Journey to Jagannath

Puri - looks divine

Jagannath - The word is made of two syllables - Jagat [The World] and Nath [The Lord]. Together they become Jagannath, which means 'The Lord of the World'.

District Puri in Orissa State has a huge temple of Jagannath. I had heard so many stories of Jagannath that it was imperative for me to visit the place. After a couple of hour long bus journey I arrived in Puri.

It didn't take much time for my excitement to melt away along with sweat in the heat of Puri. The grand temple stood tall in front of me but was nowhere even closer to what I had expected.

Usual site in front of jagannath

Both sides of a wide road leading to the temple, was encroached by pavement vendors, garbage heaps and beggars. I put up with scorching sun, stinking rubbish and pestering beggars as I was looking forward to an extraordinary religious experience once I am inside the temple.

The expectations did not last long! As I arrive at the entrance, the police personnel started asking me which country I was from, what religion I followed, where was my home etc. etc. [maybe because I wore jeans and shirt to enter the temple].

I explained. As I inched further another set of questions was waiting for me. What is my father's name? What is my mother's name? They even asked me to show my passport to prove that I am Hindu. [Personally I believe that Hindu is not a religion but a way of life. We do not follow Hinduism but we practice Hinduism and with that theory anyone who practices Hindu way of life is a Hindu]

visiting Jagannath is a real battle
ask this man...

Funny....I thought. To enter a temple in my own country I have to show my passport!
Surprisingly, no other person was asked to show his/her passport [maybe I looked an alien].

My plight did not end there. As I tried entering the main gate of the temple, another policeman stopped me and asked me to take off my socks. "Take off my socks! Why?" They are made of cotton as the rest of my clothes. If the clothes I am wearing are allowed in why are not the socks?

I was perplexed but I had to follow the diktats otherwise I would be forced to come back without meeting Lord Jagannath.

As I enter I witness people swarming everywhere. Some were trying to reach the Gods by  rolling on the ground, others were mumbling some mantras. There were many performing rituals on both sides of the wide steps of the temple [with the help of the hundreds of priests which were scattered in every corner of the temple - just like ants.

Before I could find my way to the main temple [there are many temples on the campus], someone literally grabbed me by my arm and led me to a small crowded room. I had to struggle to let me go free. The room was full of men and in a corner  behind a caged window a man was writing receipts for prasad [offerings]. I asked the guy sitting behind the cage to give me prasad for Rs 50.

To my surprise I was bluntly refused. "You have to take prasad for not less than Rs 121." Why? I was already irritated with the behaviour of security at the gate, now  this illogical demand was enough to infuriate me.

Inside the temple no bags, no cameras and no mobiles phones are allowed. I had taken just Rs 100 in my pocket to get some symbolic prasad. 

I came out of that small room and decided to simply buy two basil leaves garlands to offer to Gods. Finally, after shooing away many hovering priests I could enter the main temple, which was packed. The devotees were pushing each other to get a good glimpse of their deity. And the priests were snatching prasad like hawks, from the hands of devotees, in lieu of a few bucks.

Close look at the deity was an impossible task as the Gods have been kept in a corner away from the mortals. There was a divide between the Deity and their disciple, which was made of a barricading of brass pillars. If it was not enough to keep the people - who come after spending several days and whole lot of money just for a darshan - there was a man standing with a wick mat neatly folded to work like a baton. He was using this baton ruthlessly at people's backs to push them out of the temple. It was his way of asking the devotees to rush - 'have a quick look at the statue [which was not even visible from that far and from that level] and get lost'.

"If you want to go close to the God, take a ticket of Rs.100," I was told.
"Where can I get the ticket from?"
"At the entrance."
I had neither the inclination nor the will to go out again and buy the ticket to see the yellow and black figures hidden in a corner away from the reach of ordinary folks.
To me this temple ignited all feelings except any feeling of religious sentiments!

I was shocked!
It was the most harrowing experience in my life as far a visit to any temple is related.

Is this Lord Jagannath? - The lord of the world!
It forced me to wonder whether the temple is the property of the priests and we are all outsiders, who would be allowed only if these priests want us to go in.
What about those people who travel thousands of kms, spend half of their earnings because they have faith in Lord Jagannath. They are not even allowed to have a relaxed glimpse of their deity!
The whole place - the surroundings and the activities.... suddenly they all appeared  completely illogical to me - a person who is an ardent believer of the almighty.
I came out of the temple depressed. I witnessed people's faith being used and abused by the priests.
I decided never to visit this temple again. I can connect to God better when praying in my house. I don't need to bow before the priests to establish this connect. I do not need to prove that I am Hindu to enter a temple or to pray to God.
My faith in God is much bigger and is more sincere than the statues in any temple anywhere in the world.
Lastly I would prefer to interact with God one to one and not through any priest - no matter how big the temple is and how celebrated is the God!

[apologies to those whose feelings may get hurt by my writing]