Some Early Jagannath Temples of Western Orissa

Written by Pabitra Mohan Barik is a lecturer in History,S.H.Mahavidyalaya, Madanpur, Khurda

Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe, who is worshipped at Puri is the supreme deity of the Hindu Community. Puri the sacred city of Orissa is well known for the great temple of Lord

Jagannath. Shree Jagannath is heartily loved and respected by all . Jagannath culture influences every sphere of life in Orissa, whether it is political, social, cultural, religious or economic. Puri the seat of Lord Jagannath is the greatest religious centre of India. . There are a number of Jagannath temples in various parts of Orissa.

Jagannath Temples in Western Orissa :-

Jagannath temple at Brahmapura village near Patnagarh town of Balangir district is one of ancient temples of Orissa. Ramai Deo, the founder of Chauhan dynasty of Balangir-Patna kingdom in the 14th century constructed this Jagannath temple. This temple symbolizes the spread of Jagannath culture in Western Orissa. Ramai Deo, the first Chauhan ruler of Balangir-Patna installed the images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, which he took from Puri. Ramai Deo also took thirteen Brahmana families from Viraja Kshetra, who were engaged in the Seva Puja of the deities. Ramai Deo granted them two villages named Hirapur and Chandanbhati for the maintenance of the temple. Those Brahmana families are living in Brahmapura village till now.

There are number of Jagannath temples in Sambalpur town, which were constructed by Balabhadra Deva, the third Chauhan ruler of Sambalpur kingdom. Brahmapura temple situated in the heart of the Sambalpur town is one of them, where he has installed the images of the Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra in the sanctum. The temple observes all rituals of Jagannath culture. Spiritual scripture Adhyatmya Ramayana was translated into Oriya verses by poet Gopal Telenga under the patronage of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Sambalpur (1726-42 A.D.). Another important early Jagannath temple in Sambalpur is in the Gopalji Matha, popular for its religious activities. Bansigopal, the third son of Madhukar Deva, the fourth Chauhan ruler of Sambalpur became a great Vaisnava and founded the Gopalji Matha in the Sambalpur town on the bank of the Mahanadi. There he spent his whole life as its firstMahanta. He had constructed two temples in this Matha complex, one is Gopalji temple and the other is Jagannath temple.

The Dadhivaman temple at Bhatli of Bargarh district is famous as Jagannath is worshipped as Dadhivaman here. Bhatli is an old village, where, according to tradition the temple of Dadhivaman was built by a rich merchant named Paramananda Sahu. At the time of Car Festival thousands of people congregate here to worship the Lord. The time of construction of the temple of Dadhivaman at Bhatli may be the 18th century. Anangabhima III, the Ganga ruler had constructed many Jagannath temples in Bargarh area after the conquest of western Orissa by his ablest general Vishnu Acharya around 1220 A.D. Anangabhima Deva had granted lands for the running of those temples. He had granted land with a total area of 52.36 acres in village Deshkumhari in Bargarh district. He had granted certain land with a total area of 78 acres in the village Tamparsara, also in Baragarh district as an endowment for the temple of Dadhivamana of that village. The Dadhivamana temple located at Tamparsara is the oldest in Western Orissa.

Sonepur, the head-quarter of Suvarnapur district is famous for its temple culture. It is situated on the confluence of the rivers Tel and Mahanadi. There are many temples in and around this historic town. It is known as the temple city of western Orissa. The Jagannath temple at Sonepur town stands near by the damaged royal palace on the bank of the Mahanadi. Also it is believed that Lord Jagannath idols were kept in Sonepur when Kalapahada attack temples in coastal orissa

Another ancient Jagannath temple of western Orissa is situated at Junagarh in Kalahandi district which is called Dadhivaman temple. Junagarh was the old capital of Nagavamsi kings of Kalahandi. The Dadhivaman temple at Junagarh is existing there since 1718 A.D. as an important centre of Jagannath Culture.

These early Jagannath temples of western Orissa were constructed by the kings of various

dynasties ruling this part of Orissa in the mediaeval period to spread far and wide the inner ideology and philosophy of Jagannath culture.

Endless water journeys

Photo By- Satya P Nanda.   Courtesy -  Balangir Facebook Group

Original Article taken from DECCAN HERALD written by Sarada Lahangir

Twenty years after the UN conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which recognised that the world needs to manage its water resources in a sustainable manner, and 10 years after the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights iterated that “the disproportionate burden women bear in the collection of water should be alleviated”, women continue in their endless trek for water the world over.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost one fifth of the world’s population (about 1.2 billion people) lives in areas where water is physically scarce. The unaccounted burden of water collection in such circumstances invariably falls on women.

Take Kasturi Pangi of Dumripadar village in Odisha’s tribal Koraput district. Despite being in her seventh month of pregnancy, she has to ferry a big pot of water on her head for at least a kilometre each time she goes for a refill. Says Pangi, “The water source is about half a kilometre away along the national highway, and every day I have to make at least three such trips to meet the family’s water requirements.”

The actual value of this effort is lost on her, as indeed her husband, Sarat Pangi, a construction worker. When asked about his wife’s daily scramble to collect water for the family, he casually mumbles, “She has to bring the water in time so that I can take a bath before I leave for work at 8 am.”

In Odisha, there are innumerable villages that have no committed source of water or have very poor water supply. According to Census 2011, around 35.4 per cent of families in the state have to travel long distances to fetch drinking water. A decade back this figure was 30.8 per cent. In other words, there has been an almost 5 per cent rise in the number of villages without adequate water during the summer. 

Some districts are worse off. Every second family in the tribal-dominated district of Kandhamal travels more than half a kilometre to fetch drinking water, while 50.4 per cent of houses are not near any source of drinking water. Kandhamal is, in fact, the worst affected among the state’s 30 districts. The data further reveals that in rural Odisha only 7.5 per cent households has access to tap water, while 19.8 per cent depends on wells and another 66.9 per cent uses tubewells.

The day starts early for these water carriers and things get particularly harrowing during the summer months. “When the river dries up under the hot summer sun, we women sometimes have to dig a hole on the river bed to access water. These holes are known as ‘chahalas’ and we have to wait for each one to fill up before we can scoop out more water,” explains Malati Bag of Kirakela village, in Nuapada, another water scare district in the state. 

Life is hardly easier for the women of Bolangir district which is, like the others, a tribal dominated one. Sabitri Tandi of Bangomunda block in Bolangir has to go to a water source about half a kilometre away from her home. Since she has to make three such trips a day in the searing heat, she ends up covering three to four kilometres every day.
What is generally not reported is the high price women pay for water collection in terms of their physical health. 

Jamuna Dharua, 23, from Bolangir, has a tragic story to relate, and this despite having a well in the premises of her home. Last year, she suffered a miscarriage while drawing water from the well. Recalls Dharua, “We have eight member families solely depend on that one well for all its domestic use and on an average, we have to draw at least 20 buckets of water from the well every day.

I was in my fourth month of my pregnancy during a time when the water level of the well had gone down to 15 ft deep because of dry summer conditions. While I was drawing water, I felt a mild pain in my lower abdomen that I overlooked. A few days later, I had a miscarriage and the doctor explained that bending over at the waist for a long time while drawing water from the well could be one of the factors for this.” Ironically today her sister-in-law, who is pregnant, spends much of her day drawing water from the well.

Dharua’s mother-in-law, Kalabati, 60, is quick to defend herself, “Our women are used to this kind of work and everyone does it — my ‘bohu’ (daughter-in-law) — is no exception. Jamuna’s miscarriage was an accident. I don’t keep well, so I cannot help these girls with such chores. So if my ‘bohu’ doesn’t do this work, who will? My sons?” 

Scarcity of water has other health implications as well. As summer wears on, the people of Bahadulki village of Rayagada district become dependent on the local stream for their daily needs and incidents of diarrhoea and cholera shoot up because the stream is contaminated by water from a nearby drain. Explains one woman who didn’t want to be named, “We are getting infections because of this water. When we get our periods, there is insufficient water to clean our clothes, and we end up with urinary infections.”

Explains Bhubaneswar-based social activist, Amrita Patel, who is familiar with women’s concerns in this region, “Generally, I have seen women in rural Odisha carry massive 15- or 20-litre aluminium pitchers full of water on their heads, while holding on to another 10- to 15-litre bucket full, and walking several kilometres. One hardly ever sees a man carrying even a small pitcher of water on his head! This is because, according to local social norms, getting water for domestic purposes like for drinking, bathing and cleaning is the sole responsibility of the women.”

What disturbs Patel is that public discussions on reducing the burden of women in terms of water collection only revolve around the need to reduce the distance to the source by provisioning a water source at an accessible location. While this is an important concern, she believes that the time has also come to break the norm that ensures that water collection is strictly seen as a woman’s task.

Ranjan Panda, Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha, a voluntary organisation working on water issues, is worried about the future. Says he, “As the years go by, sources of drinking water are only going to get depleted, given our vanishing water bodies. This will make women even more vulnerable in the future. It is time that society becomes more sensitive to the issue. So far the government has never addressed it from a gender perspective.”   

Only Rs 40 cr to Khurdha-Balangir line : KKD Protest Across Kosal

The KOSAL KRANTI DAL and ALL KOSAL STUDENT UNION (AKSU) organised a Rail Roko at Balangir station on 20th March 2012 in protest of the meagre allocation of fund for the 20 year old Balangir-Khurda railway line..The rail roko was withdrawn after the local police intervene.

Political reactions across Balangir:-

“It’s shocking that the Central Government neglected Odisha again. Giving a mere Rs 40 crore for the Khurda-Balangir rail line is absolutely shameful and a sheer neglect of the genuine demands of the people of western Odisha,” said BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo here.

Raising the fare will badly hurt the poor people of India, he added.

“The allocation of Rs 40 crore for the rail line is too ‘meagre’ and we condemn the apathetic attitude of the Central Government towards the people of Balangir and this region. If the allocation goes in this way, it will take many long years to complete the Khurdha-Balangir rail project,” lamented Bhavani Satpathy of Balangir Citizens’ Committee.

The Railway Board chairman had assured of looking into the project, when a delegation comprising Baisnab Parida, Prasanna Patsani, Sivaji Pattnaik, Rudramadhab Ray and Bhavani Satpathy met him in New Delhi in December, 2011.

He also assured to run the railway from Bhubneshwar to Begunia, besides commencement of work from Balangir side, Satpathy said. However, not a single assurance given by chairman to the delegation was fulfilled, Satpathy pointed out.

The allocation for Khurdha-Balangir railway line must be substantial every year. We demand at least Rs 200 crore for the rail line annually and a specific time limit to complete it, said Kosal Kranti Dal president Promod Mishra.

The rail line which would serve as a linkage between coastal region and western parts of Odisha, besides ensuing economic development, has been ignored and a meagre allocation has been made this year. The announcement of setting up a railway wagon factory in Sitapali in Ganjam is somewhat “surprising” and it should have been set up anywhere in western Odisha, Mishra said further.

Photo Courtesy :- Swadhin Mishra

KOSLI MATRUBHASA DIVAS ON FEB 21, 2012

Kosal Ekta Manch is observing "Kosli Matrubhasa Divas" or "Kosli Mother Language Day" on the occasion of World Language Day on February 21, 2012 at Bhubaneswar.

The meeting will be held between 9.30 AM to 2 PM at Red Cross Bhawan. Sachibalaya Marg, Unit 9

9 AM - Breakfast

9:30 AM - Meeting

2 PM - Lunch

Kosli Matrubhasa Divas: Concept Note

Language is never the prerogative or monopoly of limited group or community. The uniqueness of a language lies in its universal appeal. That is why it is said that in the galaxy of linguism every word is a glittering star. Kosli language might be a little star in the universal firmament but it does twinkle and occupy a space of its own in the linguistic world. Drawn from this logic one cannot but say that kosli is a full fledged language and not a sub language of Odiya as claimed more often than not. Kapila Samhita says “ Punya Swarnapuri prokta punya marjara kesari, kosalesu punya traya punya chitrotpala nadi ”. History says and linguists agree to the fact that Awadhi, Baghelkhandi and

Chhatisgarhi are the derivatives of kosli Language. As india remains India even after the partition of Pakistan and Bangladesh, Kosli remains the principal language of Kosal region even after these languages have established themselves as separate languages. Therefore linking Kosli with Odiya is a misnomer. Kosli is spoken by more than one crore population and that it has survived the test of time and hegemony of a larger community over a minor , is itself a testimony to cherish.

This language is craving for recognition from a pretty long period but as history repeats, the Odiyas look down upon and reject the status of the language like the Bengalis who once said “ Odiya Ek Ta Bhasa Na e” . Lalu Yadav said Jharkhand will be built over his dead body. Today Jharkhand is a reality and Lalu Yadav is still alive. Tall claims of notorious people have never got cognizance of the civil society and it will not be a surprise if such elements are alive in Odisha too.

Nothing is permanent because ‘change’ is the truth and that is constant. There will be a change. kosli as a language will be accepted one day even by its worst adversaries. Today on this day, when we celebrate the Kosli Matrubhasa Divas in the capital of our neighbouring state, we only appeal to the conscience of those who wrote the political history of Odisha, to rethink as to whether their brethren in Kosalanchal are justified in their demand for recognition of the language in the 8th schedule of the constitution and to grant the second official language status of the state as well.

Baidyanath Mishra, 94370 83025

Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) to launch a month-long stir for Kosal State from Dec 23

Originally Written By Sudhir Misra for DailyPioneer

The Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) will launch a movement in the entire ‘Kosalanchal’ region to sensitise people about its demand for a separate Kosal State from December 23 to January 23 next.

This was announced to the media on Sunday by KKD chief Pramod Mishra. The entire ‘Kosalanchal’ has been divided into five zones along with Boudh and Athmallik subdivision of Angul district, he said.

Commenting on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s move to create four smaller States out of the existing UP, Mishra observed that it is high time the Government of Odisha adopted a resolution in the State Assembly in favour of a Kosal State. All political parties should come forward to join hands for formation of a separate Kosal State, Mishra said.

The month-long movement in Balangir district would start from Harishankar on December 23, and simultaneous Yatras would be organised in the other districts of the region, Mishra informed.

“After this movement, we will visit New Delhi and put forth our demand of creation of a separate Kosal State to Centre leaders. We will also stage a dharna before the Parliament during its next session,” Mishra informed further.

Interstate Sambalpuri Drama Competition At Sambalpur

The 15th Veer Surendra Sai Inter-state Sambalpuri Drama Competition, organised by Yuba Udayan, will be held at the Aranyaka Mandap at Jharuapara , Sambalpur from 24th December to 31st December 2011.

As many as 22 sambalpuri-Kosli drama will be performed on the stage with three dramas per day.

The dramas will start from 6 PM daily.

• Yuba Udayan started in 1997 to bring all the theatre activists otogether.

• Veer Surendra Sai All Orissa Sambalpuri Drama Competition was born for the revival forthe Kosli / Sambalpuri drama activities. In the inaugural year only 19 plays were presented and the next fourteen years witnessed 346 plays being staged. Kosli theatre has engaged scripts, directors and artists to work for performing these dramas.

FIND BELOW THE DETAIL LIST OF SAMBALPURI DRAMA'S TO BE PERFORMED DURING THIS COMPETITION

Starvation Death Continues in Kosal - 3 died in Nuapada

News Courtesy :- The New Indian Express

The spectre of starvation deaths continues to haunt KOSAL region (western Odisha), with three more suspected cases being reported from Sinapali block of Nuapada district in the last two days.

The State Advisor to the Commission of Supreme Court on the Right to Food is scheduled to visit the block to ascertain the cause of the deaths.

Reports said Laxman Jagat (27) of Kuliadangri village in Karanbahal gram panchayat died on Friday.His brother, Ghasi Jagat in his complaint to the police said Laxman was suffering from prolonged illness due to malnutrition. His wife and daughter left the house leaving behind Laxman and his widowed mother.Since then the two have been surviving on her meagre old-age pension.

And a day after Laxman breathed his last, Lochani Bewa (60) of the village also died due to malnutrition.While the villagers accused his son of not taking care of him, there is no denying that he died without food.No rice was procured using the Antodaya card for the last three months.

Similarly, Durbal Nag (55) of the village also died on Saturday leaving behind a physically-challenged son, Ralen.The father-son duo depended on their quota rice which failed to reach them in the absence of a proper distribution system.

Block Development Officer (I/c) of Sinapali, Debasis Sinha said while Lochani Bewa and Durbal Nag died of natural causes, medical report of Laxman Jagat is awaited.

He admitted that 10 to 15 beneficiaries had not received rice under various schemes and he was probing the matter.

The distribution of rice in the gram panchayat was virtually stopped after villagers locked the gram panchayat office on September 21 and the arrest of Executive Officer Tankadhar Bhoi for irregularities in the distribution of rice.

His successor Madhab Hati claimed that the villagers had not been cooperating, affecting the distribution.

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Our view :- Blaming the villagers wont work anymore.It has been more than 7 decades since we got our independence and were forcefully merged with the Orissa province.But till date there is hardly anyone sitting in Bhubaneswar is worried about our people.These blocks of Kosal region are prone to starvation deaths and large scale migration and this is not new...It's been happening since many decades but it seems the Orissa govt has gone into deep sleep...Had these incidents would have happened in Coastal Orissa, the whole state govt Machinery would have become active in helping them round-the clock...The bottom line is still we the people of KOSAL region are being treated indifferently..Our lives don't have values for the colonial masters sitting in Bhubaneswar