Book on Lord Jagannath’s secret journeys

BHUBANESWAR:  A book ‘Secret Journeys of Lord Jagannath’ was released by Rajya Sabha Member Soumya Ranjan Patnaik here on Tuesday. Published by Sree Jagannath Sankruti Parishad and US-based Dr Dash Foundation, the book chronicles the secret journeys of Lord Jagannath during invasions. It has been authored by 16 Jagannath scholars from across the State. 

The book has some interesting facts and historical anecdotes about the Lord and Jagannath temple in Puri. The authors have written about secret journeys that Lord Jagannath, His Siblings and servitors had to undertake during invasions by Muslim rulers. There were 18 invasions and the Lord was shifted from the sanctum sanctorum 22 times - twice within the temple complex and 20 times outside the complex. The Trinity was buried twice to save them from invaders and their total duration of stay outside the temple was 162 years and four months.

The book mentions that Lord Jagannath and His Siblings were first shifted outside the temple in 670 to 675AD when Raktabahu invaded Puri. The deities were shifted to Gopali in Sonepur and hidden in Chalia mountain of present day Kotasamalai. The place is now called Patali Srikhetra. The deities were buried in a cave of Chalia mountain for 144 years and brought to Puri between 814 and 819 AD.  

Interestingly, while Somnath temple in Gujarat suffered irreparable losses due to 17 attacks by Muslim invaders, Puri Jagannath temple remained unscathed despite 18 such attacks. Authors have pointed out that 50,000 sevaks, Paika warriors and devotees were killed while safeguarding the Puri temple.