The name Jagannath is universally popular not only among the Hindus as their prime deity but also it is equally popular among other religions. The word Jagannath is a combination of two words Jagat Nath. Jagat means the universe, Nath means the lord. It represents that Jagannath is the lord of the universe. Perhaps it is the only Hindu God, who represents the universe and equally popular among people irrespective of caste, creed and religion.
Jagannath is a symbol of unity and integrity. He neither represents any religion, division, caste, region nor any country. He is above all.Jagadguru Adi Shankarachariya has given privilege to the four holy places of India known as Chaturdham. In the east it is Puri, in the west it is Dwaraka, in the north it is Badrinath and in the south it is Rameswaram. In the concept of Adi Shankarachariya, Puri is the prime and the foremost Dham among the four Dhams.
The name of this Dham is otherwise known as Mukti Dham and Baikuntha Dham and it has its own special peculiarities. To this holy place are connected Bhakta Salabega, Dasia Bauri, Bandhu Mohanty, Guru Nanak, Jayadev, Gannapati Bhatta and Adi Shankarachariya. This Dham of lord Jagannath has its own specialties which are not found in any other abodes of gods or goddesses.
The special quality of this Dham is that it has no similarities with any temple, church and masque. Jagannath is made up of a piece of Neem tree, what we call Daru or Mahadaru and the lord is known as Daru Debata.The other deities are made up of clay, rock or metals.Secondly, in the world not only in the Hindu religion, but in others, there is no concept of changing of body, what is known as Ghata Parivartan or Nabakalebar except with lord Jagannath. In an interval between 15 and18 years, when the month of Asadh is doubled in a calendar year, falls the ritual when the lord changes His Ghata.
Thirdly, except the lord Jagannath Dham, in other places, the gods are worshipped with their copartner as Radha-Krishna, Rama-Sita, lakshmi-Narayan, Shiva-Parvati, where as in this Dham, lord Jagannath is worshipped with his elder brother Balabhadra known as Bada Thakura and younger sister known as Subhadra. It represents the universal brotherhood and human unity and integrity. Perhaps Swami Vivekananda has learned the concept of universal brotherhood from this Dham, what he addressed about in the Chicago World Religion Conference.
Fourthly, lord Jagannath is the only deity who is incomplete. He has no leg, arm, ear but Jagannath is the first and the last God to give penance or Moksha; that is why the sacred land Puri is universally popular as the Mukti Dham, a point of full stop for devotion and fulfilment.
Fifthly, no God in the universe leaves his Peeth (original place) except lord Jagannath. In the Asadh Shukla Dwitiya or the second day of Asadh. lord Jagannath, His younger sister Subhadra, elder brother lord Balabhadra and Sudarshan sit in three chariots known as Nandighosh, Darpadalan and Taladhwaj for the biggest festival of the world, popularly known as the Car Festival. The deities leave the temple for the Mausimaa Temple in chariots pulled by the devotees irrespective of caste, creed, colour and religion. Indian democracy is founded upon this concept of universal brotherhood.
Sixthly, during the Car Festival, the king of Puri sweeps the cars as servant of lord Jagannath, which represents the king and the subjects and the God on the same footing.
Seventhly, here in a calendar year, one cannot have the Darshan of lord Jagannath for the entire period because before the Car Festival as the lord goes for Anabasara or Anasara which is known as period for the rest of deities. In our local belief and tradition, the lords suffer from fever due to heavy bath on the Debasnan Purnima and hence fall ill. During this period Ayurvedic treatment is administered on the deities by the Daitapatis. So the devotees can have their Darshan of the Pata Dian that is the replica of the lords painted in bamboo-fabricated panels and it is worshiped and presented for the Darshan of the general public. During this period, only the Daitapatis Sevaks do the duties of the lords.
lord Jagannath’s festival goes for nine days, which represents nine planets. As we know from Kalidas Uttar Kalamrutta that there are only seven planets. By taking seven planets seven days are named.later on two shadow planets included in the study of astrology are known as Rahu and Ketu. They are known as nodal planets or half-made planets.
The nine- day Car Festival of lord Jagannath represents Nabagraha. It is a belief in the Hindu tradition that those who have Darshan of lord Jagannath during the Car Festival or the return Car Festival, will be free from the clutches of the Nabagraha. That person is blessed by Jagannath in the form of Nabagraha and is made free from the chain of the mundane world or Maya.
lastly, Jagannath is the only god in this universe without any gender and is called as genderless god. Jagannath represents Parambrahma or Paramatma because Atma or Brahma has no gender.
Some say lord Jagannath is the black planet Saturn, some say. He is “Kali”, the force and source of feminine; others say he is the Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswar or Shristi, Sthithi and Bilaya rolled into one. Again some say that Jagannath as “Kala” (time). There are also some who believe that Jagannath is Maha Vishnu or Purusottam, the best in human form.
Shree Jagannath not only is associated with religion but also related with literature, art, politics, culture, science, economics, astrology, Vastu, Tantra, Mantra and Jantra. In a nutshell, lord Jagannath is the lifeblood of each study and is a subject starting from the cosmic world to small molecular spirit.Jagannath is directly or indirectly related with this astro solar system. The two big rounded eyes of Jagannath represent the sun and the moon that is the Surya and Chandra.
His blood red lips represent Mangal or mars. In the chariot, Jagannath in the form of Bamana represents Budha (the dwarf planet). In yellow clothes and golden decorated costumes, He represents Bruhaspati. The quality of art of love of Jagannath represents venus.The black colour of Jagannath represents Saturn. The incomplete body of the lord represents the incomplete planets Rahu and Ketu. Thus Jagannath represents the Brahmanda.
The Trinity represents lagna, Rashi and Nakshatra; Jivan, Jouban and Mrutyu, (life, youth and death); Jala, Sthala and Akasha, (water, land and sky) and day, evening and night. Also He is the lord of creation, operation and destruction. Jagannath is made of two big Zeros. So, He represents Sunya (Nothingness).
