LORD LINGARAJA
Bhubaneswar is famous as a Saiva Khetra and Lord Lingaraja is
its principal deity. Lingaraja, otherwise called Kirtivasa,
Kruttivasa, Bhubaneswar and Tri-Bhubaneswar, is believed to
be the most sacred of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India and is
held in high esteem by every pious Hindu. It is a Swayambhu
(self established) Linga. The form in which it is
represented in the sanctuary is that of a huge uncarved block
of granite, about 8 feet (2.4384 metres) in diameter, and
rising eight inches (0.2032 metres) above the level of the
floor. It is half-buried in the centre of the sanctum and is
surrounded by a raised rim of black chlorite ending on the
north-side into a point. This rim is called the Yoni, or the
female emblem. The upper surface of the granite block was
originally unhewn. Although frequent washings for many
centuries have given it a polish, it is even now very uneven
and undulating.
Vaishnavite influence on Lingaraja
A natural line that exists in the Swayambhu Linga (Lingaraja)
is generally pointed out as the line demarcating the Siva and
Vishnu portions of the same deity who is invoked as Harihara.
The leaves of vilva and tulasi, which are favourites
respectively of Siva and Vishnu, are used in daily worship.
The Brushava Stambha bears at the top not only a bull, the
mount of Siva; but also a Garuda, the mount of Vishnu, which
having been placed side by side in front of the temple, have
evidently been meant to make the synthesis of the two cults
visual to a visitor at his first approach to the shrine. The
crowning members of the Lingaraja temple can be seen from a
distance and the topmost two of them are an ayudha (weapon)
and a pataka (flag). In order to bring home to the general
public that the shrine belongs to both the sect, the ayudha
which must have originally been a trisula, was replaced by
one consisting of half a disc and a trident.
Moreover, in remodelling the Lingaraja temple, the Ganga
kings also introduced some Vaishnavite features which are not
usually found in other Saiva shrines. In the southern
door-jambs of the Natamandira are to be found the images of
the Vaishnava Dwarapalas : Jaya Vijaya, in place of Chanda
and Prachanda. On the western side of the main temple of
Lingaraja and on the northern side of its Bhogamandapa the
images of Jagannath and Lakshmi-Narayan have been enshrined,
so that a devotee while making circumambulation will first
meet these Vaishnavite deities before he enters the main
shrine to pay homage to the Swayambhu Linga. Among the
subsidiary temples standing within the compound of the
Lingaraja, there are two to the south of the main shrine of
which one contains the image of the Nrusimha incarnation of
Vishnu and the other, the three images of Ananta, Basudeva,
and Ekanamsa. Besides, on the day Lord Lingaraja returns to
the temple after completing the Car Festival of Asokastami, a
mock quarrel is staged between two parties of priests
representing Lingaraja and Parvati, because during the car
festival of the former takes with him Lakshmi (Rukmini), wife
of Vishnu and not Parvati.
The cumulative effect of the influence of the Jagannath cult
on the Lingaraja temple have been that it has lost its
distinctive character of a Saiva shrine and has adopted the
cosmopolitanism of the Jagannath at Puri. The priests, known
as Badus, who have been described in the sixty-second chapter
of the Ekamra Purana asthe descendants of a Savara mother by
a Saiva saint known as Siddhabhuti are like the Daitapatis of
the Jagannath temple still the custodians of the Lingaraja
shrine, although the Brahmins have also taken a share in the
worship in recent times. 'Notwithstanding the well-known
orthodox dictum that the offerings given to Siva are not to
be partaken of by any Hindu, even the cooked rice offered to
Lingaraja is eaten by all caste Hindus including the
Brahmins'. The custom is certainly analoguous to the one
prevalent in the Jagannath temple where, while partaking of
the cooked rice offered to the god, no caste distinction is
observed.
That these influences of the Jagannath cult in the Lingaraja
temple are not of recent origin is proved by the Ekamra
Purana and other allied works.
Offerings
The deity is bathed with water several times every day and is
wiped dry after each lustration. Offerings of flowers,
sandal paste and cloth are placed on the block (the Linga and
the Yoni pitha), and other offerings are put near it, and the
divinity is invoked to accept them. Hemlock (Conium
maculatum) or hemlock flowers which are generally given to a
Siva Linga are not allowed in the Lingaraja temple. The
leaves of vilva (Aegle marmelos) and tulasi (Ocimum sanctum),
are used in daily worship. Offerings of cooked rice,
curries, and sweet-meats are displayed in the Bhogamandapa,
whence the divinity is invoked to accept them. Coconuts,
ripe plantains, and kora-khai are generally offered to
Lingaraja by the pilgrims. The beverage of bhanga is offered
to Lingaraja by some devotees especially on the day of Pana
Sankranti.
Daily Sevices
The door of the temple is opened in the morning at about 6
a.m. Before the door of the main temple is opened, the Palia
Badu with a pitcher of water goes round the temple compound
sprinkling water in worship on all the phallic images of
Siva. At about 6.30 a.m. the door of the main temple is
unlocked. A servant called Akhanda lights the lamp in the
cella to awaken the Lord from his sleep. Half an hour later
the Palia Badu fetches two vessels of water for the ablution
of the deity. The thre Brahmin servants Charchita, Panda and
Patri perform the act of adoration in which incense is
lighted and arati is done.
When tha arati is over, the Palia Badu begins to brush the
teeth of the deity. A stick smashed at one end to form a
brush is moved about in front of the stone to represent
symbolically the act of brushing the teeth. Water is then
poured out and a napkin turned about to complete the
symbolical ablution of the face.
Flowers used for decoration on the previous night are then
removed. Lingaraja is then bathed and fresh flowers along
with leaves of vilva (Aegle marmelos) are placed in
decoration on the deity. While bathing Lingaraja, the priest
announces that this is being done in the name of the Raja of
Puri.
After this act is over, the temple is thrown open to the
prilgrims up to 12 noon. The transverse beam separating the
cella from the Jagamohan is removed and pilgrims are allowed
to enter the former.
The temple is closed at about 12 O'clock(noon) until about
3.30 P.M. After the door is closed a ceremony known as
'Mahasnana' is performed by Palia Badu who bathes the deity
with water. The Panda Brahmin pours 'Panchamruta' (a mixture
of milk, curdled milk, clarified butter, honey and gur) upon
the deity for purification. The Brahmin servant called
Changara is now called by the Palia Badu for supplying
clothes and ornaments for decoration. The Palia Badu changes
the dress and lays a few ornaments upon it by way of
decoration. Flowers and vilva leaves are also changed and
the floor is completely washed. At about 1 P.M., a ripe
plantain is divided into two, one half is offered to Surya
(Sun God) and the other half to Dwarapala (the deity guarding
the doorway). Sweets are offered to each with half a banana.
Between 1.00 and 1.30 P.M. the food offering called Ballabha
Bhoga (breakfast containing curdled milk, curds, and khai) is
placed before the deity by Patri Brahmin. After this
breakfast (previously it was done in the morning. But
nowadays there has been considerable dislocation, and
Ballabha Bhoga or breakfast has been shifted to early
afternoon) the consecrated food is carried to the temple of
Parvati and placed before her as an offering, in consonance
with the practice observed by the orthodox Hindu housewives.
At about 2 P.M. the Sakala Dhupa (morning's offeing of food)
takes place. After the food is offered to Lingaraja by the
Charchita Brahmin some of the offerings are carried to the
temple of Parvati to serve her. Then comes the ceremony of
waving light.
There is another offering of food at 3.30 P.M. known as
Bhanda Dhupa or food offered at Bhogamandapa. This food is
later shared by the Panda, Patri and Palia Badu. It is
during this ceremony that food offered by the pilgrims is
also presented before the deity.
Then the temple is once more open to the pilgrims for about
an hour, after which the door is closed for a light
refreshment known as Ballabha Dhupa.
Then follows the Dwipahar Dhupa (mid-day meal) which takes
place nowadays at about 5 P.M. After this the door is closed
for the siesta of the Lord. At about 7 P.M. the door is
opened by the Palia Badu. Then the Sandhya arati is
performed and the pilgrims are allowed to visit the Lord till
8 P.M.
The door is afterwards closed for another light meal called
Sahana Dhupa. After serving the meals the ceremony of waving
light (arati) is once more performed before the deity.
Between 9 and 9.30 P.M. preparation are being made for the
last service of the day, namely, Bada Singara (the great
decoration).
The deity is decorated with flowers and ornaments after which
light food offering is made. Lingaraja is then supposed to
retire for the night. A wooden palanquin is laid in the
room, incense lighted, drinking water is served, and prepared
betel is placed near-by. The Panchabaktra Mahadeva comes to
the palanquin and returns to his own abode after the arati is
performed. This is a bronze image of Mahadeva having five
faces and Parvati in his lap. The daily work of the temple
ends with this service. Then the door of the temple is
closed for the night.
Each of these ceremonies is accompanied by ritual observances
and recitations of mantras especially provided for them. The
various offerings to the god in the temple become mahaprasad.
Although offerings to Siva are not attached with sanctity
elsewhere, the Bhogas of Lingaraja are taken as an exception.
They have the same sanctity attached to them as the Bhogas of
Jagannath at Puri and Ananta Vasudeva at Bhubaneswar and
their virtues are dilated upon in the Siva Purana and Kapila
Samhita.
Sebakas of Lingaraja
There are various classes of servitors in the temple of
Lingaraja. They are Akhanda, Abadhana, Bauri, Bhandari,
Bhitar Khuntia, Changara, Chaparasi, Charchita, Chata,
Dakhinaghar sebaka, Dhoba, Dhopakhalia, Garabadu, Gauda,
Ghantua, Gudia, Hadapa Naika, Kahalila, Karatia, Keuta,
Kumbhara, Mahasuara, Mekap, Palia Badu, Panchuati, Puja
Panda, Panti Badu, Parvati, Pasupalaka, Patri, Pharaka,
Parakarana, Pradhan, Puspanjalia, Rosa Paika, Samartha, Teli
and Baidya.
Priests and servants connected with the temple were few when
the original arrangements were made. But later on, families
grew in size or split up, as a result of which there were
many claimants to the same office. So, the temple scribe
called Parakarana maintains a list and notifies to each
individual concerned his khatani, for the following day.
Khatani is a term used to denote the particular duty which a
person has to perform. Since there are many people entitled
to perform the same duty and receive emoluments, the turn of
each comes by rotation.
Many of the Brahmin and non-Brahmin Sebakas have given up
service in the temple, or continue it, not personally but by
proxy. So some of them have indeed become professional
substitutes for others and are thus able to supplement their
meagre income.
Festivals
The festivals celebrated in honour of the divinity are called
yatras. There are 14 principal and 12 minor yatras observed
in a year. The year begins from the 1st day of new moon in
the month of Margasira (November-December) when the ritual
year is said to commence, and the festivals are usually
calculated from that date.
In the temple there are deputies or Chalanti Pratima, viz.,
Chandra Sekhar, Gopalini, Durga, Dolagovinda, Panchabaktra
and Basudeva. All these images are worshipped in a small
temple called Dakhina Ghar (Southern Temple). In some
festival days the mobile deputies go out on courtesy visit to
different temples. Since the deity Lingaraja is a solid
block of stone, it is represented by small bronze images
called Chalanti Pratima. When the deputies are to go out,
they are first taken to the transverse beam by the respective
priests after which they are taken to the decorated Vimana.
Before the deputies are taken out a coconut is broken near
god Ganesh for the smooth ending of the festival.
The hereditary temple officials, such as a representative of
Panchuati, Parakarana, Samantra, Parichha, etc., accompany
the deities on festivals along with other Sebakas. The
magistrate and the police maintain law and order during these
processions.
The fourteen principal festivals of the Lord are
Prathamastami, Pravarana Sasthi, Pusyaviseka, Makar
Sankranti, Maghasaptami, Sivaratri, Asokastami, Damana
Bhanjika, Chandan Yatra, Parasurama Astami, Sayana
Chaturdasi, Pabitra Ropani, Yamadvitia and Uthana Chaturdasi.
The twelve minor festivals are Dhanu Sankranti, Basanta
Panchami, Bhaimi Ekadasi, Kapila Yatra, Dola Yatra, Naba
Patrika, Sitala Sasthi, Janmastami, Ganesh Chaturdasi,
Durgastami, Sodasadina Parba and Kumarottsava.
Car Festival of Lord Lingaraja:
The Car Festival of Lord Lingaraja is celebrated at
Bhubaneswar on the day of Asokastami. In the village Dia
near Nirakarpur in the Khurda sub-division a car festival of
Lord Kapileswara, a form of Siva, is also held on this day.
Except these two places, nowhere in Orissa car festival is
held on the day of Asokastami.
The festival takes place on the 8th of the wane in the month
of Chaitra (March-April) the day preceding Ramanavami. The
day is held sacred, because on this day Sita when confined by
Ravana in Asoka Bana is said to have offered some Asoka
(Saraca indica) flowers to god while praying for re-union
with her Lord Ramachandra. Hindu wives mark it by eating
eight Asoka buds because they believe that they will be
relieved of all troubles and unhappiness for the year.
Spinsters establish bond friendship by placing Asoka buds in
each other mouth. A detailed account on this festival has
been given in the Ekamra Purana which spread over many pages.
On the day before the car festivals, the chariot is
ceremonially purified by the Kshetrabasi Brahmins of the town
and the flag is fixed at the top of the chariot. This is
called Neta Uchhaba(Flag ceremony). At the night of the Neta
Uchhaba, barren women bathe in the water of the Marichi Kunda
situated near the Mukteswara temple. It is believed that
when a barren woman bathes in the water of this tank on this
particular occasion, she is relieved of sterility.
On the day of Asokastami towards mid-day three deities, i.e.,
Chandrasekhar (the respresentative of Lord Lingaraja),
Rukmini and Basudeva are ceremonially brought to ascend the
car. The image of Chandrasekhar is a four-armed Siva
image-two arms in abhaya posture, the third holding an axe
(Parashu) and the fourth holding a deer (Mruga). The image
of Basudeva is a four-armed Vishnu image holding Sankha,
Chakra, Gada and Padma. the image of Rukmini is a four-armed
Durga image holding Sankha, Chakra and Sula in two hands.
All are bronze images. The sitting position of the deities
is like this : Rukmini is seated in the middle,
Chandrasekhar to her right and Basudeva to her left. An idol
of Brushava and a big wooden image of Brahma, who is said to
be the charioteer (Sarathi) of the car, are placed in the
car.
The car is drawn westward up to Badhei Banka and from there
northward to the Rameswara temple situated at a distance of
1.5 km. from the Lingaraja temple. The road on which the
car is pulled is called the Ratha Danda. Previously, cane
ropes were used to draw the car, but nowadays coir ropes are
used for the purpose. Hundreds of people pull the car with
devotion. The womenfolk do not pull the car, but get
satisfication by touching rope. When the car is pulled, the
Dahuka standing on the left side of the car shouts eloquently
many vulgar couplets which the crowd enjoys. On the way the
car stops in the Asura Kiari where Pana and Muan are offered
to propitiate the Asuras for the safe journey of the car.
After the car crossed the Asura Kiari it is drawn up to a
banian tree called Debasabha Batabrukshyua where it stops.
The deities are taken to the Rameswara temple and are kept
for four days in a small apartment which is called Gundicha
Ghar. During their stay at Gundicha Ghar, in a striking
resemblance to the car festival at Puri, Parvati comes on the
3rd day to express her indignation as she was not made to
accompany her consort Lord Lingaraja in the car. She breaks
(the priests of Parvati act for this scene) a portion of the
car and goes back to the temple. On the fifth day, the three
deities start the return jouney called Bahuda. While
returning, the car is drawn to the temple from the back side.
(The car does not take a turn. The altar of the deities is
only changed). Hence, the saying in Oriya : Rukuna Ratha
analeuta i.e., the car of of Rukuna or Rukmini (Rukmini and
Basudeva also sit in the car along with Chandra Sekhar) never
turns back. When Lingaraja is about to enter the sanctuary,
Parvati shuts the door and a mock quarrel takes place between
the two parties of priests on behalf of Lingaraja and
Parvati. However, Parvati is pacified later on and allows
the deities to enter the temple. Thus the festival ends.
The Car
The car is known as Debadalana. It is also called Rukuna
Rath. On the day of Basanta Panchami, the 5th day in the
bright fortnight of Magha (January-February) the Bauri
Sebakas are honoured with new clothes and eight days before
the Siva Ratri festival they go to the forest, cut the
selected trees, and bring the logs to the temple
ceremonially. The construction of the car begins after the
Siva Ratri festival. It is a four-wheeled car of
disc-wheels. The four sides of the car are decorated with
wood-carved images of Surya, Baruna, Indra, Agni, Durga,
Siva, Yama and Kartikeya. The flag bears the emblem of
Ardhachandra. Two pairs of wooden horses in their riding
posture are tied in front of the car. The height of the car
is about 35 feet (10.6680 metres), the diametre of the wheel
is 9 feet (2.7432 metres), the diametre of the axle is 22
inches (0.5588 metres), the thickness of the wheel is about
10 inches (0.2540 metres), and the distance between the two
wheels is about 10 feet (0.2540 metres). The cover-cloth of
the car is of four colours, viz., yellow, red, white and
blue.
Management of the Temple :
The temple is now under the management of a Trust Board,
consisting of a President and eight nominated members. The
Executive Officer, an Officer belonging to O.A.S. cadre and
who is on deputation from the Office of Collector, Khurda is
the ex-officio Secretary of the Trust Board. He is assisted
by an Addl.Executive Officer of O.A.S.cadre.
Development works
The temple percinct, the main temple, and the Parvati temple
have been electrified, the inauguration of which took place
on the 14th January, 1967. The conservation work of the
temple is under the supervision of the Archaeological
Department, Government of India.
Source : Orissa District Gazetteers (PURI), 1977