Jagnnath is the mascot of Orissa. Centuries of myths, legends
and history have gone into the making of the cult of Jagnnath.
According to legend, Lord Jagannath’s original form is
Nilamdhaba placed at Kantilo. In this original form, the
presiding deity of Orissa was worshipped at Kantilo, a
primordial God, by Sabaras, a Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian tribe
of the Austric linguistic family. It all started in a small cave
in the Brahmadri hills situated on the banks of Mahanadi, which
is known as Kantilo of Nayagarh district today. Here, Biswabasu
the local Sabra Chief worshipped Kitung, as the God was known in
the Sabara dialect. According to the Puranas, the deity was
originally worshipped in the form of a black tong image know as
“Nilamadhaba". The daru murty (wooden image) came much later. At
some stage of his or her life, every Oriya person has heard the
beautiful legend of Nilamadhaba. According to myth, Nilamadhba
appeared in a dream of Indradyumna, the legendary King of
Malawa. To see the God, the king con