Lord Jagannath

Jagannath, lord of the universe, is a form of Krishna and one of the most distinctive figures in all of Indian art: the large round eyes, the stump arms, the unfinished quality that is not a limitation but the whole point. This collection runs from small gold-plated murtis to the three-figure Puri set, wall frames and pocket temples.

Why he looks the way he does

Worth knowing, because it is the question every first-time buyer has. The Jagannath form is deliberately abstract, and the tradition explains it through the story of the sculptor Vishwakarma, interrupted before the carving was complete, leaving the deity in this form by divine will. That incompleteness is venerated rather than corrected, which is why every Jagannath, from the Puri temple deity to a 3 inch murti, keeps it.

He is almost never kept alone. The set is three: Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and their sister Subhadra, and often the Sudarshana pillar as a fourth. The trio is the form to buy if you want the complete deity as it stands at Puri.

The formats

The three-figure set, gold plated, which is the canonical form. Measure the full width, since three figures side by side are much wider than a single murti of the same height.

Single Jagannath murtis, in silver and gold plate, from about 2.75 inches, for a smaller shelf or a desk.

Wall frames, the Puri deities in a 3D gold-plated panel up to 11.5 inches, which want a wall the light reaches. See wall decor.

Pocket temples that close around the trio for travel or a desk, and gift hampers. See pocket temples.

Rath Yatra

The season this collection belongs to. The chariot festival at Puri, when the deities are brought out and pulled through the streets on enormous raths, is one of the largest gatherings in India and the origin of the English word juggernaut. It is observed by Odia and Vaishnava households well beyond Puri, and a home Jagannath is how that connection is kept. See Rath Yatra.

Which material

Most of this collection is plated, which suits the bright painted look of the temple deities. Gold and silver plated pieces are light and crisply detailed, for display: keep them dry, dust with a soft cloth, no abhishek.

If the murti will be bathed or handled daily, brass is the choice. Antique and plated finishes take a dry cloth only.

As a gift

A Jagannath set is a natural gift for an Odia household, for Rath Yatra, and for anyone with a Puri connection. The pocket temple and the smaller murtis travel best. See griha pravesh and housewarming gifts; for volume, corporate gifts or the bulk order enquiry page.

Jagannath is a form of Krishna; see also Krishna idols. To furnish the mandir, pooja essentials; for the wider pantheon, god idols and figurines.

Before you order

• Decide single figure or the full three. The trio is the canonical Puri form.
• Measure the full width of a set. Three figures are far wider than the listed height.
• The abstract form is deliberate, not a defect. That is how Jagannath is made.
• Plated pieces are for display. Buy brass if it will be bathed.
• A wall frame needs a wall with light on it, not a shelf.