Deva Snana Poornima is an important ritual in the build up to the Annual Car festival of Lord Jagannath. For the un-initiate, on this day the idols of Sudarshana, Ma Subhadra, Lord Balabhadra and Lord Jagannatha are taken out to the 'Altar of Bathing' inside the temple premises. An elaborate bath is given which can … Continue reading Deva Snana Poornima – the ritual and its significance
Tag: jagannath
in search of the origin of a sweet dish
‘Rasagola Dibasa – Odisha Celebrates a Day For Rasagola (Rasgulla)’ is Dr. Anita Sabat's second book. Here is what the blurb says: This publication ‘Rasagola Dibasa – Odisha Celebrates a Day For Rasagola (Rasgulla)’ is a sincere attempt to share about Odisha’s centuries-old sweet-dish Rasagola; continuing tradition, Niladri Bije; and the online celebration of #RasagolaDibasa. … Continue reading in search of the origin of a sweet dish
Gita Govindam – the ultimate romance
As I do a little research now to refresh my knowledge about Jayadeva and his Gita Govindam it comes as a pleasant surprise to know that Guru Granth Sahib has some of his verses even though these are not from Gita Govindam for which he is primarily known. There is no dispute over the facts … Continue reading Gita Govindam – the ultimate romance
Sri Jagannath: beyond myths and miracles
No religion or spiritual sect is complete without myths and miracles. Stories of miracles abound around Lord Jagannath. Being the Kaliyuga form of Lord Krishna even though he is primarily a Vaishnav God, his devotees have come from diverse sects and religions over the past millennium. After all, the deity is none other than Jagannath … Continue reading Sri Jagannath: beyond myths and miracles
Odisha and its People : the Unknown, the Unique and the Ugly
Where is Odisha? To write about unknown Odisha is a difficult proposition because, for someone not from Odisha everything about Odisha may be unknown. In my interactions with common men during my travels in India I have found that the North Indians think it is somewhere in South India and the South Indians think it … Continue reading Odisha and its People : the Unknown, the Unique and the Ugly
From Jagannath to Juggernaut
Google's dictionary gives the meaning of the word Juggernaut as follows: When you try to find out the word origin, the first page of google search results is full of links to sites run by established dictionary publishers like Macmillan, Webster etc. Of course wikipedia also finds a place. The explanation of wikipedia is much … Continue reading From Jagannath to Juggernaut
What about some thoughts for foods?
Having chosen a deshi theme, I will be talking of Indian Foods. Nothing in particular. Some random observations foraged over the years. Disclaimer: I am neither a foodie nor some kind of a Chef- in- the-making taking advantage of the period of lock down. A sweet battle with our neighbour Unlike some Indian states which … Continue reading What about some thoughts for foods?
One can travel for food to these Odisha temples
https://youtu.be/xbF5xuXCyog In a previous blog post I had written disapprovingly about attending a Gita Jayanti celebration and coming back without hearing a single sloka of Bhagavat Gita but with a stomach full of food. I liked the food though. In many temples like the one I have mentioned about, elaborate dishes are prepared only on … Continue reading One can travel for food to these Odisha temples
I stand / stand not with Abhijit
Seems, Abhijit Ayer - Mitra, the loud mouth journalist and friend of fallen BJD angel Jay Panda, is having a taste of his own medicine. At least that is what appears from his earlier tweets. Abhijit Mitra's consistent derogatory remarks about Odisha either comes from his shallow understanding of India's cultural roots and pluralism or … Continue reading I stand / stand not with Abhijit
watchings of idle hours #4 : God’s east India abode
India is full of places of pilgrimages. Each state and each district can boast of thousands of places of pilgrimage, each associated with a puranic legend or some form of divinity. After all, according to Hindu belief, even though the ultimate reality is only one, it manifests in 3.3 bn different divine forms. But, the … Continue reading watchings of idle hours #4 : God’s east India abode
PEBBLES AND WAVES 