| This is of particular importance
as this group of Saoras is often referred to as the original home of Jagannatha,
because the texts speak of a sabara king. But this is no proof of all,
because the term Sabara in Sanskrit is used just as pulinda as a general
word for all aboriginal groups. Other tribal groups in Orissa do not even
have Sabibosums, their shrines are rather empty, or else they contain
either simple stones or especially in Western Orissa wooden poles.
Such poles are found in the Khovel area and with the Dumals.
The arrangement of the Dumals, who live more close to a Hindu
Society, but strictly and exclusively retain their own cult, is more
elaborate. The division found in Khomal shrine is retained, but within
the shrine there are stichs (taglhi) in stead of a post. The outer post
is decorated but not in any way anthropomorphized - and has golden nail
inserted.
It is seems a long way from such wooden poles to the figures we have
seen in Puri. Obviously the Jagannatha figures are not taken
over from tribal religion. They must be the result of a process where
tribal wooden icons were adapted to the need of Hindu temple cult and
thereby developed an iconography which stands in between tribal religion
and 'High Hinduism'. The function of a Hindu image is basically another
then that of a tribal symbol. The function of a Hindu image is to represent
the presence of the god to the believer. Having been asked by the priest
through Puja, i.e. the performance of the 16 upacaras, the god
really descends into the image, where the believer can approach, can
face him. This function in tribal who, whenever necessary becomes possessed
by the deity. Religion is with a living person, the shaman, or the medium
not so much through the symbol. It is through that person that the deity
can directly be approached. Therefore, in tribal religion no antropomorphic
images are needed, the stones or posts are just symbols to represent
the presence of the goddess at sacrifice.
Whenever in popular religion , that is in a village, a tribal group,
no longer exclusive in its religion, lives together with Hindu caste
The original symbols begin to be treated as images. Stone or poles are
offered a deity Puja consisting of the five main Upacaras, and
they are even addressed as a proper image should be. For instance the
prayer of a Khond Priest, who acts for a village with Khond and Hindu
population address the feet of the goddess which he is washing etc.
On this level the worship usually remains in the hands of a non-brahmanic
priest, who very often still is a tribal. The beginning of a further
differentiation might sometimes already be found on this level. For
instance the dru........on the act of sacrifice will be performed by
hierarchically lower groups (Harijans), and sometimes a Brahmin also
comes in: to sanctify some special occasions by imparting a mantra or
to cook the meat of the sacrificed animal so that everybody may partake
it.
The next important step of Hinduisation is reached when the worship
of such an originally tribal deity becomes the centre of a temple with
more than only local importance. Iconographically for the symbol of
a stone there are on this local two possible development. It might be,
that a proper Hindu image, of Durga or Kali is put into
the temple, and the stone remains as her attribute. Very often these
stones are outside the temple, and the sacrifices are offered to them,
the sacrificial blood being no longer brought into the temple. The second
possibility is that the stone itself is made into the minimum of an
image, namely into a head. This occurs very often indeed, so that a
head by itself has come to be the simplest representation of a goddess,
the association of the sacrifice being obvious.
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