Annals and Antiquities of the Temple of Jagannatha

Contents: About the author. Editor's note. Preface. 1. Origin of the shrine. 2. Construction of the temple down the ages. 3. Architecture and sculptures of the temple. 4. Temple through turmoils. 5. Management of the Shrine by the kings. 6. Sevak establishment of the temple. 7. Daily rituals of the deities. 8. Some facts and anecdotes on the temple. 9. Jagannathism. 10. Temple during the British rule. List of appendices. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Sketches.

"The temple of Jagannatha occupies a unique place in our rich but divergent culture. It is a wonder that it has withstood the vicissitudes of time for several centuries with incredible resoluteness. True to its title, this book deals with the antiquities as well as other pertinent issues. Readers interested to know about the past history of this shrine will not be disappointed e.g., as regards the different seva, it mentions the ones prevalent during the rule of Gajapati Anangabhima Dev II in the thirteenth century. It may be reiterated that there is a virtual continuity in the observance of the rituals and festivities in this great shrine of Visnu as evidenced from the narrations of Abul Fazl (Ain-i-Akbari, 1580 A.D.) that "The three images (Jagannatha Triad) are washed six times every day and freshly clothed.....and each time large dishes of food are brought out for the images so that twenty thousand people partake the Prasad." Religion and statecraft have existed in close proximity elsewhere and Orissa is no exception. During the reign-period of different dynasties, Jagannatha has played a significant role. The waxing and waning of their influence were determined by their attitude towards the shrine. The readers are reminded that this book was written seventy six years ago and it is being published for the first time. The author has all along been balanced in his description of the various aspects of the shrine. He has solicited the readers to point out the inherent deficiencies and suggest measures to improve upon the work. But he is no more and in the meantime, the profile of readers has also changed. His effort to present a comprehensive account of the origin of the temple, its control by alien rulers, the portrayal of some interesting anecdotes, its rituals, architecture and sculpture is indeed a very laudable one." (jacket)