Puri Heritage Walks explores rich legacy of Bada Odia Mutt

Puri: The 24th special edition of Puri Heritage Walks (PHW) on Sunday offered heritage lovers with an enriching journey through some of Puri’s historic monasteries and religious landmarks, providing insights into the city’s deep connection with the cult of Jagannath, literature and Vaishnavism on Sunday.

The walk started with a visit to Bada Odia Mutt at Baseli Sahi, a monastery closely associated with several important rituals and services of Sri Jagannath Temple. The mutt is of special historical importance as Atibadi Jagannath Das, the famous author of “Odia Bhagabata”, is believed to have composed 11 volumes of the scripture here. The site is believed to be a Rani Hansapur of the queen during the reign of Gajapati Prataparudra Dev. Atibadi Jagannath Das got an opportunity to stay and continue his literary work at the mutt.

Heritage enthusiasts were informed about the important services of the mutt in connection with the Jagannath temple. As explained by Pandit Siddharth Acharya, the Mahanta of Bada Odia mutt comes to the temple in a traditional ‘Mehena’ (palanquin) on the day of Niladri Bije, after the Rath Yatra. He performs the ritual like “majana” (cleaning) of Ratna Singhasana with ‘Chua’ water and fixing of the Trimundi Chandua above the sacred throne. These rituals are conducted by the ‘Chunara’ servitors under the Mahanta’s guidance.

Another tradition is the preparation of Phuluri Oil (a herbal oil applied to relieve the ache of our beloved deities) which is used in ‘Anasara’ period. On the occasion of “Anasara Panchami”, the inmates of the mutt take the oil to the temple and after undergoing some ritualistic practice for its purification by the Pati Mahapatra servitors, applied to the deities as part of the traditional treatment for their illness.

The mutt also makes available the “Adhara Pana” pots and “Adhara Gamuchha” associated with the respective rituals. The participants were also introduced to the tradition of daily “Bije Panti” at the mutt. The chief deity of Bada Odia Mutt is Prabhu Sri Krishna, fondly revered as Sri Rasikaraj. There are several other deities in the premises, which are taken out during festivals like Jhulan Yatra. The mutt also supplies about seven and half seers of sandal wood paste for the “Sarvanga Chandan” ritual of Lord Jagannath on the day after Hera Panchami when the Lord is housed at the Gundicha Temple.

It is said that the mutt got its name as it traditionally gave shelter to the Odia pilgrims while the adjoining ‘Sana Odia Mutt’ served the pilgrims from outside Odisha. Legends say that the Chief priest of the mutt used to prepare ‘Tanka Torani’ in the left over Adharpana pots of Mahaprabhu which worked like a miracle to cure the children from various ailments. Though over the years the mutt has lost some of its former land holdings, it still houses some important relics of Atibadi Jagannath Das.

The heritage walkers were particularly touched by the beautiful paintings inside the mutt depicting Ravana Chhatra Bhanga, Krishna’s Rasaleela, Pandava Vanavasa, Nabagunjara and the Holy Trinity.

Later, the heritage enthusiasts visited nearby Hati Gurudev Mutt, a branch of the Benupada Mutt of Delanga founded by saint Hadibandhu Das. This mutt’s ‘Gadi’ is known as “Arttatrana Gadi” and is dedicated to Mahaprabhu Balabhadra.

Lokanath Mishra, a local resident and former teacher of Biswambhar Vidyapitha, explained the significance of the mutt’s Pahili Bhoga tradition related to Goddess Annapurna. The mutt performs special rituals on Snana Purnima, Rath Yatra and Pahili Bhoga for its Chaturdha Murti. The traditions and activities of the mutt are maintained with the help and cooperation of locals, since the mutt is not funded by the government.

The heritage walkers also visited Bali mutt, which belongs to the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. The mutt is traditionally associated with Abhiram Thakur, a close associate of Chaitanya. As the day coincided with the sacred occasion of Chakrabula Ekadashi, the heritage enthusiasts proceeded from Bali mutt towards the Bhagabati Kota inside the Srimandir Parikrama Marg. They offered prayers before Chakra Narayan and concluded the heritage walk with having the Panti Bhoga Prasad.

The heritage walk was conducted under the leadership of co-convener Ashoka Manjari Nayak. Several heritage enthusiasts from different parts of the state participated in the walk.