Mahima

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The Mahima Dharma (Sanskrit: Glorious Religion) is a Hindu sect primarily prevalent in Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Most of its followers are to be found in the Adivasi- and Dalit- dominated districts of western Orissa. Its founder was a Brahmin - Mukunda Das alias "Mahima Swami."

It's a strict monotheistic sect unlike traditional Smarta Hinduism wherein families might worship an array of deities with (but with one particular Ishta-Deva. The full name of the religion is Satya Mahima Alekha Dharma or "Satya Sanatan Mahima Dharma"^[1], which means the true path of indescribable grace.

The actual identity of the founder of the religion is lost to history. He is popularly known as Mahima Gosain. He appeared for the first time in 1826 at Puri as Dhulia Gosain and Hindu Baishnaba.^[2] He was born in the last part of 18th century in Baudh ex-state as a son of Ananta Mishra. He is mentioned as of the Brahmin caste in the Mahima Vinod of Bhima Bhoi in Vol.11.^[3] He was an Oriya speaker. He was born in the earlier part of the nineteenth century and apparently attained enlightenment on the central Orissan hill of Kapilasa and went on to preach throughout Orissa and the neighbouring states.

Bhima Bhoi, belonged to one of the Kondh tribes of Orissa and was his torch bearer. All of the principal texts of the religion like the Stuti Chintaamani were composed by Bhima Bhoi. Until very recently, the consensus opinion was that he was blind, but contemporary scholarship questions this fact.

The religion is essentially monotheistic in nature. Mahima religion strictly prescribes the caste system, idol worship and. The religion strictly forbids adultery, the consumption of any intoxicants, violence, and the consumption of any flesh apart from fish. Eating of food after the sunset is also a taboo. In its essence it is essentially anti-hierarchical and is anarchistic in its criticism of the existing state system of late nineteenth/early twentieth century tribal dominated Western Orissa [1].

The religion has a monastic order. But the members of the monastic order, like Buddhist monks, do not constitute a priestly class and have no control over the lay practitioners. They have to lead a life of poverty, celibacy, piety and constant movement, as the monks are not allowed to sleep in the same place on two consecutive nights.

The most holy place of the religion lies in Joranda in central Orissa. Worship can take place anywhere. But many Oriya villages have 'sunya mandira' - empty temples - (temples devoid of any idols) where Mahima Alekha, The Supreme Lord of the indescribable grace is worshipped every morning and evening.

It is believed by scholars that this might be a neo-Vedanta movement. In short, Mahima cult is a revivalism of the Vedantic thrust and a reformist movement of Orissa within the Sanatan Hindu fold.^[4]

Scholar Daityari Panda declares that the perfect in keeping with the philosophy of the Upanishads.^[5]

[edit] References

• Banerjee-Dube, Ishita. 2001. ‘Issues of Faith, Enactment of Contest: The Founding of Mahima Dharma in Nineteenth-Century Orissa’. In Kulke, H. and Schnepel, B. (eds.). Jagannath Revisited, New Delhi: Manohar, 149–177. *Eschmann, Anncharlott 1978. ‘Mahima Dharma: An Autochthonous Hindu Reform Movement’. In Eschmann A., Kulke, H. & Tripathi, C.G. (eds). The Cult of Jagannath and the Regional Tradition of Orissa, New Delhi: Manohar, 375–410. *Guzy, Lidia 2002. Baba-s und Alekh-s – Askese und Ekstase einer Religion im Werden. Berlin: Weissensee Verlag.