c. 1910

Jagannath Trio: Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra

One of the holiest Hindu sites in India, the Jagannath Temple in Puri is visited by millions of pilgrims each year. The shrine is dedicated to a particular form of the god Vishnu, called Jagannath (Lord of the Universe). Images of the god with his white-colored brother, Balabhadra, and their yellow-colored sister, Subhadra, are regularly carved from logs of fragrant margosa trees that have been ritually cut down. The three log-deities, with their huge eyes and simple red smiles, are most often shown with the clothing and offerings they are given every evening. Pilgrims take home paintings of these divine siblings to worship privately and to give to friends and relatives. Artists still produce great numbers of this image.