Overview
Jagannath (Sanskrit: जगन्नाथ; Odia: ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ), meaning 'Lord of the Universe', is a Hindu deity worshipped as part of a triad along with his elder brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. Within Odia Hinduism, Jagannath is venerated as the supreme god, identified with Purushottama and Para Brahman. For most Vaishnava Hindus, he is regarded as a regional form of Krishna, sometimes considered an avatar of Vishnu. Some Shaiva and Shakta traditions interpret him as a tantric form of Bhairava, a fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation.
Jagannathism, also known as Odia Vaishnavism, is the tradition centred on Jagannath as the principal deity. It emerged in early historical periods and developed into a distinct, temple-centred regional stream of Vaishnavism. The deity is generally considered non-sectarian and draws devotion across diverse Hindu traditions.
The icon of Jagannath is distinctive: a carved and decorated wooden stump with large round eyes and a symmetric face, notably lacking hands and legs in conventional form. Unlike most Hindu icons, the image is made of wood and is ritually replaced with a newly carved one at regular intervals. The associated worship procedures, sacraments and rituals are syncretic in character, incorporating rites that are uncommon in mainstream Hindu practice.
The English word "juggernaut", denoting a large and unstoppable force, derives from early British renderings of "Jagannath", drawn from accounts of the Ratha Yatra chariot processions at Puri. Jagannath holds regional significance across the Indian states of Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Gujarat, Assam, Manipur and Tripura, and is also venerated by Hindus in Bangladesh.
The Jagannath Temple at Puri in Odisha is among the most prominent shrines associated with the deity and is counted among the Char Dham pilgrimage sites of India.