Samkha Kshetra - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Samkha Kshetra

Encyclopedia

Samkha Khsetra also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...

: संख ख्सेत्र) (Literal Meaning: 'The Conch-shaped Region') is the religio-geographic name of the most sacred section of the holy city of Puri

Puri

Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...

, the seat of Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

deity, Shri Jagannath

Jagannath

Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...

. The Samkha Khsetra derives its name from the typical dakshinavarti

Dakshinavarti Shankh

Dakshinavarti Shankh, Valampuri Sangu [in Tamil] or Sri Lakshmi Shankh, is a sacred Hindu object otherwise known in English as a conch shell...

Shankha

Shankha bhasam , also spelled and pronounced as Shankh and Sankha, is a conch shell of ritual and religious importance in Hinduism and Buddhism. It is the shell of a large predatory sea snail,Turbinella pyrum found in the Indian Ocean....

(conch)-shaped, outer locational pattern of various temples, sacred places and secondary and tertiary deities in Puri

Puri

, with the Jagannath Temple at its heart centre.

The Samkha Khsetra is widely revered by the Hindu

Hindu

s as a sacred pilgrimage place under the Jagannath

Jagannath

Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...

cult. In popular Oriya

Oriya language

Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...

usage, the Samkha Khsetra is also referred to as the abbreviated version, only kshetra

The outlay kshetra (Region) of the Samkha Khsetra has been defined from distant past and no definite period of such classification has been determined. However, certain degree of Tantric

Tantra

Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....

influence has been observed on account of the yantric

Yantra

Yantra is the Sanskrit word for "instrument" or "machine". Much like the word "instrument" itself, it can stand for symbols, processes, automata, machinery or anything that has structure and organization, depending on context....

conceptualisation of Puri

Puri

. As per the Samkha Khsetra concept, the entirety of the holy land of Jagannath Puri

Puri

has been conceptualised and described as a giant yantra

Yantra

of huge dimensions.

The Nilachal

Nilachal

The abode of Hindu deity Jagannath at Puri is known as the Nilachal or Niladri, [Nila + Achal The abode of Hindu deity Jagannath at Puri is known as the Nilachal or Niladri, [Nila (Blue) + Achal The abode of Hindu deity Jagannath at Puri is known as the Nilachal or Niladri, [Nila (Blue) + Achal...

(Blue Mountain) is part of traditional division of Puri into seven concentric circles having the Lion throne in the place of common centre. This type of plan, which is evidently inspired by the symbolism of the yantra

Yantra

of Hari-Narayana is illustrated by a painted map of the Samkha Kshetra (Samkha – Conch-shaped, Kshetra – Region: The Conch-shaped Region) found in the upper part of the southern entrance to the principal jagamohan of the Jagannatha Temple of Puri.

Jagannath Puri as the Samkha Khsetra

Puri

is located on the east coast of the state of Orissa

Orissa

Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, and is one of the oldest religious cities in the eastern part of the country on account of Shri Jagannath

Jagannath

Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...

. Puri

Puri

is the site of the Govardhana Matha, one of the four cardinal institutions or Mathas established by Adi Shankaracharya. Puri

Puri

is a tirtha

Tirtha

In Jainism, a tīrtha |ford]], a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed") is used to refer both to pilgrimage sites as well as to the four sections of the sangha...

sthan, monastic order of the highest denomination.

The shape of the sacred section of Puri

Puri

resembles a conch shell (sankha) and, therefore, it is also known as the Sankha Kshetra. Like the other names, that is, Shri Khetra and Purusottam Khetra, which have bearing on the Lord Jagannath

Jagannath

Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...

, the paramount deity of Puri

Puri

, Sankha Kshetra has equal ritual and symbolic significance. The name Sankha Kshetra is the most significant because Sankha is one of the Aiyudhas or weapons of Lord Vishnu

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

who resides in the navel or the central part of the shell in the form of Lord Jagannath

Jagannath

Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...

. Samkha Kshetra is about 10 miles in extent, of which nearly two koshas are submerged in the sea and the remaining three koshas are above water and sandy because of its origin from the sea. In the centre of the Kshetra lies the hillock called Nilachal

Nilachal

where the temple of Shri Jagannath

Jagannath

Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...

stands and within its compound many sacred institutions of importance are located. Samkha is an important motif of the Vaishnavite iconography

Iconography

Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...

Geography of the Kshetra

The broad end of the Sankha Kshetra lies to the west where the temple of Shri Lokanath, one of the eight noted Shiva

Shiva

Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...

Temples of Puri

Puri

is located and on the apical end or the cone in the east, is located another Shiva

Shiva

Temple called the Nilakantha

Nilakantha

The word Nilakantha may refer to one of the following:* Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism* Neelakantha Chaturdhara , seventeenth-century commentator of the Mahābhārata* Nīlakantha dhāranī, a Mahayana Buddhist mantra...

. The area between the two temples is two miles in extent and is most sacred.

According to the Tantric philosophy, the Sankha Kshetra is made up of seven concentric folds.

The innermost or first fold, which forms the navel, or the Kshetra, is the seat of the divine platform on which the Lord Jagannath

Jagannath

Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...

with Balabhadra and Subhadra

Subhadra

.

The second fold, which is the outer layer of the first or the innermost fold, is hexagonal in shape and in this are located four goddesses of power, two tirtha

Tirtha

In Jainism, a tīrtha |ford]], a shallow part of a body of water that may be easily crossed") is used to refer both to pilgrimage sites as well as to the four sections of the sangha...

s, two sacred trees, Garuda

Garuda

The Garuda is a large mythical bird or bird-like creature that appears in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology.From an Indian perspective, Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila and...

(vehicle of Lord Vishnu) and the top of the Nilagiri

Nilagiri

Nilagiri is a town and a notified area committee in Balasore district in the Indian state of Orissa.-History:Orissa Freedom Fighters like Banamali Das, Baishnab Patnaik and Nanda Kishore Patnaik violently fought against the local prince and forced him to surrender to newly formed Indian National...

hill which is convex like the back of a tortoise. The goddesses are Bimala, Kamala, Sarbamangala and Uttaral. The sacred trees are Kalpapadapa and Salmalitaru. The tirthas are Rohinikunda and Pranitodakakunda.
The third fold, which is the outer layer of the second fold, is the central part of the lotus-like structure having sixteen petals, each inlaid with an idol of Lord Shiva and a goddess, alternately. The eight Shivas are Agneswar, Bateswar, Khetrapaleswar, Chakreswar, Baikuntheswar, Pataleswar, Isaneswar, and Lokeswar. The eight goddesses are Dwarabasini, Mahabajreswari, Swanabhairabi, Bhadrakali, Bhubaneswari, Mahakaliaghorea, Sitala, and Jagnyeswari. These deities are responsible for watching and guarding the firstfold having the Supreme Lord at the centre of the sacred complex.

The fourth fold, which is the outer coating of the third fold, forms the convex surface of the temple precinct (Mahakurma) and the inner compound wall of the Jagannath Temple.

In tantric belief, the first four folds have been equated with the tantric

Tantric

Tantric can refer to:*Tantra, especially Hindu Tantra and tantric yoga*Neotantra, a term used to describe the modern, western use of the word Tantra*Tantric Buddhism, see Vajrayana*Tantric , a hard rock band from Louisville, Kentucky...

Sri Yantra formulation.

The fifth fold, which is the outer layer of the fourth fold, is the seat of the eight Shivas and eight goddesses. The Shivas is Bisweswar, Markandeswar, Mahakaleswar, Karnameswar, Mukteswar, Ugreswar, Kapilalochana and Agreswer. The goddesses are Bisweswari, Saptamatrika, Dakshinkali, Charchika, Alameswari, Barahi, Banadurgeswari and Basulikeswari. These deities are also in charge of watch and ward functions of the sacred complex.

In the sixth fold of the sacred space there are four ashrams. They are Angirs in the east, Pandu in the west, Markandeya in the north, and Bhrigu in the south.

The seventhfold which is the outermost zone consists of the sentries of the Sankha Kshetra and two pilgrim centres.

Alternate Formations

In the Sacred Geography of Puri : Structure and Organisation and Cultural Role of a Pilgrim Centre, Nityanand Patnaik has detailed the following structure of the Puri centre:

The first zone is in the form of the archetypal circle within which the modem wooden icons are represented standing on the Lion throne. In the words of the Visrttt Reliasya of the Brahma Purana

Brahma Purana

The Brahma Purana is one of the major eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts. The extant text comprises 246 chapters. It is divided into two parts, namely the Purvabhaga and the Uttarabhaga . The first part narrates the story behind the creation of the cosmos, details the life and...

"In the centre of the seven enclosures, in the cave of the Blue Mountain there is an abode . . . full of “consciousness". The text explains that inside "the three innermost circuits, Vishnu

Vishnu

Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....

, the highest Purusa, is present in the wooden form.

The second circuit is in the shape of a hexagon. In the six angles are depicted four goddesses: Durga-VimaIa, Kamala-Laksmi, Uttara Durga and Batamangala, together with Garuda on the south, and the summit of the Blue Mountain on the north. In the outer eastern facing spaces are found Sarasvati, the Salmotaru tree and the Golden Well. In the western ones are the sacred banyan tree, the Rohini Well and Ucchista Ganapati.

The third circuit consists of a circle with a sixteen-petalled lotus. On the petals are placed the eight Sivas and right Saktis who guard the Lion throne. These deities are found on the Blue Hill and are as follows: Agnisvara, Indranidevi, Ksetrapala, Svanabhairavi. Multtesvara. Citraltali, Vatamarltandeya, Katyayani, Gopesvara, Bedakali, Patalesvara, Bhuvartesvari, Vailtuntesvara, Jagnesvari, lsanesvara and Sitala.

The fourth zone is in the form of a yantra

Yantra

or square with four points of access. It corresponds to the Blue Mountain (Nila-achal/Niladri) with its gateways and steps.

The fifth circuit is in the shape of it sixteen-petalled lotus. This mandala comprises the Candis and Sambhus who guard the outer perimeter of the hill. The Sivas are Viiwesvara, Markantleiwara, Mahakalesvara, Karnainesvara, Muktesvara, Ugresvara, Kapala-mocana and Agnisvsra, also the Goddesses Visvesvari, the Saptamatrika (stone images of the Mothers from the Somavansi period at the Martandeya tirtha), Dakshinakali, Charchika,
Alamesvari, Varahi, Vanadurga and Vaseli.

The sixth is in the form of a lotus which contains the major sacred bathing places and the four oldest monasteries at Puri. The panchatirtha consists of the Markandeya Pool, the Rohini Well, the King Indradyumna Lake and sometimes includes Svetaganga, while the four ashrama are Angira in the east, Bhrgu in the south, Pandu in the west and Markandeya in the north.

The seventh and last circuit is in the shape of a conch-shell. On the top of the shankha

Shankha

is a huge symbolising Lokanatha

Shiva

Svaymbhu, and on the tip, which is orientated towards the south-east, the Vilvesara temple. The last three Sivas, together with Kapalamocana and Goddess Ardhasini, act as the day and night guardians of the town, Nilakantha

Shiva

is the governor of the kshetra, Narasimha

Narasimha

Narasimha or Nrusimha , also spelt as Narasingh and Narasingha, whose name literally translates from Sanskrit as "Man-lion", is an avatar of Vishnu described in the Puranas, Upanishads and other ancient religious texts of Hinduism...

protects the places where the fire ceremony is performed. Both Svargadvara, with its cremation ground and Chakra tirtha are represented on the map. Surrounding the city is the sea below, the sky above and a branch of the Bhargavi River which forms the handle of the Sankha kshetra.

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.