->Mike Peel: remove misplaced commons category

2021-01-23T17:06:21Z

remove misplaced commons category

New page

{{refimprove|date=July 2011}}

[[File:Puri078.jpg|thumb|The [[Jagannath]] Temple at [[Puri]], Nilachala]]
The abode of [[Hindu]] deity [[Jagannath]] at [[Puri]] is known as the '''Nilachala''' or '''Niladri''', [Nila (Blue) + Achala (Mountain)] meaning, The Blue Mountain.

The Nilachala is a place of high religious significance in [[Hinduism]] and is one of the four [[Char Dham]]s. Religious teachers like Shri [[Ramanuja]] Acharya, Swami [[Vishnuswami]] visited Nilachala in the Twelfth century and established a [[matha]]s. Shri [[Nimbarka]] Acharya also visited Puri, as also Guru [[Nanak]] Dev and many other Acharyas. Shri [[Chaitanya Mahaprabhu|Chaitanya]] spent 18 years at Nilachal dhama.

As per religious texts and the [[Skanda Purana]], mythical King [[Indradyumna]] of [[Avanti Kingdom (Mahabharata)|Avanti]] once dreamt of the great deity [[Nila Madhava]] (Blue Madhava) being worshipped at the Nilachal mount. The King sent out many priests and messengers in the search of the elusive deity Nila Madhava. Finally, [[Vidyapati]], one of the priests of King Indradyumna located Nilachala as well as Nila Madhava at the Purusottam Kshetra (The land of the Supreme Being) and took the news back to the King. However, as per divine designs, the Nila Madhava deity vanished before Indradyumna could undertake [[Darśana|darshan]]. But, subsequently, propitiated, the God appeared as Jagannath at Nilachal.

Geographically, though, there is no such apparent geographic structure at Puri, the township being located at the coastal plains of Eastern [[Odisha, India|Odisha]]. Such a reference to a seemingly non-existent mountain has been a matter of debate which throws light on the origin of the deity.

==Hypotheses regarding existence of the Blue Mountain==

===Hypothesis 1===
[[Indologist]] and Jagannath cult researcher, [[Heinrich von Stietencron]] in "''The Advent of Vishnuism in Orissa: An Outline of its History According to Archaeological and Epigraphical Sources from the Gupta Period up to 1135 AD.''" in A. Eschmann et al., [[The Cult of Jagannath and the Regional Tradition of Orissa]], Delhi: Manohar, pp. 1–30, hypothesizes the actual existence of a mountain at Puri in the past and notes the following:

<blockquote class="toccolours" style="float:none; padding:10px 15px; display:table;">{{Background color|#F0F8FF|'No real mountain exists in the Puri town. Yet it is true that the Jagannath temple was actually built on a hill which receded sharply on its western side. Drifting sands and the sediments of continuous settlement have combined to raise the ground at the foot of the hill considerably so that the difference in level to the temple is no longer striking. It can be noticed, however, when approaching the ancient Siva temples which were situated to the west and to the north of the Hill.'<ref>Stietencron, pp. 1-30.</ref>}}
</blockquote>

Yet contrary to such opinion, the platform of the Jagannath temple, seems to be a totally man-made monument, not a modified natural hill. The Nilachala consists almost entirely of a platform, and at its north—western foot lies an artificial cave. This is approximately 25 feet below the level of the inner enclosure, for a staircase of about twenty two steps leads down to the sanctum of deity [[Patalesvara]] [[Shiva]], and gives some idea of the level of the original terrain. The site was obviously exposed to flooding during the monsoon season as once the river touched its lowest steps when it flowed in the broad road just in front of the temp

===Hypothesis 2===
Another hypothesis regarding the naming of Puri as 'Nilachala' has been advanced by the noted historian, Dr. Krushna Chandra Panigrahi, in his "''History of Orissa''", pp. 338–339. It has been argued that no mountain existed at the Jagannath shrine, and:

<blockquote class="toccolours" style="float:none; padding: 10px 15px 10px 15px; display:table;">""Then the Bhaumas came from [[Assam]] in the first part of the eighth century A.D., ruled over [[Orissa, India|Orissa]], obtained the shrine from the [[Sora people|Savaras]], got the temple built on the spot and gave it the name [[Kamakhya Temple|Nilachala]], which was the name of the famous shrine of [[Kamakhya Temple|Kamakhya]] in their homeland of [[Assam]]."."</blockquote>

In the 19th century, certain scholars have imagined that the Nilachala (Blue Hill) concealed the debris of a former [[Buddhist monument]] named [[Dantapura]]. However, Puri cannot be identified with Dantapura and so far no Buddhist remains have been discovered there.

==See also==
* "[[Nilachaley Mahaprabhu]]"- Biopic of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

==References==

{{reflist}}
*Das, Bikram: Domain Of Jagannath - A Historical Study, BR Publishing Corporation.
*Das, Suryanarayan: Jagannath Through the Ages, Sanbun Publishers, New Delhi. (2010) [https://books.google.com/books?id=gFn8wSDfSxEC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false]
*Eschmann, A., H. Kulke and G.C. Tripathi (Ed.): The Cult of Jagannath and the Regional Tradition of Orissa, 1978, Manohar, Delhi.
*Hunter, W.W. Orissa: The Vicissitudes of an Indian Province under Native and British Rule, Vol. I, Chapter-III, 1872.
*Kulke, Hermann in The Anthropology of Values, Berger Peter (ed.): Yayati Kesari revisited, Dorling Kindrsley Pvt. Ltd., (2010).
*Mahapatra, K.N.: Antiquity of Jagannath Puri as a place of pilgrimage, OHRJ, Vol.III, No.1, April, 1954, p. 17.
*Mishra, K.C.: The Cult of Jagannath, Calcutta, 1971.
*Mishra, Narayan and Durga Nandan: Annals and antiquities of the temple of Jagannath, Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, 2005. [https://books.google.com/books?id=WKUkLzqNv64C&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=niladri+vijay&source=bl&ots=CJabqyNDHY&sig=C8zQVcHrHqyDaP6gqoC8pnsp_rA&hl=en&ei=W6nWTc-3HoLKrAfcycTwBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=niladri%20vijay&f=false]
*Panigrahi, K. C.: ''History of Orissa'', Kitab Mahal, Cuttack, 2nd ed. (1981)
*Patnaik, H.S.: ''Jagannath, His Temple, Cult and Festivals'', Aryan Books International, New Delhi, 1994, {{ISBN|81-7305-051-1}}.
*Patnaik, N.: ''Sacred Geography of Puri : Structure and Organisation and Cultural Role of a Pilgrim Centre'', Year: 2006, {{ISBN|81-7835-477-2}}
*Starza-Majewski, Olgierd M. L: ''The Jagannatha temple at Puri and its Deities'', Amsterdam, 1983.
*Starza-Majewski, Olgierd Maria Ludwik: ''The Jagannatha Temple At Puri: Its Architecture, Art And Cult'', E.J. Brill (Leiden and New York). [1993] [http://www.paperbackswap.com/Jagannatha-Temple-Puri-O-M-Starza/book/9004096736/]
*Stietencron, Heinrich von: "''The Advent of Vishnuism in Orissa: An Outline of its History According to Archaeological and Epigraphical Sources from the Gupta Period up to 1135 AD.''" in Eschmann, A. et al., [[The Cult of Jagannath and the Regional Tradition of Orissa]], Delhi: Manohar, pp. 1–30

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.jagannath.nic.in/|Shri Jaganath, official website}}
*[http://www.jagannathtemplepuri.com/ Shri Jaganath Temple at Puri]

{{Jagannath}}
{{Krishna}}

[[Category:Jagannath]]

Nilachal - Revision history

->Mike Peel: remove misplaced commons category