SYNTHETIC CHARACTER OF JAGANNATHA CULTURE - 1

At a time when Jagannatha gained immense popularity all important religious cults and creeds known to the people of India in' those days were assimilated into the texture of Jagannathism, e loan mortgage. Such a board-based system of religious life is not to be found anywhere in the world.

There are in India numerous religious cults and creeds that draw inspiration from the Vedas and also from other important Hindu scriptures, Consolidation of Student Loan. The pantheistic way of Indian religious life has resulted in the establishment of a large number of centers of worship all over the country dedicated to various gods and, goddesses by different sects and communities. There are evidences in history that at some point of time, there were bloody clashes between different communities each eulogizing its communal gods and goddesses. Such internal feuds among the religious communities helped in the growth of Jainism and Buddhism. There was another class of religious practitioners who believed in occult practices and for achievement of their objects, worshipped many gods and goddesses. Such esoterism (Tantra) gave rise to the worship of Sakti in her ferocious form. The worshippers of Siva and Visnu also contemplated different forms of their gods, their consorts, family members and incarnations. Ultimately the followers of Visnu dominated and claimed the gods and goddesses of other communities to be the subordinates of Visnu. Finally in the 9th century, Sankara advocated non-dualism and preached for one ultimate god. Findings that the Hindus believed in the worship of a number of gods and goddesses, he recommended the worship of selected gods and goddesses each symbolising some aspect of human aspiration, and in course of time five of them became the most important. They are: (a) VISNU: The cosmic sustainer of the phenomenal universe and bestower of salvation. He is the supreme god of Vaisnava sect. (b) SIVA: The cosmic destroyer of the universe and the supreme god of Saiva sect. (c) DURGA: The Mother goddess, the source of all energy (Sakti)) the deity of the Tanttic worshippers. (d) GANESA: The destroyer of obstacles and the fulfiller of desires and (e) SURYA: (the Sun) The most brilliant manifestation of the synthesis of the cosmic trio of the Hindus. 

Subsequently different Vaisnava saints advocated for worship of different forms of Visnu and his a avatars or incarnations. They are Ramanuja, Ramananda, Nimbarka, Vallabha, Madhva, Caitanya, Kabir, Nanak. Tuisi Das etc. and these forms and incarnations are, to name a few, Nrsimha, Krisna, Rama, Narayana, Gopinatha, Madhava, Ananta Sayana and Vasudeva. Worship of Laksmi and Saraswati as the wives of Visnu, either with their husband or alone also prevailed. Similarly Radha and Slta were also worshipped along with Krisna and Rama respectively.