The Antiquities of Orissa v1.c11.141

v1.c11.141

Of the several phases of Vaisṇavism above noticed, the Bhakti system of Caitanya is what now prevails in Orissa. Caitanya spent the last twelve years of his existence at Puri, and by his zeal, sanctity and influence over the people, gave great éclat to the worship of Jagannātha. He converted to his faith Pratāparudra, who was the sovereign of Orissa at the time, and through him effected a great many changes in the daily service of the god, and gave wide currency to his faith. To him is due the practice of reciting the *Gītagovinda* daily at the entrance to the temple, and on the whole Jagannātha is greatly indebted to him for the world-wide reputation he enjoys. Not that the dogma of Bhakti was unknown at Puri before his time; on the contray, there is reason to believe that it was synchronous with the foundation of the present temple under the orders of Anaṅgabhīma Deva in the middle of the twelfth century; but Caitanya's preachings did much to bring it home to every one, and popularise it among the people of Bengal from whom he had proceeded, and that of Southern India for whose conversion he laboured hard, both personally and through his chief disciples. How long before that the Paurāṇic system prevailed, is a question which will form the subject of enquiry in a subsequent chapter.