FEW ARTICLES WRITTEN BY LOKANATH MISHRA, IRS (RTD)

 

Know Bandhu Mohanty through odiya film namely “Bandhu Mohanty “-:- (BY LOKANATH MISHRA)  Bandhu Mohanty (1977) is an Odia mythological film directed by Nitai Palit based on a true story. Gopal Chotrai penned the dialogue of the film. As per the film the story of Bandhu mohanty is as follows: There was a person named Bandhu Mohanty in the city of Jajpur in Orissa. He had two daughters and one son. His wife was very obedient. He was very poor and lived by begging alms. He had no reserve funds—whatever he collected in one day he spent in one day with nothing left over. Bandhu Mohanty was a great devotee of Maha Prabhu Shri Jaganath . He used to spend his days chanting the holy name of the Lord. He was merciful to all living entities, was very truthful, and was very fond of serving brahmanas. He was indifferent to his family life, knowing that everything is temporary except the holy name of the Lord. In this way, he spent his days happily. Once there was drought in his area, and people were dying due to want of food. Bhandu Mohanty went to some villages to beg alms, but the people had no food even for themselves—how could they give alms to Bandhu Mohanty? He returned to his house without any food, all the while meditating on the Lord. His wife told him that the children were very hungry. They could not tolerate their hunger for any longer. She asked, "Don't you have some relative who can help us during this difficult time? Let us leave this place and go to some other place where your relatives are staying." Bandhu Mohanty replied, "I have no relatives to help me, but I do have a friend. But He lives far from here. He is the best among all the people. There is no one equal to him. He lives in Sri Kshetra Puri dham. If some how or other we can manage to reach him, our problems will be solved." His wife was very happy to hear this. She said, "Then let us go there immediately. Let us go there now without any delay. Otherwise all of us will die." Bandhu Mohanty was very happy to hear this from his wife. He thought it would be very nice to go to Sri Kshetra and take darshan of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. They started their journey to Sri Kshetra, arriving four days later. They approached lord Jagannath temple at the Lion Gate. Thousands of people were visiting the temple, and security was very tight. Many guards were there with sticks in their hands. As it was not possible for them to enter the temple, they took darshan of Patita-pavana, the deity of Lord at the entrance of the temples eastern gate. Whoever is not allowed to enter the temple can take darshan of this deity. Then Bandhu Mohanty went towards the southern gate near Peja Nala, where all the starch from the cooked rice from Jagannath’s kitchen gathers. The cows drink this liquid known as peja. Bandhu Mohanty was very tired. He sat down there near the south gate. His wife said, "Why are you sitting here? It is getting late. Now it is already evening time. Let us go to your friends house to get refreshed and eat something. We all are very tired and hungry. Where is your friends house?" At this time all the children also started to cry, saying, "We are very hungry. We cannot tolerate our hunger any more. If you do not feed us, we will die very soon." Bandhu Mohanty said to them, "Today there are many guests at my friend’s house. The gate-keepers are allowing only selected guests inside. If anyone tries to enter by force, they'll be beaten. Let us sleep here tonight. We can drink some starch from Jagannath’s kitchen and spend the night here. Early in the morning we will go to meet with my friend and ask him to give us shelter and food. My friend is very merciful." His wife agreed to the proposal . They arranged a broken clay pot, and all of them drank the rice-starch water, and got a little relief from their hunger. All the members of the family were very tired and soon fell asleep. Bandhu Mohanty started to offer his prayers to Lord Jagan-nath: "O Lord of the universe. You are maintaining everyone in your creation. Am I out of your creation? We are dying here due to want of food. Please bless us. Otherwise we loose our lives. Please consider our case." While he was praying to the Lord in this way, he fell asleep. In the meantime the Lord Jagannath’s pujari completed the evening offering to the Lord. After finishing the puja, he locked the temple door, and with the key in hand, headed towards his home. During the night, Lord Jagannath became very worried that His devotee was sleepmg without having eaten anything. He could not sleep. "My friend has come from so far. How can I sleep peacefully without feeding him? He has come here thinking I am his only friend, to seek My help at this time." Then the Lord of the universe entered into the storeroom and took one golden plate in His hand. He collected many varieties of foodstuffs like cakes, sweet rice, vegetable rice, all kinds of dry sweet prasada. Then He came to south gate of the temple. The Lord called, "Oh my dear Bandhu, please come here." Bandhu Mohanty heard someone calling his name. He thought, "Maybe they are calling someone else. There must be so many people here with this name. No one knows me here, so who could be calling my name?" Thinking like this, he did not respond. Then the Lord called again, "Oh, Bandhu Mohanty from Jajpur, please listen. You are staying near Peja Nala along with your family. Please come here. I have brought food for you." Hearing this, Bandhu went and saw an old brahmana ready to hand him a plate filled with so many varieties of foodstuffs. The Lord, in the form of this old brahmana, told Bandhu, "Please accept the food and feed your family members. Tomorrow morning I will arrange everything for you." Saying this, the Lord disappeared from there. Bandhu Mohanty took prasada very happily. He woke up all the family members, and they all honored prasada very happily, then once again slept, content with full bellies. After cleaning the plate, Bandhu Mohanty went to the south gate to return the plate. He pushed the door, expecting that the brahmana would be there and he could return the plate to him. But to his surprise the brahmana was not there. Bandhu went back to his sleeping place and wrapping the plate in his cloth, decided he would return it in the morning. Early the next morning, Lord Jagannath’s s pujaris opened the temple gate. Everybody was busy with their individual services. When they opened the store room they discovered the golden plate of Lord Jagannath was missing. The plate had been stolen! The Pujaris reported the theft to temple management, and the police arrested all the pujaris and beat them, thinking that it could only have been a pujari who had stolen the plate from inside the store room. It happened that by chance some people saw one person along with his family sleeping near the south gate of the temple. They could see the golden plate wrapped in his cloth. The plate was dazzling in the sunshine. Immediately several people caught hold of Bandhu Mohanty. They bound him with rope, beat him severely, and took away the golden plate. Bandhu Mohanty explained how one Brahmin gave them this plate filled with prasada in the middle of the night. After eating he went to return the plate to the Brahmin but could not find him, and that was how the plate ended up with in his cloth. Bandhu Mohanty and his wife appealed to the police: "We are not at fault. Why are you all beating us with out any fault?" But nobody cared for what they said. He was arrested and put in prison however foods were served to them in prison. Bandhu Mohanty stayed in the prison house. He fixed his mind on Lord Jagannath and started to offer prayers: "Dear Lord Jagannath, I am the greatest sinful person in this universe. You are an ocean of mercy. There is no one as sinful as me, and there is no one like You, the great deliver of the fallen souls. Whatever You wish to do with me, please do it. I have no other shelter than You." Thinking like this he meditated upon the lotus feet of the Lord. Later that evening all the temple devotees completed their services to the Lord and went back to their respective houses. That Lord, who is all pervading and always worried for His devotees, could not tolerate the suffering of His devotee. He immediately climbed on the back of Garuda and went to the palace of the King. At that time the King was sleeping. The Lord appeared to the King in his sleep and told him, "Oh King, please listen: when guests come to your house, do you let them stay without feeding them and caring for them? Is there anyone in your palace who stays with out eating? My friend had come all the way from Jajpur along with his whole family with so much faith upon Me. I provided him food. I served prasada to my friend on My gold plate. What is the problem for you? Your people caught him along with his whole family, and they were beaten severely. They bound them hand and foot and threw them in the prison house. Now my friend’s s whole family is suffering so much. I order you to go immediately to Puri to release them from jail and wash their lotus feet with the greatest humility. Give them the best cloth and ornaments. Place a turban on my friend’s head in order to give him topmost respect. My friend deserves the same service from you as you give to Me. You will provide him and his family with the best food and accommodation for their whole life. If you do not follow My order, your whole family will be destroyed." After saying this, Lord Jagannath woke the King, and then left the palace. The King immediately called all his ministers and explained everything to them. He personally went to the prison house to release Bandhu Mohanty, and embraced him with affection. The King said, "My life has become successful simply by taking your darshan. Now I am blessed. Please forgive me for all the offenses committed by my people." After saying this, the King performed abhishek to Bandhu Mohanty with holy water, gave him opulent cloth for wearing, and placed a turban on his head with great respect. He arranged for the. maintenance of Bandhu Mohanty’s whole family for the rest of their lives. The King respected them as if they were his own relatives. He arranged a house for them near the south gate of the temple. Bandhu Mohanty was happy to stay next to his friend Lord Jagannath. He happily served Lord Jagannath along with his whole family for the rest of their lives. This is an example of the bhakta-vatsalya mood of Lord Jagannath. Whoever serves Him with great faith, He reciprocates with him in this way. He is very dear to His faithful devotees. Whoever lacks faith, for him Lord Jagannath is very far away. Whoever hears this pastime of Bandhu Mohanty will be free from the reaction of all sinful activities. He will achieve success in all his attempts and will never see Yama-loka. CHARDHAM IN USA ( BY LOKANATH MISHRA) : In America there is a Temple namely Char Dham Temple. This “Char Dham Hindu Temple is located at Woodlands, Texas. This unique temple has four worship centers, called “Char Dham”. They are: Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath, and Rameshwaram. What is Char Dham ? There are many amazing pilgrimages to take in India, and India's Char Dham Yatra is one of the most important ones. According to Hindus, visiting these four religious destinations will give you salvation, or what is known as Moksha. For those looking to get a spiritual awakening, here are the four most important religious centres in the country. When speaking of the four dhams, we mean Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri, and Rameswaram. Each of these destinations has its own charm. Apart from being religious and spiritual in nature, they are also amazing tourist attractions. Puri for example is a beach town in Odisha, while Badrinath is a beautiful hill town in Uttarakhand. About Badrinath Temple The holy town of Badrinath is home to Lord Vishnu. It is only open for six months every year, from the last week of April to the first week of November. The ancient temple finds mention in ancient texts such as the Vishnu Purana, and sits in the Garhwal hills in Uttarakhand. Here in the main shrine, you will see a shaligram deity of Lord Badrinarayana. The origin of Badrinath Temple Legend has it that Lord Vishnu sat in meditation here at this spot, and he was unaware of the cold weather. Goddess Lakshmi then protected him in the form of a Badri Tree. Vishnu had then named this place Badrika Ashram.​Puri Jagannath Temple Dedicated to Lord Jagannath who is revered as a form of Lord Maha Vishnu/Krishna . The temple is one of the most important Hindu temples in the country that is home to Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. According to legend, the temple was first commissioned by King Indradyumna. The temple is associated with the very popular Rath Yatra, which is celebrated with huge pomp and show. Non-Hindus are not permitted to enter the temple as of today. Three beautiful chariots are constructed for the occasion wherein the three deities sit and travel. Dwarkadhish Temple In Gujarat’s Dwarka lies the second dham, the temple called Dwarkadhish Temple. It is also known as Jagat Mandir, and is dedicated to Lord Krishna. It is believed that Dwarka was built by Krishna, and hence the city dates back to centuries. The temple is sitting by the Gomti River, and it is believed that Meera Bai merged with the deity residing in the temple. The temple is all of five stories in height, built atop 72 pillars. The Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameshwaram is dedicated to Lord Shiva, in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is one of the Char Dham, apart from being one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples. Lord Shiva is worshiped here in the form of a lingam. It is believed that the lingam in the sanctum was originally built by Rama Chandra. The iconic temple has 64 holy water bodies all around it, and bathing here in these holy water bodies is an important part of the pilgrimage. The presiding deities The Ramanathaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva has two lingams and it is believed to have been worshipped by Lord Rama. The two lingams are called Ramalingam, and Vishwalingam. SARADANGA JAGANNATH TEMPLE ( BY LOKANATH MISHRA) Prabhu Shri Jaganath Temple in Saradanga ( West Bengal) and relationship of this temple with Maha Prabhu Shri Jaganath Temple, Puri : A famous Shri Jagannatha temple is situated in the Saradanga area and the deity here manifested eight hundred years ago. At present Prabhu Shri Jaganath along with Lord Baladeva, Subhadra-devi and Sudarsana is worshiped here . The appearance of these deities is described in the book The Pastimes and History of Lord Jagannatha in Rajapur as follows: Chaitanya Mahaprabhu original name Vishvambhar Mishra was a 15th-century Indian saint who is considered to be the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna by his disciples and various scriptures. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bhajan-kirtan and dance had a profound effect on Vaishnavism in Bengal. He was also the chief proponent of the Vedantic philosophy of Achintya Bheda Abheda Tattva. Mahaprabhu founded Gaudiya Vaishnavism (a.k.a. the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya). He expounded Bhakti yoga and popularized the chanting of the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu born on 18 February 1486 in Nabadwip, West Bengal. He stayed in Puri since 1508 till his death on 14 June 1534 (at the age of 48). He was a great devotee of Maha Prabhu Shri Jaganath. He believed that the heart of Maha Prabhu Shri Krishna is still in the Navikendra of Maha Prabhu Shri Jaganath. At the time of Sri Caitanya, a devotee named Jagadisa Ganguli lived in a small village near the present day Mayapur. Jagadisa was a highly elevated Vaishnava and even though he was very old, still every year he would make the 900 km journey on foot to Puri. He would travel with other devotees from Bengal to meet their most dear shri Caitanya, have darsana of Maha Prabhu Sri Jagannatha, sri Baladeva and mata Subhadra-devi, and participate in the ecstatic Ratha-yatra. When they visited Puri, they stayed in front of Markandeswar pond, Puri. During anabasar time, they visited Alaranath temple, Brahmagiri and while coming back from Brahmagiri to Puri they stayed in the bank of Mangala river located in the village Kasi Jaganath Pur. After coming back again they stayed in front of Markandeswar pond. After four months they would return to their homes in Bengal. One day Jagadisa’s happiness was ruined. During the year 1502 , he was stricken with a serious disease that left him totally blind. When he realized that he could no longer see the divine forms of Caitanya and the Jagannatha deities, he became very depressed. Worse yet, his friends considered the annual pilgrimage to Puri too long and too dangerous for a blind man and they refused to take him along with them. Jagadisa remained in Navadvipa in constant lamentation and despondency. Out of hopelessness he even considered committing suicide. Then one night Prabhu Shri Jaganath appeared to Jagadisa in a dream. The next morning, the Lord told him, when Jagadisa went for his daily bath in the Ganga, a log would touch his head and restore his vision. The Lord told Jagadisa that he should take that log and go to a nearby village where a devotee-carpenter lives who originally belonged to Pathuria sahi of Puri. He came from Puri along the devotees who went to Puri during Rath Yatra . Prabhu Shri Jaganath in dream explained also that the carpenter would refuse the work because he was a leper and had deformed hands. Jagadisa would have to insist, and convince the carpenter to do this work. On completion of this job, the Prabhu Shri Jaganath assured, the carpenter’s leprosy would immediately vanish. Upon awakening, Jagadisa was amazed at his dream. He immediately left for his morning bath in the Ganga and became ecstatic when a log touched his head and restored his vision. He took the wood and went to a nearby village,where he searched and searched until he found a leper carpenter. Jagadisa implored the leper to carve a deity of Lord Jagannatha from the wood, but the carpenter flatly refused. He showed Jagadisa his deformed fingers and asked him, “How is it possible for me to carve the divine form of the Lord with these hands?” But Jagadisa insisted. He explained to the leper that his leprosy would be cured once he finished the carving. Finally the leper agreed. Jagadisa stayed with the leper as he was working and saw him suffering terribly. Blood and pus oozed from the stumps that were once his fingers and he wanted to quit the work. But Jagadisa encouraged him and enabled him to forget his agony long enough to finish the deity of Lord Jagannatha. The very moment he finished, his leprosy disappeared. Jagadisa took the deity to his house. Meanwhile few trained Pathuria came from Puri along with the devotees who returned from Puri after seeing Rath Yatra. Jagadish requested the devotees to construct a temple with the help of Pathuria and as per his request the Pathuria constructed the temple and the devotees donated all the expenses incurred on account of such construction of temple. After construction of the temple, Jagadish took the deity to the temple constructed newly and worshiped Prabhu Shri Jaganath along with the devotees of Shri Chaitanya and other villagers including Muslim communities and scheduled caste committees. A few nights later, Jagadisa had another dream. This time Lord Jagannatha instructed him to take some near by neem wood to the same carpenter and have him make deities of Subhadra and Balarama. Jagadisa did so and installed Them in the temple . Legend has it that after the demise of Jagadisa Ganguli, in the year 1516, the Lord, being dissatisfied with the neglectful state of His worship, decided to end His manifest pastimes. Suddenly there was an outbreak of cholera. The inhabitants of the surrounding area assembled at the temple and prayed to Prabhu Jagannatha to have pity on them and save their lives. That night, Jagannatha came to the head priest in a dream and said, “One of the housewives of the Ganguli family, who is characterless, dared to dishonor Me. For this offense everyone in the Ganguli family and the village will die if they do not leave the place.” The next morning the villagers found the members of the Ganguli family dead and immediately deserted the entire area. Since there was no more worship at the temple, Lord Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Balarama were forgotten, and save for the flat roof over Their heads, the temple fell down around Them and was soon covered by the surrounding jungle. For reasons mysterious to most, the Lord appears and disappears according to His own sweet will. Indeed He states that one who understands the mystery of His appearance and activities does not take birth again in the material world. Years after the demise of the Ganguli family, during the year 1570, villagers noticed auniquely beautiful blue flower growing on top of the snake-infested ruin that was once Prabhu Shri Jagannatha’s temple. When they went near the mound they heard a voice calling, “Please give Me water, I am thirsty! Please give Me water.” But the village people were reluctant to go near it due to fear of poisonous snakes and other wild beasts. Actually Visara Mohanty asked them for water and help. When the Bengal Sultan's general Kalapahad invaded the Jagannath Temple of Puri and took the idol of Lord Jagannath to destroy it. When he tried to burn the idol, he found a part of the idol, called Daru Brahma, difficult to burn. He threw the remaining part into the river of Ganga. The Bisara Mohanty, who followed Kalapahad with the idol from Puri to Bengal, floated down the stream and rescued the Daru Brahma. He put it inside a mridangam (drum) and secretly brought it to his village of Kujang. There he had continued worshipping the Daru Brahma with simple offerings. While coming from the bank of river Ganga to his village, he took shelter in the Prabhu Shri Jaganath Temple, Saradanga. While he stayed there wanted help from the nearby villagers, but no one came forward to help him, even the villagers didn’t give water to him. With much difficulties he at last reached in his village. The Ramachandra Deva, the gajapati maharaja and ruler of Odisha at that time received a directive from Prabhu Shri Jagannath in a dream. Laid claim to the remains and fabricated new idols of the Prabhu Shri Jaganath and his siblings and sudarshan in which the Daru Brahma could reside. After the renovation of the Jagannath temple in Puri, king Ramachandra had placed the idols in the temple. He acknowledged Bisara Mohanty's role and conferred upon him the title Nayaka (chief) of the Purushottama Kshetra. Gajapati Rāmachandra Deva I (1568–1607; popularly called Abhinava Indradyumna) was the founder of the Bhoi dynasty of Khurda in Odisha, India. He became the ruler of Khurda kingdom after defeating Mukunda Deva in 1568. The Odia populace gave him the title of "Thakura Raja" as a mark of respect for renovating the damaged Hindu temples that were destroyed by the invasion of Kalapahad. He was titled as Vira Sri Gajapati Viradhi Viravara Pratapi Ramachandra Deva. Ramachandra Deva was the son of Danai Vidyadhara (a lieutenant of Bhoi king Govinda Vidyadhara) and claimed ancestry from Yaduvansha of Mahabharata. He gained the kingdom of Khurda after death of the Chalukya king, Mukunda Deva. Ferishta mentioned him as "a Prince of great fame and Power". As Kharavela was the morning star when the forward march of the Odias began, Ramachandra Deva was the midnight star; he came to the throne when complete darkness engulfed the people towards the end of the century. Due to the sustained invasion of Afghans over Orissa, Ramachandra Deva accepted the suzerainty of Akbar and defeated them with Mughal support. The Mughals took control over Orissa and Ramachandra Deva continued as a subordinate king. In the settlement of 1592, Ramachandra Deva was granted the principality of Khurda by the Mughal emperor. His territory was called Qila Khurda, alienated from the Khalisa and its domain extended from the river Mahanadi to Ganjam. The 31 subordinate Zamindars in his control including all the later tributary Mahalas of Cuttack and south of the river Mahanadi and seven principal Zamindars, which were not styled or titled Rajas. These important chiefs were the zamindars of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Bishnupur, Fatehbad, Narayangarh, Karrangarh and Nag or Bagbhum. The invasion of Kalapahad brought an immense loss of wealth that was stored in various ancient temples of the region. The reconstruction of these temples was promptly taken up by Ramachandra Deva. He was able to present himself as the successor to the culture and tradition of the former Gajapati kings. He renovated the Jagannath Temple in Puri and reinstalled the idols of the trinity by droving out the muslim forces from the city in 1575 A.D. He continued the Gundicha Yatra, eight years after the installation of the deities, which was discontinued after the destruction caused by Kalapahad. He established sixteen villages of Brahmins by giving endowments of land and established some forts in the Pipili area - Bhuinmul, Sahajpal, Kharagarh and Kahnan, which are identified with the present Bhuinmulgarh, Sahajpani, Aragarh and Garh Kurki respectively. The rulers like Kapilendra Deva, Purushottama Deva, Prataparudra Deva of Suryavansha dynasty and Ramachandra Deva of Bhoi dynasty patronised art and music in Orissa. During his reign classical music, dance and other forms of art reached an apex. In his reign, the young boys were dressed as girls and performed under the guide of Odissi, called the Gotipua Nrutya. Devadasis system was restored. However as regards the Prabhu Shri Jaganath Temple, Saradanga, after the death of Jagadish during the year 1516, The deities remained neglected. It wasn’t until about 1958 when the Lord, who once again desired to be worshiped, called for Jaimini Ghosh. Jaimini Ghosh (from the nearby village of Bahadurpur) was only a young man at that time and he recalls: “One evening on my way to Navadvipa, I was passing along the road just outside the Jagannatha temple, when a bamboo tree crashed across the path. Feeling an uncanny presence, I suspected the work of some ghost and I knew that if I stepped over the tree, something would happen to me. Gripped by fear, I crouched to the ground and in that terrified condition I lost consciousness.” He awoke to an assuring voice saying, “It’s alright now, you may proceed, there is no more danger.” Jaimini said, “Why did you do that to me?” “I didn’t,” replied the voice. “I saved you, I am your friend.” Suspicious, Jaimini replied, “If you saved me, then help me get to my uncle’s house in Navadvipa.” As if he were being carried, young Jaimini effortlessly sped down the jungle path, along the main road, across the Ganges (without a boat) and arrived safely at his uncle’s house. Shortly after, the same voice spoke to him, revealing Himself to be Lord Jagannatha, and told Jaimini to call the Pandits from Mukti Mandapa Pandita sabha for Pran pratista of the temple and deities and after that to begin His worship by offering Ganges water, milk, and batasa (sugar sweet). Jaimini called Phatik Chatterjee, who was the owner of the land on which the temple was situated, and told him everything. Phatik, with his son-in-law Ram and other villagers, cleared away the jungle and lifted Jagannatha from under a termite hill. Although the deities had been residing in the middle of a termite hill, Their wooden forms were miraculously intact, Their bodies having been packed in frankincense. Only some parts of the bodies of Baladeva and Subhadra had to be repaired by a sculptor who used neem wood from a tree in Phatik Chatterjee’s garden. A small temple was constructed for Them (which still can be seen at the site next to the Siva-linga and banyan tree) and Phatik Chatterjee became the pujari for Their Lordships. In the year 1960 priests and Pandits from Puri Mukti Mandapa Pandita sabha were called and the priests and Pandits of Puri Mukti Mandapa Pandita sabha under leadership of Pandita Babaji Mishra went there and made Pran pratista of the temple and deities. In the year 1978, the aging pujari felt he may not be able to go on for long with the worship of his beloved murtis and consequently donated the temple and property to ISKCON on Gaura-purnima day during the year 1979. By the kind contribution of various devotees a wonderful temple has been constructed, surrounded by nice gardens and mango groves. These historical deity forms of Jagannath , Baladeva, and Subhadra have been here at least 800 years.( by Lokanath Mishra- USA) SASTHI OSHA IN USA: (BY LOKANATH MISHRA)  21.09.23- Today is Sasthi OSHA . Sasthi OSHA/ Sathi OSHA falls on the 6th day of sukla paksha of the Bhadrab Month. This Puja is dedicated to Folk goddess Sasthi. Today this Osha is being celebrated by Odiya staying in Houston area at Shri Jaganath Temple. In the state of Odisha, this puja observed by mothers for the betterment and longevity of their children. Shashti is a Hindu folk goddess, venerated as the benefactor and protector of children. She is also the deity of vegetation and reproduction and is believed to bestow children and assist during childbirth. She is often pictured as a motherly figure, riding a cat and nursing one or more infants. Apart from Sasthi Osha, The worship of Sasthi is prescribed to occur on the sixth day of each lunar month of the Hindu calendar as well as on the sixth day after a child’s birth. (Sasthi Ghara) . At Shri Jaganath Temple, Puri , the statue of Sasthi Mata being worshiped inside Bhubneswari Temple. As part of this ritual, mother makes small statues of sasthi Mata along with her family using clay/ turmeric. Six type flowers, Six tree branches, six fruits, six types of Saags ( Vegetable leaves), a meal including six varieties of fried items and a curry made of nine vegetables are prepared on this day. Women of the family (Mother) make alpana, and then make the children seat on their respective alpana and then do bandapana. Once the bandapana gets completed, they dab 7 times on their children’s head/ back with six types of tree branches. As an end ritual tie a yellow thread on children’s wrist as a symbol of protection. For Odiya people staying in America 🇺🇸 Shathi Osha is a traditional Osha for them to celebrate in Shri Jaganath Temple. In Shri Jaganath Temple, Six Goddesses are called birth goddess . Odiya Mothers worship sathi goddesses for the betterment of their children in Shri Jaganath Temple complex located different parts of America 🇺🇸. Bhadrab Shukla Shasthi day (two days after Ganesh Puja), Shathi Osha is being celebrated in USA 🇺🇸. Many people of Indian origin celebrate Somanath Brata and observe fasting and worship Lord Shiva in Shiva temples on today. In homes 🏡 odiya Mothers are beating their children and say:- "Grow like a lamp, wither like a forest, jin jin - let there be thunder! Lightning ho ! " Similarly today is also Skanda Sashti Puja. This puja is one of the monthly festivals celebrated throughout the year in the day of Sasthi by Hindus residing in USA 🇺🇸 . It is mostly observed to worship Lord Kartika/ Skanda on this day. It is also called Kanda Sasthi. Lord Skanda is a popular deity in India as a whole particularly in the region of Tamil Nadu. Kartikaya is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and is considered the elder brother of Lord Ganesha. The other names of God Skanda are Murugan, Kartikeyan and Subramanya. Skanda Sashti is also known as Kanda Sashti. Though Sasthi puja is being celebrated throughout the year, however annual (main) Skanda Sashthi occurs in the Shukla Shashthi during the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. The day plays a significant role, as on this day, Lord Murugan is eliminated by demons named Soorapadman and his brothers Tarakasura and Simhamukha. It is believed that Lord Murugan severed the head of Soorapadman using his weapon named Vel or Lance. So this day is marked as a tribute to Lord Skanda for killing demons and restoring peace to devotees' lives. Shashthi or Shashti is a Hindu goddess, venerated in Nepal and India as the benefactor and protector of children. She is also the deity of vegetation and reproduction and is believed to bestow children and assist during childbirth. She is often pictured as a motherly figure, riding a cat and nursing one or more infants. She is symbolically represented in a variety of forms, including an earthenware pitcher, a banyan tree or part of it or a red stone beneath such a tree; outdoor spaces termed shashthitala are also consecrated for her worship. The worship of Shashthi is prescribed to occur on the sixth day of each lunar month of the Hindu calendar as well as on the sixth day after a child's birth. Barren women desiring to conceive and mothers seeking to ensure the protection of their children will worship Shashthi and request her blessings and aid. She is especially venerated in eastern India. In Puri Shri Jaganath Temple complex, mata shastti is worshipped within Maa Bhubanewari Temple. Lord Shri Jaganath and Odiya people residing in Houston ( USA🇺🇸) :-   (  By Lokanath Mishra)   Celebration of different rituals relating to lord Shri Jaganath and celebrations of different odiya cultural, religious and social functions in Houston (America 🇺🇸 ) not only marks special occasions for the Odia diaspora living far away from native lands, but also symbolises a spirit of unity and inclusivity among people of Odisha. Lord Shri Jagannath is the most popular presiding deity of India as a whole and Odisha in particular. Jagannath is a Sanskrit term that is a mixture of two words, ‘Jagat’ meaning Universe and ‘Nath’ meaning Lord. Jagannath translates to ‘Lord of the Universe’ and very aptly so. It is today known from various historical records, scriptures, and ancient manuscripts that Jagannath was a famous deity even in the ancient world who was known throughout the subcontinent. He is typically worshipped in a trio with his siblings in all His temples. But His main temple is the world-renowned ‘Srimandir’ in the eastern coastal temple town of Puri. Lord Shri Jaganath is an unique God who is variously identified by followers of various religious orders. First and foremost He is today widely popular as a form of Vishnu who resides in the temple with his consort Lakshmi. The Gaudiya Vaishnavites see Him as Krishna with his distinct black hue who is worshipped along with his siblings, elder brother Balarama and younger sister Subhadra. The Shaivites see him as Bhairava along with his consort Shakti as Devi Bimala. Balabhadra is also regarded as the white-skinned Shiva. The Followers of Shaktism see the Jagannath cult as the temple of Shri or Mahamaya or Adishakti. One of the four Adishakti paths in India is the Bimala temple inside the Puri Jagannath temple complex. Moreover, Devi Subhadra is a form of Shakti, widely considered the sister of Vishnu. The temple itself is also named ‘Sri’mandir after her. The Tantrik practitioners see him as a tantric God Kalabhairav who is worshipped along with Bimala, a form of Kali of their tradition. It is believed that the heart of lord Shri Krishna is still in the Navikendra of lord Shri Jaganath. Lord Shri Jagannath is the Maha Vishnu who is 'Avatari', from whom the Dasabatara the ten Avataras (divine incarnations or fundamental entities) like Rama Krishna and others have been originated. In the Satya Yuga. Matsya (Fish) and Kurma (Tortoise), Baraha (half animal and half human form), Nrusimha (half animal and half human form). In the Tretaya Yuga Bamana (Dwarf God), Parsurama (God with Bow and Arrow) and Rama, the King. In the Dwapara Yuga, Balaram the King and in the Kali Yuga (Present Age) the Baudha (Enlightened) and Kalki (War God). Further it is said that Lord Jagannath as Lord Vishnu represents the four deities in the four Yugas i.e Nrusimha in Satya Yuga, Rama in Tretaya Yuga, Krishna in the dwapar yuga and Lord Shri Jaganath in Kali Yuga. Many odiya people residing in , Houston (America ) always try to tell the story about odiya crab 🦀 ( Kankada). The story of odiya crab 🦀: Once there was a competition on verities of crabs 🦀. All sent the crabs 🦀 of their areas duly proper packaging of crabs. But odiya people sent their crabs 🦀 in a open basket 🧺. While it was told, why you brought in open basket 🧺 ? They told that these are odiya Crabs 🦀, if any one try to go out of the basket 🧺, then rest others will try to pull his leg, so that he can not go out of the basket 🧺, hence covering of the basket 🧺 isn’t necessary. - Many odiya people residing in Houston (America ) have a very strong feeling that Odias lack unity. These people stated that many people don’t appreciate others’ aspirations and therefore, try to bring them down instead of extending their cooperation. They told that after all we are odiya Kankada / crab 🦀 and we will prefer to pull legs 🦵 of our own people.I told them that , while such instances can occur in any society especially in a competitive atmosphere, it is absolutely absurd to promote such gross generalisations and disgrace your own community in the process. I further explained , “Yes, these generalisations still exist in our society. I do not differ from any such conclusions, but I would instead alter the guiding propositions. Firstly, I feel not all Oriyas do that. Secondly, jealousy and envy are general human traits, and not always bad, certainly they do not prove to be bad for those who wish to aspire higher. One could argue that “goda taniba ra chesta” can better motivate the targeted person. And this is true across nations, races and languages. If Odia Mentality motivates people to overcome obstacles, and if Odia Mentality compels us to imagine alternative success stories, then we probably need more Odia Mentality; not less.” We can be empathetic and laugh about it, once we lay out what it is about ourselves that we are turning our noses at and shaking our heads about. The so-called Odia Mentality is said to manifest itself in many forms. One of these forms is the use of mother tongue. There’s a growing perception that many educated Odia people don’t respect their language as much as they should. But in Houston (America 🇺🇸 ) all most all odiya people speak in odiya and they are devotees of lord Shri Jaganath and members of OCC. Odisha is famous for its cultural heritage. Many of its architectural sites are in the UN World Heritage catalogue. Although the state is a little unknown in the world arena, it still serves as beacon of peace, universal brotherhood and friendship through one of its annual flagship events called Ratha Yatra, better known as Chariot or Car festival at Puri. The event draws more than a million people every year from all over the world of all races, religions, castes and creeds. Similarly, one of the greatest classical dance forms that India has to offer to the world, Odishi, has its origin in this state. According to Natya Shastra of Bharat Muni, the earliest treatise on the ancient dance forms that originated from India, Odishi that evolved around the temple rituals of Lord Jagannatha. Similarly, Odia, the language spoken by the 47 million people in Odisha is one of the handful of classical Indian languages with origin from Sanskrit. While the language and the cultural art forms of Odisha have crossed its natural geographical boundaries, very little is known about the state itself. That has led the Odia community from the greater Houston area to form OCC to spread the message of peace and universal brotherhood through a medium that is considered an asset for the state – the art and culture. Hence, the mission of OCC has been to showcase Orissan art, its traditions and create a space for community events, multi-cultural exchange, interfaith dialogue, and universal brotherhood. To promote multi-cultural exchange, interfaith dialog, and universal brotherhood, since 2008, OCC has been celebrating its flagship event , the Houston Chariot Festival. The lord Shri Jaganath Temple is located in the complex of The ORISSA CULTURE CENTER (OCC), situated at 3101, Fuqua St. Houston, Texas, 77037 . The complex of OCC is one of the finest facilities available in the Houston area. Featuring 300 seats, a full-sized hall, state of the art lighting and sound technology this allows a full theatre experience. The hall is a central and important space for odiya /Odissi cultural events as part of community. It is ideal for a variety of Odiya performances and events including formal assembly, lectures, award ceremonies, dramatic plays, musical theatre productions, concert performances of orchestra, band, chorus, jazz band, dance competitions, recording sessions and many more. There is a prominent saying in Odia that goes along the lines “Bara Masare, Tera Paraba” which means Odisha celebrates thirteen festivals in twelve months. The odiya people residing in Houston are celebrating all the odiya festivals in OCC complex throughout the year. Like Lord Shri Jaganath Temple,Puri 13 Yatra of Shree Jagannath Temple Houston (OCC) is celebrated in twelve months of a year. The yatra is started from Snana Yatra and ends with Niladri Mohadoya Yatra. This 13 yatra of Shree Jagannath Puri is mentioned in the Skanda Purana and Niladri Mohadoya. Name of 13 Yatra of Shree Jagannath (Puri) 1.Snana Yatra (Bathing of deities) This Snana Yatra is performed on the full moon day (Purnima) of Jyeshta month as per Srimandir Panji. The fourth idol with Shree Jagannath is brought out from the Ratna Vedi of Jagannath temple and taken in a procession to Snana (bathing) mandapa. The deities are bathing with 108 pot water in Snana mandap. 2. Rath Yatra of Shree Jagannath The Ratha yatra or car festival is celebrated in the Jagannath temple on Asadha Shukla Paskhya Dwitiya tithi as per Srimandir Panji. The world-famous Rath Yatra is celebrated after a long stay of 15 days in the house Ansar. On the day of the Car festival, the Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath, Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra biaje in the three chariots at Sharadhabali to give his darshan to the devotee’s worldwide. 3. Sayan Yatra The Sayan Yatra is performed in Asadha Shukla Ekadashi Tithi as per Srimandir Panji. On this ritual, the fourth idol and Shree Jagannath sleeping and darshan of the deities are stopped. 4. Dakshinayan Yatra This yatra is celebrated in the Karkata Sankranti as per Srimandir Panji. It is said that Vibhishan darshan Shree Jagannath on that day. So the Dakshinayan Bandapana ritual is also performed on that day. 5. Side-changing Yatra This Yatra is celebrated on the month Bhadrab Shukla Ekadasi (eleventh Day) as per Srimandir Panji, as the Mahaprabhu are asleep on this day and turn their backs. 6. Uththapan Yatra This Yatra is celebrated on the month of Kartik Shukla Ekadasi (eleventh Day) as per Srimandir Panji, the Sayan ritual of deities is the end, Shree Jagannath awakens and the rituals are performed. 7. Pravana Sasti The Pravan Sasti is celebrated in the month of Margasira Shukla Sasti tithi as per Srimandir Panji. During the day the deities are dressed in winter clothes according to the ritual to escape the onslaught of winter in the winter season. 8. Pusya Yatra The Pusya yatra is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) tithi of the month of Poush as per Srimandir Panji. The bathing rituals of the deities are performed, and the bathing rituals are performed in the reflection of deities. 9. Uttarayan Yatra The Uttarayan Yatra is celebrated on the Makar Sankranti of Poush month. Makar Churashi Bhog Niti Alati, Bandapana, etc. are offered to the deities. 10. Dola Yatra On the full moon day (Purnima) of Falgun month, the Dola yatra is celebrated and the deities brought to Dola mandap and the Suna Besha are performed. 11. Damanak Yatra Damanak yatra is celebrated on the Chaitra Shukla Chaturdashi tithi, the sebayats carry out the Damanak theft rituals on this occasion. 12. Chandan Yatra This Chadan yatra is celebrated for 42days from the month of Baishakh Shukla Tritiya tithi (Akshaya Tritiya).The deities playing (Chap Khela)in Chadan Pokhari ( Chadan Pond) to get a little relief from the extreme heat. 13. Niladri Mohadaya The Niladri Mohadoya Yatra is celebrated on the month of Baishakh Shukla Ashtami tithi as per Sri mandir Panji. On this day the Daru of deities is itself appeared and the inauguration of the temple was held.