🌸 The Story of Patitapavan Jagannath 🌸
By Lokanath Mishra
Takki Khan of Cuttack was a Mughal governor. He served as the Mughal Subedar (Governor) of Odisha and was known for his actions against the Shri Jagannath temple. The Afghans had ruled Cuttack earlier, but they were displaced by the arrival of the Mughal army.
Takki Khan was a powerful Mughal official who held several titles, including Subedar of Odisha. He was known for his anti-Hindu views and repeatedly attacked the Shri Jagannath temple in Puri.
The Mughal Empire conquered Odisha, which had been under Afghan rule. After the Mughals took control, Takki Khan became a powerful governor in the area.
He actively worked to establish Mughal dominance and suppress local rulers like King Ramachandra Deva II.
👑 King Ramachandra Deva II
A long time ago, Odisha (then called Utkal) was ruled by King Ramachandra Deva II. He was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath. Every day, while staying at the Puri Rajabati (royal palace), he visited the Puri temple without fail to offer prayers.
But during this time, Odisha was under the Mughals, and the Subedar of Cuttack was the cruel Taki Khan. His main target was to weaken Hindu power, destroy temples—especially the grand Jagannath Temple—and trouble the people.
⚔️ The Battle
One day, Taki Khan attacked Puri with his army. King Ramachandra Deva fought bravely but was defeated. He was captured and locked inside Barabati Fort at Cuttack.
The king was not worried for himself, but he thought with deep sorrow:
“What will happen to my Lord Jagannath if the temple is attacked?”
💖 The King Meets Rizia
In the fort, something unexpected happened. Taki Khan’s sister, Rizia Bibi, saw the king and fell in love with him. To please his sister, Taki Khan made the king an offer:
“If you marry my sister, I will release you and let you return to your throne.”
The king thought carefully. People might think he was weak if he agreed just to save himself. But then he realized:
“This is my chance to protect Lord Jagannath forever!”
So he replied:
“I will marry Rizia, but only if you promise never to attack the Jagannath Temple again, and you must protect the Lord.”
Taki Khan agreed happily, because this marriage would make him the king’s brother-in-law.
👑 The Marriage and Its Consequences:
King Ramachandra Deva married Rizia Bibi with great ceremony. But to do so, he had to accept Islam and was given a new name: Hafiz Qadir Yar Jung.
When he returned to Khordha, his people were shocked. The temple priests declared him fallen and stopped him from entering the Jagannath Temple. He was no longer allowed to perform royal temple duties, like sweeping the chariot during Rath Yatra.
Even his queens left him with their children. The king lived a lonely life. Though he had saved Lord Jagannath, society turned away from him.
🌙 Secret Midnight Visits
But King Ramachandra Deva’s love for Lord Jagannath never faded. Many nights, while the world slept, he secretly rode his horse from Khordha to Puri. There, outside the Lion Gate (Singhadwar), he stood with folded hands and prayed tearfully:
“O Jagannath! I became fallen only to save Your honor. My heart still belongs to You. Please don’t abandon me!”
The king’s devotion was so deep that Lord Jagannath Himself could not bear his pain.
It is said that Lord Jagannath came into the dream of a royal minister and commanded:
“Place My duplicate idol at the Lion Gate so that the King may see Me without entering the temple.”
Accordingly, an idol of Lord Jagannath was placed at the Lion Gate (Gumuta). Still, the Lord also left His golden throne at night and appeared at the Singhadwar to give darshan to His beloved devotee when he came.
The next morning, the temple servants noticed something unusual—Lord’s clothes were disturbed, flowers were scattered—as if He had gone out during the night!
🌟 Lord Jagannath’s Decision
Finally, Lord Jagannath appeared in a dream to His servant Sanachhati Das and said:
“Because you stopped My devotee, King Ramachandra Deva, from entering, I go out to meet him. From now on, I will remain at the Lion Gate so that all who are not allowed inside can still see Me.”
That form of the Lord, visible at the Singhadwar, came to be known as Patitapavan Jagannath, meaning “The Purifier of the Fallen.”
🌼 The Legacy
From that day onwards, everyone—whether Hindu or not, whether considered pure or fallen—could see Patitapavan Jagannath at the temple gate. Lord Jagannath showed that His love is for all people, not just a few.
King Ramachandra Deva lived with sacrifice and sorrow, but his devotion was so pure that even today, the idol of Patitapavan Jagannath stands at the Singhadwar, blessing all devotees who cannot enter the temple.
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