The Inspiring Incident of the legend Prithviraj Chauhan

 

NAVAGUNJARA

  

The concept of 'hybrid gods' may seem new, but gods with animalistic attributes have been present in world cultures for a long time. Archaeologists have discovered ritualistic evidence in settlements that worshipped such hybrid gods. For example, a burial site yielded skeletal remains of a cow, and a horse bound together, and other remains included a six-legged sheep.

 

Mythical composite gods appear in cultures around the world. For example, Anubis was popularly worshipped in ancient Egyptian civilization, while Narasimha is still worshipped in Hindu culture. One such mythical creature in Hindu mythology is the Navagunjara (also Nabagunjara), introduced by the Oriya Adikavi Sarala Das in his version of the Hindu Epic, Mahabharata. (Sarala Das is a 15th-century poet contemporary to the Gajapathi King Kapiledra Dev)

 

In his poem, Sarala Das introduces the mythical creature as an avatar of Lord Krishna who emerged to test Arjuna’s faith. According to the legend, Lord Krishna transformed into the Navagunjara- a celestial creature that is an amalgamation of nine different creatures. The creature has a rooster’s head, a peacock’s neck, a bull’s hump, a lion’s torso, three legs from an elephant, a horse, and a tiger; the final front limb is a hand holding a blooming lotus. A snake is seen to be the tail of this vicious beast. This is the only account where the Navagunjara has been mentioned; however, it is not uncommon to find this mythical creature painted on the outer walls of houses in Puri and on the premises of the Jagannatha Temple.

 

 

Fig. 1. ‘Navagunjara, A Universal Form of Krishna’ by Siddhimuni and Surendra Man Sakya, 1996

Sociologist Emile Durkheim believes that the Nabagujara is an original creation of the Oriya poet, with origins that can be traced to the totemic practices of the Munda tribe and the popular folklore in the region. The term Navagunjara can be broken down into ‘Nava’ and ‘Gunjara,’ which can be loosely translated to ‘a person with nine magical qualities.’ Anthropologists and sociologists strongly believe that Nabagunjara represents the divine qualities of Lord Krishna.

 

The rooster is often associated with masculinity, the peacock with beauty, the bull with strength and bravery, the elephant with wisdom, the horse with speed and energy, and the snake with creativity. Additionally, the lion is often thought of as a guardian and protector while the tiger symbolises regal power and fearlessness. It is also believed that the animals represented the various clans of the Munda and the Dravidian tribes.

                                           

                                                              Fig. 2.Damodar Prasad Bajaj Haveli, Churu, Rajasthan

 

This celestial being is revered in Odisha and considered sacred in Rajasthan's Nathdwara school of art. It is often depicted on the painted havelis of Churu as Navagunjara. Further, they are portrayed with creative liberties and are also known as ‘Ajaibgulnar.’ It is described as a celestial being with a female upper body attached to a bull’s torso, with wings on its back. The forelimbs are typically a combination of a peacock, deer, elephant, and horse, and it is depicted with a camel’s neck at its rear end.

           Fig. 3. Snehram ji Jeevraj Haveli, Churu, Rajasthan                Fig. 4. Shree Satyanarayan Temple, Churu, Rajasthan

 

The heritage havelis located on the painted lanes of Churu, Rajasthan  showcase some of the oldest wall paintings of Ajaibgulnar. Havelis such as Damodar Prasad Bajaj Haveli, Snehram ji Jeevraj Haveli and Shree Satyanarayan Temple in Churu have vivid depictions of these paintings including the theme of Navagunjara. Unfortunately, they have suffered significant damage due to extreme weather conditions and a lack of awareness about heritage preservation.

 

Written by Ms. Avni Srinidhi, WPD

Edited by Srishti Safaya, WPD

                                  

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Images Credits:

·         Fig no.1 - The MET (No date)Navagunjara, a Universal Form of Krishna.Available at: Navagunjara, a Universal Form of Krishna | India (Rajasthan, Jodhpur[?]) | The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org)(Accessed: 20 July 2024)

·         Fig. 2 to 4-survey works byWPD teams

 

 

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