist origin of the trinity of the Jagannath temple. It is said that 
the tooth relic of Lord Buddha is preserved in the image of Jagannath, that the three deities - 
Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra - represent Buddha, Dharma and Sangha respectively, that 
the Snana Yatra (bathing festival) and Ratha yatra (car festival) of the Jagannath temple are of 
Buddhist origin and that the sharing of Kaivalya (sacred food) on equal footing by all castes is 
due to the Buddhist impact. There are some literary evidence of co-relation between Lord 
Jagannath and Buddhism.  
According to some scholars, Jagannath is a common epithet of Buddha. In Tibet, one of 
the names of Buddha is Jagannath. Jayadeva, the twelfth century Vaishnava poet who, according 
to some scholars, identified Jagannath with Krishna or Vishnu also accepted Buddha as the ninth 
incarnation of Krishna or Vishnu. Sarala Das, the fifteenth century poet, in his Mahabharat 
regarded Jagannath as an embodiment of Buddha. He wrote, "To deliver mankind, Jagannath has 
manifested himself in the form of Buddha." Daru Brahma Gita of Jagannath Das says, "To 
assume the form of Buddha the Lord gave up his hands and legs." Some Oriya Vaishnavas 
regarded Chaitanya as the partial manifestation of Buddha. In the Chaitanya Bhagavata of Isvar 
Dasa, Shri Chaitanya is reported to have said, "I am Chaitanya in the form of Buddha." Evidently 
there was a synthesis between Buddhism and Vaishnavism at some stage, and Jagannath cult 
bears the imprint of that synthesis. 
The Saiva-Tantric origin of God Jagannath 
Though by the tenth century A.D., the presiding deity of Puri was known as 
Purushottama, which is one of thousand epithets of Vishnu, yet during the Bhauma period, the 
deity appears to have been profoundly influenced by Saivism, Shaktism, Tantricism and 
Buddhism which were simultaneously prevalent. Scholars are of the opinion that the image of 
Jagannath has striking similarity with that of Ekapada Bhairava (Bhairava with one foot, which 
is a manifestation of Siva, whose worship was prevalent during the Bhauma period). Some 
Tantrik texts refer to Puri as a seat of Shaktism, Vimala as the Shakti and Jagannath as his 
Bhairava. The prevalence of Saivism at Puri is proved by the existence of such Saiva shrines as 
Markandeyesvara, Patalesvara and Lokanath.  
Page 5


 
 
 
 
 
Introduction 
Lord Jagannath has always remained as mysterious to the knowledge of mankind. The 
origin of Jagannath cult is shrouded in obscurity. The veil of darkness that pervades over this cult 
has not been lifted till today. However, God Jagannath has been accepted as the representative of 
the Oriya people, an embodiment of love, a guiding force behind the cultural heritage of this 
land, a synthesis of all the Hinduite faiths and finally, as the God of the universe.   
The Cult of Jagannath 
The cult of Jagannath embodies universal brotherhood, combining elements of Hinduism, 
Buddhism, Jainism and the native religious practices of the tribal people. The presiding deities of 
the temple, Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, portrayed in 
black, white and yellow, represent the three major races of humanity according to noted religious 
and social commentators. The cult of Jagannath shows special concern and compassion for the 
lowliest and the most unfortunate in society. It is this spirit of universal love that has attracted 
even Muslim devotees such as Salabega whose songs in praise of Lord Jagannath are popular 
among all Oriyas and devotees all over the world who celebrate the Car Festival or Rath Yatra of 
Lord Jagannath with ardent passion. 
Origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath 
The origin and development of the Cult of Jagannath is quite mysterious. Different 
scholars have different views regarding the origin and development of Jagannath Cult in Odisha 
which can be discussed as follows: 
Tribal origin of Lord Jagannath 
 The cult of Jagannath is stated to be of tribal origin. It is difficult to determine whether 
this tribal origin of God Jagannath is pre-Vedic or not. As per the depiction of Sarala's 
Mahabharata, God Krishna, killed by the arrow of Jara Savara, was not burnt in wood fully after 
 
his death. As per the order of the divine voice, Arjuna and Jara threw the half-burnt body into the 
sea and that body was, later on, worshipped by Jara in the Dhauli hill at Bhubaneswar. In the 
mean while, Galamadhava, the king of Kanchi knowing about the death of Krishna, sent a 
Brahmin named Vasudeva to collect the body who located it in Bhubaneswar and transferred it 
to Nilachala. By that time, king Indradyumna had constructed a temple at Nilachala and by 
divine order, the king proceeded to that place. With the help of Jara, he brought the daru (wood) 
from Rohini kunda and installed the image inside the temple at Nilachala. Due to his folly, the 
images of God Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were found incomplete as he opened the 
door of the temple defying the request of the sculpture (Bisvakarma in disguise) who had 
instructed the king not to open the door before the expiry of fifteen days. The story revealing the 
tribal origin of God Jagannath is different in the Skanda Purana.  
The Purusottama Mahatmya section of that Purana narrates that the original place of 
worship of Nilamadhava (God Jagannath) was at Nila Saila (blue mountain) amidst a thick 
forest. In a dream, king Indradyumna of Avanti saw it and sent Vidyapati, a Brahmin to bring the 
God. Vidyapati married Lalita, the daughter of the tribal chief Visvavasu. After much persuasion 
of his daughter, Visvavasu took his son-in-law for the visit of Nilamadhava. While going to that 
place with his eyes covered, Vidyapati, cleverly threw the mustard seeds on the way. In the rainy 
season, the seeds germinated which clearly indicated the way to the place of worship of 
Nilamadhava. Vidyapati informed this to king Indradyumna who went to pays visit to the God. 
To his utter dismay, the God had vanished from that place. The king dreamt that a sacred log was 
coming from Svetadvipa where lied God Vishnu.  
In the next morning, he was informed that a log containing the signs of God Vishnu was 
found on the sea-shore. The king rushed to the sea-shore immediately and the log was brought 
with much rejoicement. Out of the log, four images i,e. Jagannath, Balabhadra Subhadra and 
Sudarsana were made and installed in the temple constructed at nila seus (Puri). Though this fact 
is narrated differently in the Deula Tala of poet Nilambara Das and the work of the same name 
of Sisu Krishna Das, the fact remains the same that God Jagannath had a tribal origin which has 
been accepted by many notable scholars like B. Padhi, G.C. Tripathy, H. Kulke and A. 
Eschmann. Further, the association of the sevakas of God Jaqannath in Puri bear the name 
Daitas. The Vanayaga before the search of Daru for Navakalevara of the God also speaks of the 
tribal origin of God Jagannath. The three tribal deities like Jaleri Penu, Tana Penu and Murani 
 
Penu, worshipped by the Khonds Odisha are regarded as Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra 
respectively . 
Vedic origin of Jagannath 
Many scholars trace the Vedic origin of God Jagannath. The 3rd verse of the 155
th
 Sukta 
in the 10th Mandala of Rig Veda states : 
"There is a log floating on the sea and no one claims this as his property. O' ugly evil spirit, ride 
on that and remove yourself to the other side of the ocean." On the otherhand, Sayana, a 15th 
century commentator interprets the above quoted sukta as such : 
"O, you are difficult to destroy, take resource to the (sacred) log of wood which has no creator 
and which exists on the far distant sea coast, and achieve your salvation by the object." 
Through the above mentioned Sukta and its interpretation given by Sayana, the Vedic 
origin of God Jagannath is traced by several scholars. As, primarily, the cult of Jagannath is 
associated with tribal origin, which is non-Aryan in character, the Aryans might be aware about 
it and might have reflected that in a different way in the Rig Veda. This definitely gives a clue to 
the scholars to think the prevalence of the worship of Jagannath in a daru (log) from long before 
the Vedic age. However, this is controversial. 
Jaina origin of Lord Jagannath 
The Jaina origin of God Jagannath is traced by several scholars. As a heterodox religion, 
Jainism gave great challenge to Vedic religion. It has already been discussed earlier that before 
6th century B.C., Jainism had entered into Odisha. It received royal patronage from Kharavela, 
the mighty monarch of the Chedi dynasty. Jainism gained momentum in the nook and corner of 
Odisha. The numerous Jaina monuments of Odisha amply justify the fact. Owing to the 
popularity of Jainism in Odisha, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannath have been regarded as the 
three cardinal principles of Jainism like Samyak Jnana, Samyak Charitra and Samyak Drishti by 
N. K. Das. The concept of Kalpa tree in Jainism is regarded as the Kalpavata inside the sacred 
complex of God Jagannath temple at Puri. Kaivalya Mukti, one of the tenets of Jainism is 
identified with the Kaivalya (Mahaprasada) of Lord Jagannath that offers salvation to man. 
Further, B.M. Padhi tends to locate Vaddha Managala and Nandipada, the two Jaina symbols in 
the image of God Jagannath that give scope to presume the Jaina origin of the deity. However, 
these facts did not conclusively prove that Jagannath had a Jaina Origin. The principle of 
 
Kaivalya Mukti or salvation of Jainism is found in other religious faiths too. Similarly, 
Kalpavatas are worshipped in different parts of India. 
Buddhist origin of God Jagannath  
Some scholars trace a Buddhist origin of the trinity of the Jagannath temple. It is said that 
the tooth relic of Lord Buddha is preserved in the image of Jagannath, that the three deities - 
Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra - represent Buddha, Dharma and Sangha respectively, that 
the Snana Yatra (bathing festival) and Ratha yatra (car festival) of the Jagannath temple are of 
Buddhist origin and that the sharing of Kaivalya (sacred food) on equal footing by all castes is 
due to the Buddhist impact. There are some literary evidence of co-relation between Lord 
Jagannath and Buddhism.  
According to some scholars, Jagannath is a common epithet of Buddha. In Tibet, one of 
the names of Buddha is Jagannath. Jayadeva, the twelfth century Vaishnava poet who, according 
to some scholars, identified Jagannath with Krishna or Vishnu also accepted Buddha as the ninth 
incarnation of Krishna or Vishnu. Sarala Das, the fifteenth century poet, in his Mahabharat 
regarded Jagannath as an embodiment of Buddha. He wrote, "To deliver mankind, Jagannath has 
manifested himself in the form of Buddha." Daru Brahma Gita of Jagannath Das says, "To 
assume the form of Buddha the Lord gave up his hands and legs." Some Oriya Vaishnavas 
regarded Chaitanya as the partial manifestation of Buddha. In the Chaitanya Bhagavata of Isvar 
Dasa, Shri Chaitanya is reported to have said, "I am Chaitanya in the form of Buddha." Evidently 
there was a synthesis between Buddhism and Vaishnavism at some stage, and Jagannath cult 
bears the imprint of that synthesis. 
The Saiva-Tantric origin of God Jagannath 
Though by the tenth century A.D., the presiding deity of Puri was known as 
Purushottama, which is one of thousand epithets of Vishnu, yet during the Bhauma period, the 
deity appears to have been profoundly influenced by Saivism, Shaktism, Tantricism and 
Buddhism which were simultaneously prevalent. Scholars are of the opinion that the image of 
Jagannath has striking similarity with that of Ekapada Bhairava (Bhairava with one foot, which 
is a manifestation of Siva, whose worship was prevalent during the Bhauma period). Some 
Tantrik texts refer to Puri as a seat of Shaktism, Vimala as the Shakti and Jagannath as his 
Bhairava. The prevalence of Saivism at Puri is proved by the existence of such Saiva shrines as 
Markandeyesvara, Patalesvara and Lokanath.  
 
Jagannath Cult and Saktism 
The prevalence of Shaktism at Puri is borne out by the worship of Vimala inside the temple, and 
the existence of Saptamatruka image. The 'Utkal Khanda' of Skanda Purana describes Subhadra 
as the Shakti of Jagannath. The name 'Purushottama', though an epithet of Vishnu, has Tantrik 
significance according to some scholars. It represents the erotic aspect of Vishnu. Purushottama 
is to be found with Lakshmi, the female erotic partner. In the Anargharaghava natakam, Murari 
Mishra describes Purushottama with Lakshmi on his lap. Jayadeva, in his Gitagovinda, dealt 
with erotic sports of Krishna with Radha, and identified Radha with Kamala or Lakshmi, the 
consort of Narayana. Jayadeva also regarded Jagannath as Krishna. Subhadra was treated as 
Lakshmi during the Ganga period, and afterwards. The Purushottama Mahatmya of Skanda 
Purana (a work of 13th century A.D.) and of Vishnurahasya (a work of 16th century A.D.) 
referred to the female wooden image between Jagannath and Balabhadra as Lakshmi. 
Vaishnavite origin of the Jagannath cult  
The Vaishnavite origin of the Jagannath cult is traced by some scholars Purusottama 
Mahatmya projects God Jagannath as Narayana, Krishna-Vasudeva, Buddha etc. Poet Jayadeva, 
as stated earlier, had popularised Vaisnavism in Odisha thro his immortal creation Gita Govinda. 
Further, during the Suryavamsi Gajapati rule, particularly during Prataparudradeva, the visit of 
Srichaitanya and his intimate association with the temple of God Jagannath made Vaisnavism 
popular in Odisha. Several festivals associates with Krishna cult like Krishna Janma, 
Nandotsava, Kaliyadalana, Kemseveare Vakasuravadha, Chandana Yatra etc. were intimately 
associated with the festivals of temple of God Jagannath as are being celebrated till now. No 
doubt, Vaisnavism was  intimately associated with the Cult of God Jagannath in comparison to 
any other religion. Though, the origin of Jagannath cannot be traced satisfactorily, one thing is 
certain that the Cult, the assimilation of tribal element, Vedic religion, Jainism, Buddhism, 
Saivism, Saktism, tantric elements,Vaisnavism, is found.  
Sikhism and Jagannath  
It is told that Sikhism has relation with Jagannath. The Mangu Math of Puri bears its 
memory. That math has the photograph of Guru Nanak. The Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak has 
visited Puri. The future research will provide more fact on this.