Jagannath (Odia: ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, romanized: Jagannātha; lit. ”lord of the universe”; formerly English: Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra and sister, devi Subhadra. Jagannath within Odia Hinduism is the supreme god, Purushottama,[1][2][3] Para Brahman.[4][5] To most Vaishnava Hindus, particularly the Krishnaites, Jagannath is an abstract representation of Krishna, and Mahavishnu,[6][7] sometimes as the avatar of Krishna or Vishnu.[8][9] To some Shaiva and Shakta Hindus, he is a symmetry-filled tantric form of Bhairava, a fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation.[10][11]
The Jagannathism (a.k.a. Odia Vaishnavism) — the particular sector of Jagannath as a major deity — emerged in the Early Middle Agesand later became an independent state regional temple-centered tradition of Krishnaism/Vaishnavism.
The idol of Jagannath is a carved and decorated wooden stump with large round eyes and a symmetric face, and the idol has a conspicuous absence of hands or legs. The worship procedures, sacraments and rituals associated with Jagannath are syncretic and include rites that are uncommon in Hinduism.[15][16] Unusually, the icon is made of wood and replaced with a new one at regular intervals.
