In this season of colourful festivals, people all over the country are preparing for Diwali. Each region and community has their own unique and beautiful traditions. Bengal’s very own Kali Pujo traditions are widely known. Special touches such as the soulful Shyaama Sangeet enrich and enliven our culture.

During the Navaratri festivities, I witnessed the stunning Goshani Jatra in Puri. It is a unique ancient tradition that is little known in the rest of India. On a bright Mahashtami afternoon, right next to the Jagannath temple west gate, I spotted the gigantic figure of a warlike man under a shamiana. At least twenty feet tall, he had round and angry eyes, a thick, curly beard, and matted hair. His muscular body was painted yellow, and he had tiger skin wrapped around his waist. He carried an array of weapons to complete the fearsome spectacle. Who was he? Why was this giant moorti being worshipped by priests during Navaratri? I learnt that this was a Naga. Their worship during Navaratri is unique to Puri. They represent the age-old Jaga Akada tradition of Puri. These akhadas trained sadhus in the martial arts to protect Dharma and the temples from Muslim invaders and other hostile forces.

Strolling through the lanes around the temple, I saw more stunning moortis. There were huge figures of Durga Devi, as fierce as they were beautiful. The largest of these Devi moortis of Puri is a mind-blowing thirty feet tall. That’s around the height of a three storeyed house. They looked completely different from the gentle and delicate Devis of nearby Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, and the Bengali Durga pratimas. Puri’s devis, or Goshanis, have strong and heavy figures and intense, almost fierce faces. They are painted with traditional natural colours such as hingula, powdered shells, and black lamp soot. Most of the Mahisasur figures have the head of a buffalo on a human body.

I bombarded learned local friends with questions. “Come to Puri on the day after Vijaydashami,” they said. “You will see all the Goshanis assembled in front of Lord Jagannath Temple for the Bhasani, or immersion procession into the sea. And then you will understand.”

As twilight descended, I was spellbound by the procession of Goshanis lining up in front of Lord Jagannath Temple. I learnt that these images of Devi Durga and other deities looked very different because they were created in keeping with the thousand-year-old local traditions. This style had evolved independently in Puri without major outside influences.

Clay moortis of Lord Hanuman, Ravana holding up Kailash mountain, the giant bird Sampati with monkeys on its wings, ghostly figures, and the giant Nagas, or warrior figures, also joined the procession. They too are worshipped during Navaratri. They represent the unique local folk culture deities of Puri and are mentioned in the prayer to Devi Vanadurga, the Durga of the forests. Vanadurga herself is worshipped during the Goshani Jatra. She is depicted with both Vishnu and Shiva. This represents Puri and Jagannath culture’s unique harmonious blend of both Shaivism and Vaishnavism.

The ancient culture of Lord Jagannath is enriched by many spiritual traditions and their influences. Lord Jagannath is primarily considered a form of Lord Vishnu. He is also considered to be the Bhairav of Maa Bimala. The ancient Shakti Peeth of Maa Bimala is inside the Jagannath Temple complex. There are interconnected rituals. The worship of the Devi, or Mother Goddess, during Navaratri is an important ancient tradition in Puri. Nilamani Guru, Paika Sevayat, and researcher Sri Jagannath Temple point out the presence of Devi Durga as a parsva Devi on the chariot of Devi Subhadra during the grand Ratha Jatra.

Goshani Jatra is Puri’s unique name for Durga Puja. According to Pt Nilakantha Dash, the name Goshani is derived from Goswamini, the wife of the Goswami or Brahmin landlord. Goswami is also considered to be Lord Shiva, the swami of Nandi, the bull. So Goswamini, or Goshani, is Lord Shiva’s consort, Devi Durga. Goshani is also considered by some to signify evil female spirits, says scholar Santosh Kumar Rath. Shiva is also called Bhootanath, the Lord of evil spirits. So the Goshanis could be evil female spirits, who are Shaktis accompanying Lord Shiva. He also points out that many Goshanis have names like Kankurikhai and Jhanimundia. This links them to the ancient folklore traditions of Puri.

The worship of these spirits is a very ancient practice in Puri. King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva ruled the Kalinga region between the Ganga and Godavari rivers from 1077–1155 CE. His rule extended to mediaeval Odisha. He rebuilt the Jagannath temple as it stands today. The Madala Panji records the history of the Jagannath Temple since ancient times. It says that King Chodaganga was a tantrik expert who tamed the local spirits.

As this grand and unique spectacle draws to an end, hope arises through the sadness of bidding farewell. Next year, the festival will happen again.

The writer is a freelance journalist