Jagannath

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A deity worshipped in Hinduism, specifically as a form of Krishna associated with the annual Ratha Yatra festival
2. A large wooden or stone idol that is paraded on chariots during religious festivals
3. A term used to symbolize a powerful entity that draws devotees to engage in ritualistic worship and cultural practices

Etymology: Jagannath is a Sanskrit compound meaning "lord of the universe," built from "jagat" (world, universe) and "nātha" (lord, master). In Odisha, the name belongs to the deity Krishna worshipped at the great temple in Puri, whose annual Rath Yatra festival draws enormous crowds of devotees pulling giant chariots through the streets. English took the word in a roundabout way. It reached English through Hindustani, and the form "juggernaut" is its doublet, a second English word from the same source. Through Western accounts of Puri's festival, "juggernaut" came to describe anything overwhelming or irresistible that demands blind devotion or sacrifice, such as a massive, unstoppable force or institution. Jagannath itself remains the proper name, and it is the older, more direct form, while "juggernaut" is the version that travelled furthest into everyday English.

Synonyms: deity, god