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“ଜୟ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ” — Jai Jagannath In the sacred land of Odisha, there is a name that transcends the boundaries of religion, region and language: Jagannath. To millions of devotees, Lord Jagannath is not merely a deity residing in a temple at Puri. He is the Lord of the Universe, the compassionate Lord who comes out of His temple every year to meet His devotees during the Ratha Yatra. But who is Jagannath? Is He Krishna? Is He Vishnu? Is He Purushottama? Is He the Supreme Brahman beyond form? Or does the mysterious form of Jagannath preserve memories of an ancient religious tradition that existed before the present Puri temple? The answer is not simple. The history of Jagannath is a fascinating meeting point of scripture, mythology, archaeology, tribal traditions, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Tantra and the cultural history of Odisha. Perhaps that is precisely what makes Jagannath unique. Who Is Lord Jagannath? The Sanskrit name Jagannatha literally means “Lord of the Universe” (Jagat = ...