The number 'three' has a great significance in the religious iconography. For Christianity, for example, there is the divine Trinity. In the very way of life in Hinduism, which includes religious practices, philosophy, thinking patterns, 'three' indeed is hugely important.
In this blog today, let us look at the Puri temple, absolutely unique every which way. It has three deities worshipped in one temple. Much more interesting is the fact that it is the only temple in the whole world which is dedicated to siblings!
Across the world, you can find any number of temples dedicated to relationships such as mother-child, the divine consorts, the divine lovers, and so on. The Jagannath Temple in Puri is the ONLY temple in the whole world which celebrates the sibling relationship.
It is a temple of Lord Krishna and his siblings, Balram and Subhadra. The Rath Yatra in Puri begins today, that is, on the Ashadha Shudh Tritiya. I find the Puri deity absolutely anthropomorphic.
Let me list a few details which make me believe so. Remember the legend about how the idols of the divine siblings are made? They are wood crafted which in my opinion is a way of nature consecration. Originally, the idols were to be carved by Vishwakarma. When the mysterious process of idol making worried the Queen, she made the King force-open the doors which remained shut as per the craftsman's conditions, and which resulted in the idols not getting the final finesse of the ideal idols.
In a way, the story shows the queen's motherly anxiety. Hence the yatra even today has her abode as the goal. On the other hand, the closing of the doors shows a tribute to the sincere genuine concentration necessary for the blooming of imagination creatively.
The divine siblings in Puri show all the naughty traits of childhood. They play in water, they fall ill, they feel feverish, they want to go meet grandparents, they want a vacation, too. Such humanisation is the plinth of the consecration of the trinity's togetherness. Hence the title of the blog today which consecrates the human(e) in the divine!
Pratima@Where there is tender togetherness, there the Lord resides, too!
N B.: Oh, yes, I would like to acknowledge the discussion during the online Vari celebration conducted by the BMCC.
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