Royal Patronage and Transformation of Aboriginal Khambeswari to Stambheswari
It is against this background we have to study the transformation of Khambeswari, a tribal deity, into Stambheswari under royal patronisations. Khambheswari was perhaps the earliest tribal deity to be converted into the tutelary deity of the states.
Some parts of Western and Southern Odisha in fifth and sixth centuries AD were ruled by the rulers belonging to the Parvata Dvaraka family. The very name Parvata Dvarak (mountain serving as the gateway of the king) bears evident testimony to the association of this family with the culture of the hill men or tribes. King Tushtikara who ruled over this kingdom covering tracts of the Kalahandi, Sonepur, Boud, and Ghumushar regions of Western and Southern Odisha was the first person to patronise this goddess. In his Terasingha copper plate (named after the village Terasingha from where the plate is found), Tushtikara styled himself as a “devout worshipper at the feet of the Goddess Stambheswari”, while praying goddess for recovery of his ailing mother Sri Sobhini from fever. This copper plate was issued from his capital Tara Bhramaraka in favour of a Brahmin named Arya Drona Sarma (Rajguru 1950:107-110). Most probably this Brahmin Dronaswami (or Drona Sarma) was instrumental in converting the tribal goddess of pillar into a Hindu goddess under a Sanskrit name.This capital city of Tara Bhramaraka has been identified by historians with Tala Bhramara, a village located at a distance of two miles (about 3.25 KM) from the confluence of the river Udei/Uttei with Tel in the Belkhandi region of Kalahandi district in Western Odisha (Rajguru 1950:109). This place is located at a distance of 76 KM from Bhawanipatana, the headquarters of the Kalahandi. J. D. Beglar (1882) who visited this region in 1874-1875 and 1875-1876 reported that this area full of archaeological vestiges was a prosperous region from sixth to eighth century CE.
On the basis of Beglar’s report in 1946 Mr. Kedaranatha Mohapatra undertook the excavation of this area on an experimental basis and the excavation unearthed a number of Sakta images like Durga, Sapta Matrikas, Hara-Parvati, or Uma-Maheswara. Most probably this Parvata Dvaraka ruling family had converted this region of Western Odisha into a place of Sakta importance and the fame of this place as Sakta centre continued unabated till the end of Somavamsi rule in tenth century AD (Sahu et al. 1979:77).8.5.1 Stambeswari Under the Sulki Ruling Family
From eighth century to tenth century AD, the coastal region of Odisha was ruled by the rulers of the Bhaumakara family, while Western Odisha and South Odisha were respectively under the rule of the Somavamsis and early Eastern Gangas. In between these kingdoms there sprang up some semi-independent principalities known as Mandala states. The rulers of these Mandala states owed allegiance to the Bhaumakaras of Tosali and assumed feudatory titles like Ranaka. But to all intents and purposes they were independent rulers, had their own army, and even issued charters without referring to the names of their overlord (Sahu et al. 1979:125).
The Sulki dynasty was one of these families ruling over a Mandala state named Kodalaka Mandala as one of the feudatories of the Bhaumakaras. This Kodalaka Mandala corresponds to the present Dhenkanal-Angul-Talcher region which was then a tribal belt earlier ruled by a tribal chief named Dhekata who is identified by Pandit Binayak Mishra as Dhenka Savara (1933:32), after whom the kingdom later on was named as Dhenkanal (GoD 1972:51 and 427-428). Sulki King Kalastambha defeated this tribal chief and established his rule over this region. Stambheswari most probably was the tutelary deity of the tribals and the Sulkis accepted her as their family deity after establishing their rule over this region. The association of this ruling family with goddess Stambheswari is attested by the fact that the rulers of this family like Kanchanastambha, Kalahstambha (or Kulastambha), Ranasthambha, Jayastambha, and Kulastambha used stambha as a component part of their names in their inscriptions (Shastri 1916:395-428).
The Sulkis owed their kingship over the region to the grace of goddess Stambheswari. Thus, in the Dhenkanal grant of Kulastambha we come across the epithet Stambheswari varakalabdha prasada17 (Rath 2009:86). We find the same phrase with minor alternation in other plates of Ranastambha Deva like Stambheswari datta vara prasadat18 (Mazumdar 1925:106) or Stambheswari labdha vara prasadesu19 (Chakravorty 1895:125) in Puri plate, for the plates were secured from Raghava Dasa Math in the town of Puri (Chakravorty 1895:123), and Stambheswari datta vara prasadat in another plate of the same ruler (Shastri 1918:169). Further, in the Dhenkanal grant of Ranastarabha goddess Stambheswari has been taken as the witness (sakshni) of the grant with a view to legalise it. The use of the deity’s name in the charter as witness explains the explicit faith of the king and people on this goddess.We may draw two conclusions from the association of the Sulkis with Stambheswari as prime patron. If Kalahastambha (or Kulastambah) as known from Dhenkanal plate defeated the aboriginal chief Dhekata and established his rule over undivided Dhenkanal district, then he, with a view to enlist the support of the tribes must have accepted this tribal deity as the state deity by patronising it.
Secondly, if the Sulkis as described in Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira and Markandeya Purana, were the member of the Saulika tribe living between Kalingas and Chedis of Dakhina Koshala then they in due course of time had entered into Kshatriya fold and accepted and royally patronised Stambheswari, the dominant autochthonous goddess of their own region as their tutelary deity (Kulke 1978a:130).
8.5.1.1 From Stambheswari to Durga
The rulers of Sulki dynasty as a mark of their unflinching devotion for this deity, as has been mentioned, used ‘Stambha’ as a suffix to their name like Kanchanastambha, Kalahastambha, Kulastambha, Ranatambha, Jayastambha, etc. In a similar manner, to upgrade this autochthonous tribal deity as a prominent Hindu Goddess, Kulastambha alias Ranastambha in his Dhenkanal grant used Bhagavati and Bhattarika, variant names of Goddess Durga, respectively as a prefix and suffix to the name Stambheswari (for example Stambheswari Bhattarika and Bhattariak Stambheswari Bhagavati (Shastri 1916:399 and 404)).
Thus, tribal deity Khambeswari under the patronage of the Sulkis became Bhagavati. The first known historical ruler of this family Kanchanastambha or Kanaka Stambha built the Kanakeswara Shiva temple at Kuanlo often identified as the capital of the Kodalaka Mandala located on the bank of river Brahamni, then known as Sankha Jyoti (Sahu 1988:120). To the east of this Kanakeswara temple we see a ten armed image of goddess Durga, locally known as Kanak Durga. Thus, Stambheswari, the Kula Devi (family/clan deity) of the Sulkis appear to have been converted to Bhagavati, Bhattarika, and Durga in later time.8.5.2 Stambheswari Under the Patronage of the Bhanjas
When Kodalaka Mandala was ruled by the Sulkis; the region of Baud, Sonepur, and Phulbani on the other side of Mahanadi, organised into another semi-independent principality called Khinjali Mandala, was ruled by the Bhanjas, another feudatory of the Bhaumakaras from their capital at Dhritipura. The third ruler of this family named Rana Banja though described as a devout worshipper of Lord Shiva, had equal respect for Stambheswari (Mazumdar 1916: 167 and 169). In his Tapsikera copper plate grant, he considers himself as a boon of Stambheswari (Samanta vandita Stambheswari labdha vara). Both the Bhanjas and Sulkis ruling on either sides of Mahanadi had common identity as the feudatories of the Bhaumakaras. This cordial relation between two feudatory families had bearing on the Bhanjas, having their devotion for the tutelary deity of their neighbouring Mandala state. Vijaya Devi, the queen of Rana Bhanja also identifies herself as a Sakta (Parama Maheswari i.e. devout worshipper of Mahaeswari i.e. Durga or Parvati). This indicates that the Bhanjas had accepted Stambheswari as a Skata goddess and started patronising her.
After being defeated by Janmejaya, the Somavamsi king of Koshala, the Bhanjas were expelled from Baud-Phulbani region and fled away to Ghumusar region of the Ganjam district and established a new kingdom which included the regions of the present Nayagarh district and Ghumusar region of Ganjam with their capital at Vanjulvaka.
After occupying Bauda Sonepur region, the Somavansis too appear to have come in contact with this cult. This is evident from the Kamalpur copper plate grant of Ranaka Jayarnnama, a feudatory of the Somavansi king Karna Dev (1090-1118 AD). In this plate, the same sentence of the Bhanja record Sri Khambeswari vara labdha prasad is repeated (cited in Rath 2009:87).
Ghumushar being a table land inhabited by tribes like the Kandhas, the Savaras, and the Koyas, Stambheswari worship gained popularity among these people who had the tradition of pillar worship like the Sulkis. Some of the officers of this new Bhanja ruling family used stambha as suffix to their name. This is attested to by the name of Shri Stambha the Sandhivigrahi (minister of war and peace) of Vidyadhara Bhanja who drafted the texts of the Odisha Museum plate in the year 933 AD (I.O. 1974: 135 and 141; see also Sahu 1988:112-113).
Later on another branch of this family ruled from Kullada Kataka in the Bhanjanagar region of the Ganajam till its occupation by the English East India Company in the year 1835. The rulers of this Bhanja family too patronised Khambeswari and regarded her as the protecting deity of the Southern gate of the Ghumsar kingdom. One of its powerful rulers Pratapa Dhananjaya Bhanja renovated the Khambeswari temple at Aska to commemorate his victory over the Raja of Dharakote in 1647 (Sahu et al. 1979:331). In this temple, Khambeswari is worshipped both in the form of pillar and image while in the sanctum sanctorum the goddess is worshipped in the form of image; she is worshipped at the entrance in the form of a pillar. The same pillar is also used as Yupa Kashtha or sacrificial post. The main image is a stone pillar which has been anthropomorphised by an addition of a disk as head. She has a slightly carved nose and mouth, while her three eyes and the protruding tongue are made of gold. There is a thick layer of vermillion pasted on her face from time to time (Rath 2009:88). She has been adorned with a gorgeous silken cloth to give an impression of a real Hindu image but the form of pillar is still evident in spite of the dress (Eschmann 1978: 93).
These changes have intentionally been introduced to project Stambheswari as a Sakta goddess either as Durga or Kali. According to S.N. Rajguru (1950:110), the goddess Khambeswari worshipped at Aska was included in the kingdom of Gangas of Khimedi (Khemundi) and thus, there is all reason that it is one of the oldest centres of worship of the goddess. As the place names occurring in the Teresinga plates of Parvata Dvaraka King Maharaj Tushtikara have been identified in the Aska region, in all probability this goddess at Aska was enshrined by Tushtikara circa fifth century AD (see Rajguru 1950:107-110). This goddess later on came to be patronised by the Bhanjas of Khinjali Mandal, Vanjulavaka, and Ghumusar. Another important thing to notice here is that the old tribal name Khambeswari is still used here.8.5.3 Stambheswari and Subhadra
Authorities on Jagannath cult like Kanhu Charan Mishra (1971:14-15) and G.C. Tripathi (1978:285 ff) have discussed the link of Stambheswari with the Jagannath cult. In their opinion, the great trios of the Jagannath temple with Sudarshana, the weapon of Lord Jagannath, are all made of wood in the form of a pillar. In their opinion, these peculiar iconographic features of these images are the mutated form of the tribal deity Kitung, Jalari Penu, Tana Penu, Murni Penu, and Stambheswari20. From the copper plate of the Somavamsi king Yayati, we learn that Panchambari Bhadrambika was the tutelary deity of the Somavamsis. In the tribal pockets of Western Odisha, the local people either worshipped a stone or wooden pillar by pasting vermillion on it. Yayati-I, who consolidated Somavansi rule in Western Odisha, and his sister Prithvi Mahadei were familiar with this form of worship of the tribes. Hence, for the appeasement of the greater tribal subjects, instead of installing images as approved by the texts of Hindu Iconography, Yayati appears to have opted for wooden images similar to a pillar. Sudarshana, the disc of Lord Jagannath Vishnu, instead of being made of Iron, is a wooden pillar in Jagannath temple (Kulke 1978:142). In the similar manner, Subhadra, though the sister of Jagannath Krishna representing Vaishnavism, is worshipped as Sakta goddess and worshipped through the Sakta incantation as Bhubaneswari (an incarnation of Goddess Sakti). Some scholars, therefore, identify Subhadra as a revised edition of Stambheswari Bhadrambika, the tutelary deity of the Somavamsis (Eschmann, Kulke & Tripathy 1978:177-178). The Hinduised iconography of Khambeswari, therefore, might be taken as the prototype for the development of Subhadra figure in Jagannath temple.
8.5.4 The Tribal Servitors and Institution of Dashandhi
Stambheswari worship was quite popular throughout the medieval period in the Tel Valley region, Boud, Sonepur, and Bonai region, and continues to be a popular form of worship in Dhenkanal and Anugul districts, and Baramba Narasimhapur region of the Cuttack district. In South Odisha, it had extended up to Bhanjanagar and Aska region. Bamur and Tarasa in Anugul district, Barimul near Baramba in the Cuttack district, Talcher and Bamur in Anugul district and Gandharadi in Boud district are the popular seats of Stambheswari worship.
In all these centres non-Brahmins designated such as Jani, Roul, Mali, Dehuri, Barua, and Suddha, both from tribes and backward castes, officiate as priest or servitor. Even in some Stambheswari shrines female priests such as Janiani, and Mai Jani perform the daily rituals and worship. At Aska in the Ganjam district the priests of Khambeswari were earlier known as Khamba muni. Now, they have deleted the word Khamba and identify themselves as Muni community (Rath 2009:87) apparently with a view to make their tribal or sudra origin less known to alleviate their social status equivalent to Brahmin. Animal sacrifices are offered here on festive occasions and the bhoga (offerings) cooked by these non-Brahmin priests is taken by all the devotees irrespective of caste.
Another significant ritual associated with Stambheswari worship is Dasandhi which is like the Navakalevara21 ritual of the Jagannath trinity. Wood being a perishable or fragile object, the wooden post of Stambheswari is renewed at a regular interval of ten years called Dasandhi. Like Daitapatis22 of Jagannath temple, who trace their origin to Savara Viswabasu, a tribal king and worshipper of Nilamadhava, the non-Brahmin priests of Stambheswari perform this Dasandhi ritual.
8.5.5 The Vali Jatra of Khambeswari at Sonepur
Like Dasandhi ritual, another popular festival associated with Khambeswari worship at Sonepur is the Vali Jatra at the time of Dusserah (Durga worship) festival. Though people of the erstwhile feudatory state of Sonepur were familiar with this pillar worship, the present icon of Khambeswari installed in the shrine at the district headquarters of Sonepur came as dowry from Khemundi, state of Ganjam. The fourth ruler of Sonepur state Rajaraj Singh (1700-1725) was married to the princess of Khemundi, who was a devout worshipper of Khambeswari. She brought with her the image of Khambeswari23 and king Rajaraj Singh built a temple for this deity in his capital town (Mazumdar 1925:107), and a village called Khambeswari Patana was set up (field data) to settle the servitors of this temple. Khambeswari at Sonepur is worshipped as Vana Durga and during Dashahara or Durga Puja Festival, she is worshipped for 16 days, and this festival is known as Vali Jatra or Sacrificial festival. In this festival, tribal priests like Barua and other non-Brahmin servitors play a major role.