THE MUSICAL MYSTICISM OF GUPTA GUNDICHA: ODISHI MUSIC IN THE SACRED LANDSCAPE OF JAGANNATH CULTURE
Sarbeswar Baitharu
International Journal of Novel Research and Development May 1, 2026 DOI: 10.56975/ijnrd.v11i5.325625 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that the Gupta Gundicha festival embodies a Shakta-Vaishnava synthesis within Jagannath culture and functions as a living repository of Odisha's intangible musical heritage, in which Odishi music—devotional singing, Rāga-based liturgical traditions, and Chhanda recitations—serves as a medium of divine communication and spiritual transcendence. |
Abstract
Jagannath culture represents one of the most inclusive and syncretic spiritual traditions of India, integrating tribal, Vaishnava, Shaiva, Shakta, Jain, and Buddhist elements within a unified ritual framework (Eschmann et al., 1978; Kar, 2017). Among the numerous ritual observances associated with Lord Jagannath, Gupta Gundicha remains comparatively understudied despite its immense theological and cultural significance (Mohanty, 2021). Celebrated during the Sharadiya Navaratri cycle, the festival symbolises the sacred union of Durga and Madhaba and reveals the Shakta-Vaishnava synthesis embedded within Jagannath consciousness (Tripathy, 2019). Simultaneously, Odishi music functions as an indispensable ritual medium in Jagannath worship through devotional singing, Rāga-based liturgical traditions, Chhanda recitations, and temple performance practices (Pani, 2004; Das, 2026). This paper examines the mystical dimensions of Gupta Gundicha and analyses how Odishi music contributes to ritual experience, sacred atmosphere, and devotional consciousness within Jagannath culture. Employing a cultural-musicological and interpretive methodology, the study argues that Gupta Gundicha serves as a living repository of Odisha’s intangible musical heritage where sacred sound becomes a medium of divine communication and spiritual transcendence.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on mysticism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mystical mind: probing the biology of religious experience | 2000 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Religious and Mystical Experiences as Artifacts of Temporal Lobe Function: A General Hypothesis | 1983 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy | 1993 | Edited collection of essays | |
| Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mysticism and schizophrenia: A phenomenological exploration of the structure of consciousness in the schizophrenia spectrum disorders. | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |