Krishna Worship and Rathayatra festival in Ancient Egypt?
Both Amun and Krishna are depicted with blue skin color, with feathers in their head-dress, and with a holy river (Nile / Ganges) emerging from their feet. They are both associated with a falcon/eagle-headed deity (Horus / Garuda). Even metaphysically they are identical for they are both regarded as the Supreme Creators, the origin of all the gods, all-pervading and unknowable, protectors of the poor etc.
Khonsu and Balaram are also symbolically equivalent. Khonsu is a warrior-god and regarded as the "great serpent" who fertilized the cosmic egg at the beginning of creation, while Balaram was also a great warrior who is regarded as an incarnation Ananta-Sesha - the serpent of the cosmic ocean in whose coils Vishnu rests.
Mut and Subhadra are both regarded as manifestations of the supreme mother goddess.
In addition, the Opet Festival of ancient Egypt is identical in form and spirit to the Jagannatha Rath Yatra of India. In the Opet festival, the idols of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were placed on sacred barques (boats), which were carried in a splendid, joyous procession down the Avenue of the Sphinxes from Karnak to Luxor, along the 2-mile road that connects the temples of Karnak and Luxor. The idols rested in Luxor for a period of time and subsequently came back to Karnak, in another procession along the river Nile. Although the Opet festival was initially celebrated over only 11 days, later it was extended to nearly 24 to 27 days.
In the Jagannath Rathayatra, celebrated in Puri after the onset of monsoon, the idols of Krishna (or Jagannath), Balaram and Subhadra are carried in three magnificent chariots pulled by thousands of devotees along the 2 km (1.5 miles) road that connects the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. The idols rest for a period of 7 days at the Gundicha Temple. After this they return back to the Temple of Jagannath, in another joyous, noisy procession known as the Ulta-Rath. The entire celebration, starting from the day of Jagannath’s bathing ceremony, till his return from the Gundicha Temple, lasts for 25-26 days, nearly the same as the Opet festival of Karnak and Luxor. The worship of Amun was established in Egypt after the beginning of the New Kingdom in c.1550 BCE. This implies that an entire pantheon deity, along with associated rites rituals and customs, was transferred from India to Egypt prior to c.1550 BCE. What could have led to this?
The information from a gamut of historical and archaeological sources suggests that after the cataclysmic events that struck the Indus Valley in c.1900 BCE, there was an emigration of various Vedic tribes in different directions. One of these migrating Vedic tribes was the Kushites (referred to as "Meluhha-Kasi" in the Sumerian inscriptions). The Kushites captured power in Babylon in c. 1800 BCE, and finally settled in Ethiopia, which was known as the land of Kush.
During this time i.e. around c.1700 BCE, the Egyptian pharaohs were in exile in Ethiopia, having been defeated and driven out of Egypt by the Hyksos conquerors. The Egyptian pharaohs Kamose and Ahmose took the financial and military help of the Kushites, and evicted the Hyksos from Egypt after 200 years of occupation. During this time, the pharaohs Kamose and Ahmose had fought under the banner of their new-found god: Amun. This event, which took place at around 1550 BC, signified the beginning of the 18th dynasty, which is acknowledged as the greatest royal family of Egypt. Subsequently, Amun became the supreme protector god of the monarchy and the state and magnificent temple complexes dedicated to Amun were established in Karnak and Luxor.
The Kushites also migrated into India from the Indus Valley, and took the worship of Jagannath (Krishna) to many places in India, including Puri.
For more details read the articles:
1. "Krishna worship and Rathyatra Festival in Ancient Egypt?"
2. "The journey of Jagannath from India to Egypt: The Untold Saga of the Kushites"
Khonsu and Balaram are also symbolically equivalent. Khonsu is a warrior-god and regarded as the "great serpent" who fertilized the cosmic egg at the beginning of creation, while Balaram was also a great warrior who is regarded as an incarnation Ananta-Sesha - the serpent of the cosmic ocean in whose coils Vishnu rests.
Mut and Subhadra are both regarded as manifestations of the supreme mother goddess.
In addition, the Opet Festival of ancient Egypt is identical in form and spirit to the Jagannatha Rath Yatra of India. In the Opet festival, the idols of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were placed on sacred barques (boats), which were carried in a splendid, joyous procession down the Avenue of the Sphinxes from Karnak to Luxor, along the 2-mile road that connects the temples of Karnak and Luxor. The idols rested in Luxor for a period of time and subsequently came back to Karnak, in another procession along the river Nile. Although the Opet festival was initially celebrated over only 11 days, later it was extended to nearly 24 to 27 days.
In the Jagannath Rathayatra, celebrated in Puri after the onset of monsoon, the idols of Krishna (or Jagannath), Balaram and Subhadra are carried in three magnificent chariots pulled by thousands of devotees along the 2 km (1.5 miles) road that connects the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. The idols rest for a period of 7 days at the Gundicha Temple. After this they return back to the Temple of Jagannath, in another joyous, noisy procession known as the Ulta-Rath. The entire celebration, starting from the day of Jagannath’s bathing ceremony, till his return from the Gundicha Temple, lasts for 25-26 days, nearly the same as the Opet festival of Karnak and Luxor. The worship of Amun was established in Egypt after the beginning of the New Kingdom in c.1550 BCE. This implies that an entire pantheon deity, along with associated rites rituals and customs, was transferred from India to Egypt prior to c.1550 BCE. What could have led to this?
The information from a gamut of historical and archaeological sources suggests that after the cataclysmic events that struck the Indus Valley in c.1900 BCE, there was an emigration of various Vedic tribes in different directions. One of these migrating Vedic tribes was the Kushites (referred to as "Meluhha-Kasi" in the Sumerian inscriptions). The Kushites captured power in Babylon in c. 1800 BCE, and finally settled in Ethiopia, which was known as the land of Kush.
During this time i.e. around c.1700 BCE, the Egyptian pharaohs were in exile in Ethiopia, having been defeated and driven out of Egypt by the Hyksos conquerors. The Egyptian pharaohs Kamose and Ahmose took the financial and military help of the Kushites, and evicted the Hyksos from Egypt after 200 years of occupation. During this time, the pharaohs Kamose and Ahmose had fought under the banner of their new-found god: Amun. This event, which took place at around 1550 BC, signified the beginning of the 18th dynasty, which is acknowledged as the greatest royal family of Egypt. Subsequently, Amun became the supreme protector god of the monarchy and the state and magnificent temple complexes dedicated to Amun were established in Karnak and Luxor.
The Kushites also migrated into India from the Indus Valley, and took the worship of Jagannath (Krishna) to many places in India, including Puri.
For more details read the articles:
1. "Krishna worship and Rathyatra Festival in Ancient Egypt?"
2. "The journey of Jagannath from India to Egypt: The Untold Saga of the Kushites"
Comments
Post a Comment