The divinity
In the Hindouisme,
Jagannâtha , “Lord of the Universe” (of
jagat , the world, universe and
nâtha , lord) is the name given to
Krishna when he is regarded as the supreme divinity. The divinity, represented in black, because it is the color and the name even of Krishna, is often accompanied by his/her brother Balabhadra, in white, and its sister Subhadrâ, in yellow.
The statue-reliquary of Jagannâtha with Puri
One of the holiest places of the
India is the temple of Jagannâtha with Puri, whose principal statue of worship is supposed to contain the relics of
Krishna.
This Statue, older than the Temple itself, is a rather coarse piece of wood. According to the legend, the bones of Krishna were collected by pious people. Vishvakarma, at the request of Indra or Vishnu, would have started to carve a Reliquaire to him but, disturbed in its task, it would have left the sculpture to the state of outline.