King of Puri! 'The foremost servant of Jagannath'
Crowds always flock to witness Rath Yatra In Puri Jagannath Dham.This grand festival, celebrated for over centuries,draws millions of devotees and tourists from around the world.
The Gajapati Maharaja of Puri plays a crucial ceremonial role in the Ratha Yatra festival, particularly through the Chhera Pahara ritual which is also his royal responsibility.He is considered the foremost servitor of Lord Jagannath and, in this capacity, performs the symbolic sweeping of the chariots with a golden broom and sandalwood-scented water. This act, performed twice – once before the deities travel to the Gundicha Temple and again on the return Bahuda yatra -signifies humility and equality before the divine.
In Odia, "Gaja" means elephant and "Pati" means master. As such, Gajapati etymologically means a king with an army of elephants or master of elephants.
Anantavarman Chodaganga, the Gajapati Maharaja of the mediveal eastern Ganga dynasty, was significantly influenced by the teachings of Ramanujacharya. Chodaganga Deva renovated the temple at Puri and offered land for Ramanuja to establish his monastery, EMBAR Matha there. Later on the title of Gajapati and the control of the Jagannath temple of Puri shifted to the hands of the rulers of the Bhoi dynasty who ruled as the chiefs of the Khurda kingdom.
The Gajapatis believed themselves to be the servants of Lord Jagannath and start their mornings with the Lord's worship and blessings.On the day of Ratha Yatra,after the deities proceed to the chariots in the the Pahandi procession,flowers are offered to them and the King of Puri arrives in a palanquin to do the ceremonial 'Chera Pahara'.
This ceremony reenacts the theocratic tradition of the Jagannath cult;since King Abanga Bhima Dev of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.Jagannath became the state deity and the solar dynasty kings of the Utkala -Kalinga empire continued to be merely his servitors.
The current Gajapati Maharaja, Dibyasingha Deb, is the 17th ruler of the Bhoi dynasty, which has held the title since 1568. He assumed the throne in 1970 at the age of 17,after the death of his father and is deeply involved in religious and spiritual activities.
He is seen as a custodian of the temple's traditions.
The king of Puri is not allowed to participate in any cremation ceremony. A brahmin boy is adopted by the royal family who discharges these duties on the king's behalf.The title of Gajapati Maharaja of Puri has been passed down through generations, with a cyclical pattern of the names Divyasingha Deva, Mukunda Deva, and Ramchandra Deva.
The Gajapati Maharaja resides in the Puri Palace, a rambling white one-story structure located on the main street of Puri, directly across from the Shri Jagannath Temple and continues to hold a significant position as the chairman of the temple's managing committee.
People of Odisha hold him in high regard as he is the foremost servitor of Lord Jagannath.He remains apolitical,and as he explained 'I cannot identify with any one group, everyone has a claim on me'.
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