Jagannath - Epigraphic Evidence of Jagannath and The Timeline

Epigraphic Evidence of Jagannath and The Timeline

The antiquity of Jagannath is supported by several historical, literary and epigraphic evidences.

318 AD: According to William Hunter, first appearance of Jagannath in history occurs during 318 AD when the priest fled with his image to escape the wrath of Raktabahu and his band of plunderers.

464 AD: As per A. B. Mohanty, the holy log was recovered by a King about 146 years later from the jungles of western kingdoms.

475 AD: The second reconstruction [First being the reconstruction from Nila Madhav shrine by King Indradyumna) of the Jagannath temple by Yayati Kesari and the renewal of the cult after Yavana invasion of Orissa in the 5th century AD, as per Puri's late 16th century Madala Panji temple chronicles.

Historian K. C. Panigrahi suggested that Puri's legendary account of the claimed invasion of Orissa under the Yavana general Raktabahu in the 4th/5th century AD during the reign of the legendary king Sovanadeva (Legendary) may contain a historical reminiscence of the conquest of Orissa by the Rastrakuta King Govinda III during the reign of the Bhaumakara king Subhakara deva who ruled in coastal Orissa around 800 AD. And moreover, he pointed out that Jagannath's legendary absence of 146 years in western Orissa (between Raktabahu's invasion and Yayati's 'rediscovery' of Jagannath and reinstallment at Puri) corresponds more or less exactly with the space of time between the historical reigns of Subhakaradeva and Yayati-I, the Somavamsi ruler Yayati Kesari established the first regional kingdom of Orissa. The installation of Jagannath at Puri temple took place several years after Yayati Kesari had come to throne, viz., in Yayati's 9th regnal years. Moreover in both cases the images were renewed outside Puri. Yayati Kesari performed the great 'Vanayaga' ritual in the vicinity of his former capital near Sonepur of Orissa and Jagannath was finally reinstalled on at Puri only two years after the renewal of the idol. However, In Puri, too, no pre-sixteenth century sources of the Yayati Kesari account are known. Contemporary facts are fully silent about any activities of the Somavamsis at Puri, particularly of Yayati Kesari as builder of the first Jagannath temple at Puri. The silence of early medieval sources would be surprising in view of the many available Somavamsi inscriptions and other literary sources which could have mentioned or even praised Yayati Kesari and his great deeds at Puri. In Purusottama Mahatmya which has contained the Indradyumna legend and the origin of Jagannath's Daru Devata at Puri there is no mention of Yayati Kesari.

That there was an earlier temple of Jagannath at Purushottama Kshetra prior to the present one built by Chodaganga Deva in 12th century AD, is established by Sanskrit playwright Murari Mishra's Anargharaghava Natakam (c. 9th century), which refers to Purushottama being worshipped on the seashore. (Orissa Historical Research Journal, Vol. III, No. I, PP. 9–10). In the drama Anargharaghava Natakam, the name Purushottama is used to denote the place. In the Ganga rule the Jagannath temple was rebuilt by Gangeswar or Chodaganga Deva (1078-1147 AD).

8th century AD: In many copper plates dating 8th century AD, mention of individuals bearing the name of Purushottama also substantiates the wide popularity of Purushottama Jagannath.

810 AD: Sankarcharya visits shrine at Puri in course of spiritual conquest over Buddhism and other denominations, and establishes Govardhana Matha at Puri upon mahavakya Prajñānam brahma (Brahman is Knowledge). Sankarcharya must have come across the image of Nila Madhava as described in Skanda Purana as above, during his visit to Puri.

1078 AD: Devayatana of Purushottama finds special mention in Krishna Mishra's Prabodha Chandrodaya Natakam (c.1078 AD).

1135 AD: Chodaganga Deva began the construction of the present temple in circa 1135 AD. In the Dasgoba Copper Plate Inscription of the late 12th century, Chodaganga's grandson Rajaraja III praised his grandfather for having built the Jagannath temple which had been “neglected” by previous kings, as per Epigraphia Indica, XXXI, p. 255, which indicates epigraphical evidence of the existence of a Jagannath temple at Puri before the construction of the present temple.

12th Century AD: The Vaishnava preachers of the 12th century viz. Sri Ramanujacharya, Acharya Nimbarka, Acharya Vishnuswami and Sri Madhavacharya established monasteries at Jagannath Puri to spread their religious theories.

1210 AD: The Gitagovinda of Jayadeva mentions of the glory of Jagannath.

1211 AD: Emperor Anangabhima deva (1211- 1238 AD) donated his vast empire to Sri Purushottama Jagannath and declared himself as his servant (Rauta). Due to his efforts several Jagannath temples were set up at different places in Orissa. During the Suryavamsi period (1435-1533 AD) the same trend continued.

13th century AD: A sculptural piece of Konark temple of the 13th century AD depicts its builder, King Narasimha-I, offering worship to Siva Linga, Purushottama Jagannath and Durga.

1328 AD: Epigraphic sources reveal that the inscriptions of Bhanudeva II (1306-1328 AD) of Eastern Ganga dynasty make the first mention of the name, ‘Jagannath'. (South Indian Inscriptions, Vol. V, No. 1214). Thus, the name Jagannath has been used for the first time in the inscriptions of Bhanudeva-II as in “Puri Copper Plates of Bhanudeva-II”, Ed. D.C.Sircar, JASB, XVIII, I, 1956, P.25. During the reign of Bhanudeva-II, a feudatory chief had made gifts at Sikurmam in the 3rd Anka of Jagannath Deva when Sri Bhanudeva was ruling. (Kalinga Historical Quarterly, I, P.251). According to the Puri Grant of 1313, Bhanudeva granted villages in the 7th Anka of Purushottama Jagannath deva. Thus in a private record Purushottama comes to be called Jagannath. It appears to be the earliest epigraphical reference to the name, Shri 'Jagannath'.

Late 16th century AD: The destruction of the 'Darumurti' of Puri's Holy Trinity by Islamic barbarian iconoclast Kalapahara. According to N'mat Allah's Makhzan-i-Afghan of the year 1612 AD, "every Afghan, who took part in campaign, obtained as booty one or two gold images, Kalapahara destroyed the temple of Jagannath at Puri which contained 700 idols made of gold, the biggest of which weighed 30 Mans" (M.A.Rahim, History of Afghan in India, AD 1545-1631).

1590-1592 AD: The rise of Ramachandra Deva of Khurda and his renewal of the images of Jagannath at Khurda in about 1587 and at Puri in 1590/92.

It has been argued somewhere that the most important message of the Bisar Mahanty and Yayati Kesari legends to Jagannath's devotees is proclaimed in the very beginning of the Madala Panji temple chronicle which commences with the words
"Jagannath, the Lord of deities, never abandons Sri Purushottama (Puri) even though crores of Brahma (Brahmanda) are destroyed."