The Jagannath Cult of Odisha is a syncretic religious tradition built around the worship of Lord Jagannath — literally, the Lord of the Universe. This is a world-famous culture which has many unique aspects that defy neat theological boxes. I was on a pilgrimage from 15 to 18 October accompanied by seven men and women who are part of Heritage Walks across the country. We had first-hand experience of the religious customs in the 12th-century Puri Jagannath Temple. We also had glimpses of other temples in Odisha and a couple of Buddhist and Jain monasteries. Visiting various religious sites was part of an interfaith exercise — not tourism, but darshan in the broadest sense.

Our first port of call was the Puri Jagannath Temple. It is one of the Char Dhams — the four citadels that define Hindu sacred geography. It is also famous for the primacy of Hindu orthodoxy, but in practice, it has always been a cosmopolitan religious site. In order to navigate the huge crowd in Puri, we had sought the help of the Odisha Government which guided us to the temple protocol office. There were many other ‘VIPs’ escorted by their own security and official guides. It was relatively smooth to go around the temple and see several other deities inside the complex. We also had a chance to peep into the legendary Rosaghara — the temple kitchen which makes Mahaprasad for 10,000 to 50,000 people daily in 750 earthen hearths, arguably the largest kitchen in the world.
The uniqueness we noticed in Jagannath Temple is layered.
First, this is one place where Lord Krishna is worshipped not alone, but with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra on the same Ratna Singhasana. The trinity itself is unusual.
Second, the deities have tribal roots in the indigenous Sabara tradition. The wooden idols — Daru Brahma — are carved from neem, not stone or metal, and are replaced every 12 to 19 years in the Nabakalebara ritual. Legend says Vidyapati, a Brahmin, married Lalita, daughter of Visvavasu, the Sabara chief who guarded the deity Neela Madhava in the forest. That marriage of Aryan and tribal is the mythic origin of Jagannath.
Third, the temple blends elements of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Tantrism, Buddhism and Jainism, viewing Jagannath variously as Krishna, Vishnu, Bhairava, Dakshina Kalika, or even a representation of Buddha — as Jayadeva and later Buddhist scholars argued. The Shri Mandir is thus not sectarian; it is a confluence.
The other speciality that moved us is the popular bhajan Ahe Nila Saila was written by a Muslim poet named Salabega (1607-1645), son of a Mughal subedar and a Brahmin widow. Though denied entry into the temple, his devotion was such that the chariot of Lord Jagannath during the Car Festival — Ratha Jatra — still stops briefly at his Mazar on Grand Road in honour of his deep devotion. This bhajan is sung in many schools during morning prayers across Odisha. Where else would a Hindu temple honour a Muslim devotee mid-procession?
The Lord Jagannath has human-like attributes unlike other Vedic deities. Jagannath is considered a living family member who wakes, rests, falls ill during Anasara after excessive bathing during Snana Purnima, and partakes in daily meals like Pakhala (watered rice) like any Oriya. He wears winter shawls, sweats in summer, and is given 56 varieties of food — Chhappan Bhog. It also challenges rigid caste barriers through the universal distribution of Mahaprasada. Once Mahaprasad is taken, cooked by so-called low-caste Suaras and carried by Mahasuaras, caste disappears. All eat together from the same earthen pot, on the floor of Ananda Bazaar. The British were puzzled by this “holy anarchy”.

Beyond Puri: The Plural Map

The team visited the Jain sites of Khandagiri and Udayagiri on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. They consist of 117 caves — not 432 as locally misquoted — built around first and second century BCE under King Kharavela, where Jain monks meditated. Now after erosion over time, about 33 major caves remain. These caves reflected devotion, discipline, and the décor of the time. Hathigumpha inscription narrates Kharavela's life. Udayagiri is the Sunrise hill. Pilgrims climb 135 steps for worship. The austere caves are in stark contrast to the baroque opulence of Puri, yet both are Odia.
Then to Dhauli Giri, the Buddhist temple of pure white marble presenting a serene profile on the bank of river Daya — Dayanadi — which ran red with blood in the Kalinga War in 261 BCE. This is where Emperor Ashoka turned to Dhamma and spread its teachings to South and South-East Asia, starting with Sri Lanka. He sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to propagate Buddhism. The Shanti Stupa built by Japanese Buddhists in 1972 stands as a rebuke to empire. From Khandagiri's renunciation to Dhauli's remorse to Puri's inclusion — Odisha offers a full moral arc.
Since it was the week of Durga Puja (Dussehra) which is quite popular in the East, mainly Bengal and Odisha, we visited several pandals erected for Goddess Durga who killed the demon Mahishasura, an evil incarnate. He was blessed with a boon that no man or god could kill him, only a woman whom he viewed as weak could ever possibly defeat him. That is why Durga was created combining the energies of Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. What struck us was the wonderfully bright and elegant decorations of the Goddess studded with gold and silver-like art work. Also, there was competition among localities in making the best tableau which meant more money spent. To me, as a person hailing from a deprived district of Odisha — Kalahandi-Bolangir — it was sheer extravaganza: devotion competing with display.

The Unfinished Agenda: Management

While Odisha presents a pluralist religious culture through Jagannath Cult and other religious sites, the management of pilgrims could be better handled. Substantial improvement has taken place with official guides, rest houses, light and sound shows, video briefings etc., under the recent Srimandir Parikrama project, yet crowd management needs further improvement.
I say this out of my latest experience in Puri Jagannath Temple. The challenge was when we were escorted into the sanctum sanctorum where Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are seated. As soon as the gates opened after the Aarti, devotees surged, jostling and squeezing. There were a couple of security guards screaming in vain for order. We had a couple of stout young men escorting and guiding us. But it was scary. If lights failed or any unexpected thing like a pillar giving way or a devotee fainting happened, it could have led to a stampede.
It was shocking to hear, even during our visit, that a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata had collapsed causing a stampede and death of 19 devotees. Such disorder and death was witnessed in Bengaluru when fans of Royal Challengers Bengaluru were celebrating winning IPL 2025. Unless pandals are strictly monitored, structures certified, and crowd flow managed meticulously with one-way movement, barricading and emergency exits, and such incidents could happen anywhere — even in a 12th-century temple.
The Jagannath Cult teaches us that pluralism is not an essay topic, it is practice — tribal wood becoming God, a Muslim bhajan stopping a Hindu chariot, Mahaprasad erasing caste. But for that living pluralism to survive, the physical space that holds it must be safe, humane and well-governed. Faith brings crowds; administration must bring order.

Email:---------------------------------dr.dkgiri@gmail.com