A Study of Sevāyets as a Tangible Component Responsible for the Livingness of the Puri Jagannath Temple

Madhuparna Maity1* and Chandni Roy2

1Visva-Bharati University, India; 2Vidyasagar University, India; *02282511901@visva-bharati.ac.in

India, the home of one of the oldest religions in the world, sustains and celebrates its ancient traditions like no other. Temples are the most significant part of this tradition, with a highly structured workforce. The Puri Jagannath Temple is one of the four Dhāms of Vishnu. Here, Lord Vishnu resides as Jagannath, along with Balarama and Suvadra. It is one of the most famous sacred places for the Hindus. As per the concept of Dhām, here Vishnu eats. So, to prepare his bhog, distribute prasād, perform rituals, and maintain pilgrims from all over the country and beyond, a considerable number of attendants are required every day. Here, any work related to the temple is called sevā to Lord Jagannath, and the people who perform sevā are called sevāyets. The positions of these sevāyets are hereditary. Moreover, according to belief, they have been serving since the temple’s existence. With time, their number and division grew into a complex, structured system, reaching up to 119 categories of work division. The King of Odisha is also a sevāyet and appointed others to their respective tasks. He provides sevā by sweeping the road in preparation for the Rathayātrā. Though most of them conveyed that there is no hierarchy among Lord Jagannath’s sevāyets, the caste hierarchy persists in marriage and adaptation. This paper investigates the identity, social structure, and function of the sevāyet community as a significant component in the livingness of the Jagannath Temple at Puri.