Hindu Odia ‘Madala Panji’,Bipin Chandra’s.

Bipin Chandra’s

Hindu Odia ‘Madala Panji’

Madala Panji : (Odia ମାଦଳା ପାଞ୍ଜି) is a chronicle of the Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha, India. It describes the historical events of Odisha related to Jagannath and the Jagannatha Temple.^[1] The Madala Panji dates from the 12th century.^[2]

Madala Panji's role in Odia history:

While writing Odia history, historians like Sir W.W.Hunter and Andrew Stirling considered the facts related in Madala Panji as a base ^[3] . The Madala Panji was traditionally written on a year-to-year basis^[4]. On Bijaya-Dashami day, the Karanas (official history writers of Puri, a caste of Odisha, involved in keeping the chronicle. This ritual is cited as a proof that the tradition of keeping this chronicle began with Odia king Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev (1078–1150) himself. There are some, like Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab, Dr.Nilakantha Dash and Dr. Krushna Chandra Panigrahi who hold that the Panji dates from the reign of Ramachandra Deva I who re-established the worship of Lord Jagannatha after Kalapahad said to have destroyed it. The arguments are complex, but it is likely that much of the early record was indeed lost in the period that followed Kala Pahad and was rewritten in a fashion that mixed legend with history.

Writers of Panji:

According to the tradition, Chodaganga created 24 families of Karanas to preserve the temple records. Of these, five were entrusted with the writing and preservation of the Madala Panji. They are:

• Panjia Karan—preserves the Madala Panji
• Tadau Karan—writes the Madala Panji
• Deula Karan—enforces the Madala
• Kotha Karan—the main compiler
• Baithi Karan – assistant

In subsequent stage, due to the bulky size of Madala Panji, its content covering different dimensions related to temple management, it was divided into four parts:

1.     Bhandara Khanja Madala (maintained by Pattajoshi Mohapatra)

2.     Deula Madala / Karmangi Madala (maintained by Deula Karana)

3.     Deshapanji Madala (prepared by Deula Karana)

4.     Rajakhanja Madala (prepared and maintained by Tadhau Karana),^[5

Types of Panjis:

There are also five different categories of Panjis. No one has seen them all.

• Raja Khanja—important events of the Rajas. Read on Paush Purnima (Pushyabhishek). Kept by Tadau Karan.
• Desh Khanja—Records gifts of land and money and occasions when the Jagannath temple was plundered. Kept by Kotha Karan.
• Karmangi. Daily rituals. Important events related to the rituals recorded. Announced daily at the Beherana.
• Dina Panji—The daily almanac read by the temple astrologer at the time of the Avakash. These were prepared annually and finalized on Vishuva Sankranti.

Besides the Madala, there were other Karans who wrote regional chronicles, known as Chakadas. "All the Kadatas and Chakadas taken together will be about a cartload."

Madala Panji in recent years:

Madala Panji language is Odia and was recorded in Odia and Telugu script, preserved in the Manuscript Library in Madras, which speaks about the story regarding image of Nila Madhaba or Lord Jagannath of Udra desa, as Odisha was known in Middle Ages. It seems to have re-written during 16th century when the king of Khurda had newly installed the images after destruction made by Kalapahad, Muslim general of Nawab of Bangal.

A thorough study of the Madala Panji using all the different source materials has apparently not yet been done.

Jagannath in the Puri temple with the motive of glorifying him as

Second Indradumnya. Raja Indradumnya, according to tradition.

Medieval and early modern periods:

The history of Puri is on the same lines as that of the Jagannatha Temple, which was invaded 18 times during its history to plunder the treasures of the temple, rather than for religious reasons. The first invasion occurred in the 8th century AD by Rastrakuta king Govinda-III (798–814 AD), and the last took place in 1881 AD by the monotheistic followers of Alekh (Mahima Dharma) who did not recognise the worship of Jagannatha.^[15] From 1205 AD onward ^[14] there were many invasions of the city and its temple by Muslims of Afghan and Moghul descent, known as Yavanas or foreigners. In most of these invasions the idols were taken to safe places by the priests and the servitors of the temple. Destruction of the temple was prevented by timely resistance or surrender by the kings of the region. However, the treasures of the temple were repeatedly looted.^[16] The table lists all the 18 invasions along with the status of the three images of the temple, the triad of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra following each invasion.^[15]

Invasion number	Invader (s), year (s) AD	Local rulers	Status of the three images of the Jagannatha temple
1	Raktabahu or Govinda III (798–814) of the Rashtrakuta Empire	King Subhanadeva of Bhaumakara dynasty	Idols shifted to Gopali near Sonepur. Was brought back to Puri by Yayati I after 146 years and re-consecrated after performing Nabakalebara.[17]
2	Illias Shah, Sultan of Bengal, 1340	Narasinghadeva III	Images shifted to a secret location.[18]
3	Feroz Shah Tughlaq, 1360	Ganga King Bhanudeva III	Images not found, though rumored that they were thrown into the Bay Of Bengal.[18]
4	Ismail Ghazi commander of Alauddin Hussain Shah of Bengal, 1509	King Prataprudradeva	Images shifted to Chandhei Guha Pahada near Chilika Lake.[18]
5	Kalapahara, army assistant general of Sulaiman Karrani of the Afghan Sultan of Bengal, 1568	Mukundadeva Harichandan	Images initially hidden in an island in Chilika Lake. However, the invader took the idols from here to the banks of the Ganges River and burnt them. Bisher Mohanty, a Vaishnavite saint, who had followed the invading army, retrieved the Brahmas and hid it in a drum at Khurdagada in 1575 AD and finally re-installed it in the deities. Deities were brought back to Puri and consecrated in the Jagannatha Temple.[19]
6	Suleman, the son of Kuthu Khan and Osman, the son of Isha (ruler of Orissa), 1592	Ramachandradeva, the Bhoi dynasty ruler of Khurda	Revolt was by local Muslim rulers who desecrated the images.[20]
7	Mirza Khurum, the commander of Islam Khan I, the Nawab of Bengal, 1601	Purushottamadeva of Bhoi Dynasty	Image moved to Kapileswarpur village by boat through the river Bhargavi and kept in the Panchamukhi Gosani temple. Thereafter, the deities were kept in Dobandha—Pentha.[20]
8	Hasim Khan, the Subedar of Orissa, 1608	Purushottam Deva, the King of Khurda	Images shifted to the Gopal temple at Khurda and brought back in 1608.[20]
9	Hindu Rajput Jagirdar Kesodasmaru, 1610	Purusottamdeva, the king of Khurda	Images kept at the Gundicha Temple and brought back to Puri after eight months.[20]
10	Kalyan Malla, 1611	Purushottamadeva, the King of Khurda	Images moved to 'Mahisanasi' also known as'Brahmapura' or 'Chakanasi' in the Chilika Lake where they remained for one year.[21]
11	Kalyan Malla, 1612	Paiks of Purushottamadeva, the King of Khurda	Images placed on a fleet of boats at Gurubai Gada and hidden under the 'Lotani Baragachha' or Banyan tree) and then at 'Dadhibaman Temple'.[22]
12	Mukarram Khan, 1617	Purushottama Deva, the King of Khurda	Images moved to the Bankanidhi temple, Gobapadar and brought back to Puri in 1620.[22]
13	Mirza Ahmad Beg, 1621	Narasingha Deva	Images shifted to 'Andharigada' in the mouth of the river Shalia across the Chilika Lake. Moved back to Puri in 1624.[23]
14	Amir Mutaquad Khan alias Mirza Makki, 1645	Narasingha Deva and Gangadhar	Not known.[24]
15	Amir Fateh Khan, 1647	Not known	Not known[24]
16	Ekram Khan and Mastram Khan on behalf of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, 1692	Divyasingha Deva, the king of Khurda	Images moved to 'Maa Bhagabati Temple' and then to Bada Hantuada in Banpur across the Chilika Lake, and finally brought back to Puri in 1699.[24]
17	Muhammad Taqi Khan, 1731 and 1733	Birakishore Deva and Birakishore Deva of Athagada	Images moved to Hariswar in Banpur, Chikili in Khalikote, Rumagarh in Kodala, Athagada in Ganjam and lastly to Marda in Kodala. Shifted back to Puri after 2.5 years.[24]
18	Followers of Mahima Dharma, 1881	Birakishore Deva and Birakishore Deva of Athagada	Images burnt in the streets. [25]

Puri is the site of the Govardhana Matha, one of the four cardinal institutions established by Adi Shankaracharya, when he visited Puri in 810 AD, and since then it has become an important dham (divine centre) for the Hindus; the others being those at Sringeri, Dwarka and Jyotirmath. The Matha (monastery of various Hindu sects) is headed by Jagatguru Shankarachrya. It is a local belief about these dhams that Lord Vishnu takes his dinner at Puri, has his bath at Rameshwaram, spends the night at Dwarka and does penance at Badrinath.^[12][26]

In the 16th century, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Bengal established the Bhakti movements of India, now known by the name the Hare Krishna movement. He spent many years as a devotee of Jagannatha at Puri; he is said to have merged with the deity.^[27] There is also a matha of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu here known as Radhakanta Math.^[12]

In the 17th century, for the sailors sailing on the east coast of India, the temple served as a landmark, being located in a plaza in the centre of the city, which they called the "White Pagoda" while the Konark Sun Temple, 60 kilometres (37 mi) away to the east of Puri, was known as the "Black Pagoda".^[27]

The iconic representation of the images in the Jagannatha temple is believed to be the forms derived from the worship made by the tribal groups of Sabaras belonging to northern Odisha. These images are replaced at regular intervals as the wood deteriorates. This replacement is a special event carried out ritualistically by special group of carpenters.^[27]

The city has many other Mathas as well. The Emar Matha was founded by the Tamil Vaishnava saint Ramanujacharya in the 12th century AD. This Matha, which is now located in front of Simhadvara across the eastern corner of the Jagannatha Temple, is reported to have been built in the 16th century during the reign of kings of Suryavamsi Gajapatis. The Matha was in the news on 25 February 2011 for the large cache of 522 silver slabs unearthed from a closed chamber.^[28][29]

The British conquered Orissa in 1803, and, recognising the importance of the Jagannatha Temple in the life of the people of the state, they initially appointed an official to look after the temple's affairs and later declared the temple as part of a district.^[14]

Thanking You!

Written By : Bipin Chandra's