Emar Matha

Emar Matha or Embar Mutt was a matha located in the south-eastern (agneya kona) corner of Jagannath Temple, Puri, outside the main Prakara near Kalikadevi Sahi.

History and description

It used to be one of the biggest and oldest mutts in Puri, demolished in 2019 by the Odisha government for beautification purposes and facilitating pilgrims' circulation. The monastery had great impacts on the history of the city and overall the region, notably through its large and generous social activities during the Orissa famine of 1866.^[1]

Biswanath Das (1911-1995) was one of the key figure associated with the Mutt and served the Mutt during Ramanuja II. A statesman and intellectual, he was an avid reader and had excellent command of Odia, Sanskrit and Bengali and is known to have read more than 1000 books that once were in the Mutt’s Raghunandan library, the oldest library of Puri before it was demolished for the beautification project around the temple. People far from the Odisha state would visit him for consultation on legal matters. During his time with Mutt as an advisor which he served for more than 60 years, three Mahants were made in those six decades. He used to reside in Daitapara Sahi, Puri.

Ramanujacharya while coming to Puri established this Mutt. It is said that Govindacharya (Govinda acharya) was the first pontiff of this matha. Govindacharya's other name was Embar, whence Emar Mutt. Govindacharya was a cousin brother of Srimad Ramanuja, and he saved Ramanuja from Yadavaprakasha's conspiracy. The matha houses images of Krishna and Radha along with Rama parivaar.

Archaeology

The doorjambs of Emar Mutt are noteworthy to see. It has all the features of Kalingan architecture. The mutt was renovated during the Maratha rule of Odisha. The followers of this mutt belong to the Thengalai sect of the Srivaishnava sampradaya.

Approximately 18 tonnes of ancient silver treasure have been recovered from the mutt.^[2]

See also

• Ramanuja
• Ranganatha
• Melkote