The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-21
THE CELEBRATED JueeeaNAuT.
Some Facts About the Great Temple
Chariot and Idols

Chariot and Idols.
The city of Juggernaut has about fifty
thousand inhabitants. but as there is a re-
ligious festival held there once every
month the population constantly within
its borders falls but little short of 10000
On both sides OF the principal street are
almost unbroken lines OF HindoO temples,
all OF which are overshadowed hy the
great temple of Juggernaut, which stands
at the southern extremity of the main
street The "great temple" rises to a
height of nearly three hundred feet, and
is surmounted by bronze-covered dome,
the point of which reaches 100 feet higher.
The wall which surrounds this gigantic
pagoda is a square with sides $50 feet in
length is eighteen feet thick at the bot
tom and nearly forty feet high. B sides
the great pagoda in honor of Juggernaut.
the Enclosure contains temples and idols
dedicated to dozens of other Hindoo del
ties.
All OF the idols, says the St. Louis Re
public, are monstrous in design and fright
ful in appearance. That to Krishna IAN
other name for Juggernaut) is painted
blue, and has a face hideous in the ex-
| treme. According to HindOo legend
Krishna was killed by a hunter. His
brought before King Indradvuma. who
was directed by one of the gods to form
an image of Jagantah (perhaps JuPger-
naut; see John w. Wright's idol Wor-
shippers OF India" page 800. and place
Krishna's bones inside. Nisvakarma, a
divine architect and sculptor undertook
TO make the image, but, being hurried by
the king, left off in anger. So Jagantah
was left without hands or feet. In COM
pensation, Brahma gave the image ewes
and soul. 1t may be seen by this legend
that it was originally on account of the
sanity bones within that the image was
venerated.
Besides Krishna or Juggernaut, two
others of the idols are provided with inn
mense cars or chariots. The car of Jugger-
naut is thought TO be the largest wheeled
vehicle that has yet been made in the
world. 1t is thirty-four and One-half feet
square atthe base and forty-three and one
half feet high, mounted on sixteen wheels,
each six and one-half feet in diameter.
Once year, at the great annual March
festival, Juggernaut, mounted on the apex
OF his stately car, is taken tOa house about
one and half miles in the country, where
a female image is supposed to be waiting
to become his bride. The removal of the
ClldtlOl IOtn tue W Tic NOuHlll
house being proceeding holy in the ex-
treme, no animals are used for drawing
the chariot, men, women and children
only being permitted to perform such
righteous services.
On this occasion either five or seven
ropes are attached to the front of the car,
the middle one having been twisted from
hair cut from the heads of female devOtees.
| IL was n lOnF-chariShpd belief in Christian
countries that many pilgrims sacrificed
! themselves upon these gala days by fall
ing prone before the car and allowing the
ponderous wheels to pass over their bod
| les. 1t is probable that the accounts OF
these self-sacrifces have been too highly
colored, and that the great loss of life upon
such occasions, when thousands of frantic
| devotees are congregated together. comes
more from accident than from desire TO
start for heaven from directly underneath
| the wheels of the holy car.