Reflection of Puri Jagannath from USA

Lord Jagannath is the presiding deity of Odisha. History of Odisha is also the History of Lord jagannath.

Needless to say, Jagannath Philosophy deeply influences the social life, literature and culture of Orissa, which makes us the Oriyas, energetic and sensitive, more tolerant and humble. Every Oriya feels proud to express that Lord Jagannath as part and parcel of his/her life is a family member to share all his pleasure and pain. There is no other religion in the world where a common man sees his Lord as his own family member who is an inseparable entity. It is based upon the beliefs of "Sarvajana Hitaya Sarvajan Sukhaya" that the Jagannath philosophy is meant for the sake of the wellbeing of the entire humanity of the universe,"

Even being far far away in a different country or a different continent, the Odias are indeed very close to Lord Jagannath. There are currently 25+ dedicated temples in NA and in numerous locations Lord Jagannath idols are worshipped and Rath Yatra is observed with much fanfare. Jagannath philosophy and Sanatan dharma transcends all borders. People all over the world are singing the praises of the lord. Rath Yatra celebration is no longer limited to the boundaries of Odisha, rather the chariot is rolling all over the world - from Nashville to Fremont, Milan to Melbourne, and from Sydney to Stockholm.

My greatest joy in the USA has been to see the chariots being driven by the devotees in the streets of the USA, while being protected and cordoned by American cops. And, at the end of the car festival, to the surprise of many, the cops join us in partaking of Lord's prasad in the temple, along with all other devotees. What could be a brighter example of a melting pot in America when people of all religions come together and worship the Lord in the most important part of life - the divine outreach in an egoless manner!

My remembrance of Puri goes back to 1960s when I was about ~5 years old, and my parents took us to Puri by train. I bought a colored stick from Puri Bazaar and my mother told me to keep it safe as a symbol of blessings from the Lord. Later on, when I first joined BJB college, I went to to see "Naba Kalebar Yatra" in 1969 with my college friends.

I was a young boy, hardly 17 years old then. But the joy of pulling the chariot in the midst of a frenzied crowd was a thrilling experience, which I still cherish. I had no understanding of the deeper significance of Nabakalebar during my college days until Nabakalebar in 2015, when they discovered Neem trees about 30 km from our village. The mortality of the mundane existence has been clearly reflected in the observance of Nabakalebara which adds new synthesis to human life and existence. Since the human body is perishable but the soul never gets destroyed, so it takes a new form after a life period is over. Since Lord Jagannath symbolizes the Human God, he is also abided by the same principle of rebirth and regeneration. Once in twelve years the celebration of Nabakalebara asserts that like human beings God also takes rebirth by leaving apart his old wooden body and the Navibrahma is transferred from old to new body. No other religion humanizes the form of God in such a relatable manner! Jagannath, Lord of the Universe, is the Chalanti Thakur -the walking, talking god, in conversation with the devotee and we owe our existence to the Lord.

Little did I realize in my youth that the divinity of the Rath Yatra is of greater consequence than the statistics of the yatra or the repeated references to scriptures and observations, when I observed Rath Yatra in Milano, Oslo and many other cities in Europe during our travel to the continent in the Summer! It did not take very long for me to realize that the propagation of the true identity of people of Odisha is through the worship of Lord Jagannath and its universal philosophy. From traditionalistic t principles to modernistic views all are embedded within the Jagannath cult to give it a unique position among the world religions.

The recent announcement of the historic Shreemandira Parikrama Project undertaken by the government under the leadership of f the Chief Minister marks the beginning of a significant process a for transforming Shri Jagannath Dham to its rightful place as o one of the foremost religious, spiritual and cultural centres of the world. "May Shri Jagannath Mahaprabhu bless this historical y transformation with vast success.

Many non-resident Odias Believe a world class museum on d Jagannath culture, Odisha heritage and ancient scripture, where people will have access irrespective cast, creed, race and religion, will vastly compliment the effort in propagating universal Jagannath philosophy and brotherhood and divine quest & peace all over the world.

There have been some demands for the last several days from f various organisations to rename Puri to Jagannath Puri or Jagannath Dham Puri (similar to say Dwaraka Puri). Seems to us that having the name Jagannath Dham Puri will carry ideal weight as the identity of Odisha is also the universal identity of Lord Jagannath!

Finally, the entire area of Orissa is full of holy places, but the city of Puri is the holiest of all." (Reference: Utkala Khanda, Skanda Purana3.52-3, 4.5-6). We hope the current outstanding a effort that the Government of Odisha (GoD) is undertaking to make Puri the global heritage city will beautify this place and I make it perhaps one of the most desired tourist friendly, holy places in the world, in the great tradition of the Vatican and Jerusalem.

With our very best wishes for the success of the Shilsnyasa d Ceremony of the Shreemandir Parikrama Project!