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The Jagannatha temple. A diagram of the temple, showing the centre shrine midway up a slender shikhara or tower. The two male figures are shown as posts and with yellow wing-like ‘arms’. The Sudarsana Cakra is a small post covered with black hatching standing beside Jagannatha. At the base of the tower are Siva and the four-headed Brahma standing on either side of a Garuda pillar. Two blue-skinned priests attend. Below them is a panel containing the temple cookhouse (?), a table piled with sweet-meats, a leogryph, the Jagannatha trio in midget form, their extremities reduced to oval cushions, a shrine with three conch shells suspended and lastly, Madana Mohana, a tiny black flute-player with four arms, standing in a boat on a tank. Beneath them is a final panel containing the three temple-cars in which the images are taken out, a pair of leogryphs indicating the Lion Gate, a midget image of Jagannatha enclosed in a shrine visible to untouchables, and lastly, the temple bathing-tank or pool.

To the left of the tower are seven panels containing a shrine to Siva with lingam and yoni, a shrine with lamps and two priests, a third shrine with three priests, three further shrines, one with the black-skinned Visnu lying horizontally on the snake Ananta, Laksmi at his feet, Balabhadra (white-faced) and Jagannatha (yellow-faced) meeting the milkmaid, Manika, as they ride to the aid of the Raja of Puri, and lastly, the first five incarnations of Visnu. To the right of the tower are seven panels containing two shrines with lingams and yonis, Rama pursuing the demon Marica in the guise of a yellow deer, three priests before a midget black figure, three shrines, one containing a large lingam and yoni, ten small figures (perhaps monkeys, part of Rama’s army), Rama and Laksmana fighting the many-headed Ravana and finally, the last five of the ten incarnations of Visnu, with Jagannatha as the ninth. Around the temple tower are birds and pilgrims.

By a citrakar of Puri, Puri district, Orissa, c.1920-30.

Gouache on prepared paper; 385 by 320 mm.

Acquired by W.G. Archer from a stall adjoining the Puri temple, December 1933. Purchased 1974.

Reproduced: M. Archer (1967), pl.65.