Puri, the home of Lord Jagannath
The Jagannath Temple in Puri, Orissa, is the home to Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra. The sibling trio live there, looking over the world and making sure that everything works perfectly.
The temple is also one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites, which makes it an important spiritual and religious destination.
What does Jagannath mean?
To put it in the simplest way possible, ‘Jagannath’ means ‘Lord of the Universe. The name comes from two Sanskrit words - ‘Jagat’ which means world and ‘Nath’ which means Lord. So, Lord Jagannath thus becomes the Lord of the Universe, overseeing everyone no matter in which part and region of the world, and in which realm (human or spirit). He is the protector and caretaker of all creation, and his loving nature is for all (humans and others).
The Rath yatra in Puri
The annual Rath yatra that takes Lord Jagnnath, Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra to their aunt’s home, Gundicha temple, is a spectacle that everyone waits for. The grand chariots, the beautiful idols, the energy that is filled with love and devotion, it is all so pure and pious that it can bring tears to the eyes.
For many, this festival is a time when the boundaries between the mortal world and the spiritual realm blur. The deities, leaving their abode, are seen as reaching out to those who cannot come to the temple, including the spirits.
The carer of both spirits and living
The Jagannath Temple is a place where rituals are performed for both the living and the departed souls. Devotees believe that Lord Jagannath’s divine grace extends even beyond mortal life, and he gives comfort and salvation to the wandering spirits.
And to help humans attain salvation, Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings, comes out of the temple during the Rath Yatra. It is said that anyone who gets the chance to touch his Rath even once, will get moksha.
But, a spirit cannot touch the Rath, so how do they attain salvation? Read on to know.
The Adhara pana rituals
During the Rath yatra, there is a specific ritual for the spirits and energies that cannot be seen by humans. This ritual is known as the Adhara Pana. It is performed on the last day of the Rath Yatra when the deities are placed on their chariots near the Jagannath Temple. Large pots filled with a sweet drink called ‘pana’ which is made with milk, cream, nutmeg, sugar, banana, and more, are placed before the deities. They are then touched to the lips of the deity, as if asking them to have a sip, and then they are pushed to ground. As the pots eventually break, they flow down, and are then consumed by the spirits who are around the Rath and seek salvation from the Earth realm.
Salvation for the roaming souls
For Hindus, the ultimate goal of life is to attain ‘moksha’. Moksha is the liberation from the cycle of birth and death and at times certain souls are left on the Earth, unable to attain Moksha due to their acts, their Karma, or even their past life incidents.
And Lord Jagannath helps them here by giving them a chance to redeem themselves and leave this space.
Be it the ‘Mahaprasad’ that is offered to devotees that is believed to purify them, to the Adhara Pana which is for the spirits to help attain salvation, Lord Jagannath takes care of all, be it living or dead.
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