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The ksetra of Purusottama is mostly inhabited by the priests and other servitors of the temple of Lord Jagannatha. Probably people of all castes reside in the different parts of the ksetra. According to tradition, people of the Kalingan society have been worshipping three gods viz the home deity, the village deity and the mass deity."¹ The home deity is the 'Ista-devi' or the Mother goddess of home who protects the family. She stays in a secret place of the residence. On each and every auspicious occasion she is to be worshipped first. Another deity is the village deity who is worshipped by the entire villagers. This deity generally resides in the boarder of the village. 22Besides these two types of deities another deity named mass deity i.e. 'Rastra devata' or Loka devata was being worshipped with deep reverence as the god of state. He was worshipped by the entire population of the state irrespective of caste, creed and colour. He is above all deities and also worshipped in the concept of a human being. That is why; He is a Greatman or Purusottama. This devata required a large number of sevakas known as Niyogas. According to Madalapanji, the temple chronicle of Lord Jagannatha written in Oriya language, king Anangabhima Deva III of the Ganga dynasty had established 36 Niyogas known as Chatisa Niyoga (sevakas).23 The term ChatisaNiyoga refers to thirty-six categories of servants (sevakas) employed in the sevice of Lord Purusottama (Jagannatha). Infact, at present Lord Jagannatha is being worshipped by the thirty-six categories of people (Chatis Niyogas) as it is assumed that there were 36 categories of people present in Sriksetra and its vicinity. People of the ksetra were divided into thirty-six categories as per their occupations. The names of all categories are mentioned below. They are viz Rajguru (Brahmin), Purohita (temple priest), Mahajana, Khuntia (who watches the deities), Mekap ( in charge of store), Padhiari ( in charge of guarding the temple), Daita ( in charge of Anabasara and 5

Navakalevara), Paika (soldier), Sunari (goldsmith), Kacara (bangler), Gudia (sweet man), Teli (oil man), chitrakara (painter), Bauri, Bhandari (barber), Gauda (milk man), Mali (florist), Liari, Pandari, Kumbhara (soil pot maker), Patara (maker of Silk cloth), Keuta (fisherman), Kansar (brazier), Roul, Dhoba (washer -man), Badhei (carpenter), Halua (cultivator), Sahukar (shop keeper), Matia (labour), Hatua (salesman), Gola (preserver), Bindhani (blacksmith), Khandayata (soldier), Nayak (astrologer), Bhoi (lower caste) and Dora. It was customary to worship the family deity at home, village deity at the village and the state deity (Rastra Devata) in the highest place of the state. Lord Purusottama (Jagannatha) of ksetra is considered by pilgrims as Rastra Devata (state deity). Every citizen of the ksetra considers it to be an opportunity to involve in the rituals of the state deity as per their traditional occupations. People of the ksetra not only worship the Lord Jagannatha but they also worship all types of Hindu gods and goddesses. Hence a large number of temples are erected in the different parts of the ksetra dedicated to those divinities. In the post Gupta period, Saivism became the strongest Hindu sectarian religion in Orissa as well as in the ksetra of Lord Purusottama. It was the dominant religion in central Orissa from the 6th century AD onwards and reached the peak of its glory during the Somavamsi period in the 10th and 11th century AD. During this period, most of the ancient Saiva temples of the ksetra were constructed by the Somavamsi rulers of Orissa. Saktism was closely related to Saivism, although its traces may reach back to an even more distant past. The female deities were worshipped by the lower strata of society. The Saktas gained their greatest influence and were most generously supported by the rulers of Orissa extending during the period from the 8th to the 16th century AD. Vaisnavism entered into the Sriksetra region as a predominant religious faith later than that of Sakta cult and it over shrouded all the Brahminical sects. The Ganga kings fully turned towards Vaisnavism in the early part of the 12th century AD and it remained as the religion of the majority of people of Orissa. Vaisnavism advanced towards Orissa from the South and the West. Scholars mostly contend that the Orissan Vaisnavism is an offshoot of Buddhist philosophical doctrines and religious practices characterized by Tantric form of worship. 24 Like Saiva, Sakta and Vaisnava deities, other deities are also being worshipped in the ksetra. 6

They are Ganesa, Surya, Hanumana etc. The inhabitants of the ksetra (Puri) were the worshippers of Pancadevatas namely Siva, Visnu, Durga, Surya and Ganesa who were enshrined in different parts of the ksetra. Hence, the entire ksetra became full of temples of various sects of Hinduism. Buddhism and Jainism were also flourishing during this period in the neighbouring areas of Purusottama ksetra .These sects too influenced the society and religion of the people. The cult of Jagannatha assimilated the essence of all the sects and evolved as a major religion of India.