ODISHA'S EPIC "ODIA BHAGAVAT" AND SAINT POET JAGANNATH DAS

The Odia Bhagavat is a sacred text in Odisha, written by the revered saint-poet Jagannath Das in the 15th century. It is a regional adaptation of the Bhagavata Purana, composed in Odia to make spiritual teachings accessible to the common people. He was a prominent Bhakti Movement saint and a devotee of Lord Jagannath. His Bhagavata is written in simple Odia, making it one of the earliest religious texts in the language. He was part of the Panchasakha, a group of five great Odia saint-poets, including Balarama Das, Achyutananda Das, Ananta Das, and Jasobanta Das. Literary work played a key role in shaping Odia spiritual literature. The Odia Bhagavat remains a cornerstone of Odia devotional literature, deeply influencing religious practices and traditions in Odisha.