Dibyasingha Deba
{{BLP sources|date=January 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Dibyasingha Deba
| honorific-suffix = Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deva IV
| image = Gajapati Dibyasingha Deba 1.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| alt =
| caption =
| office = Chairman, Shri Jagannatha Temple Managing Committee
| term_start = 7 July 1970
| term_end =
| predecessor = Birakishore Deva III
| successor =
| birth_name = Kamarnaba Deba
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1953}}
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
}}
| nationality = Indian
| father = Birakishore Deva III
| mother = Suryyamani Patamahadei
|accessdate=28 September 2012}}
| children = {{plainlist|
- Dibyajyoti Debi
- Debajani Debi
- Debika Debi
- Debesi Debi
}}
| module2 = {{Infobox royalty|embed=yes
| succession = Gajapati Maharaja
King of Puri
| reign = 7 July 1970 – current (titular)
| predecessor = Birakishore Deva III
| successor =
| house = Bhoi dynasty
| religion = Hinduism
}}
}}
Dibyasingha Deba, known by the symbolic regnal title as Gajapati Maharaja Divyasingha Deva IV, is the current Gajapati Maharaja and the King of Puri. He is the current head of the house of Bhoi dynasty,{{Cite book |last=Mohanty |first=Jagannath |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3T2Ph_SmjtoC&dq=Ramachandra+Dev+Birakishore+Dev+Dibyasinha+Dev+Bhoi+Dynasty+Suryamani+Patamahadei+Rajas++Khurda+Rajas+Puri&pg=PA63 |title=Encyclopaedia of Education, Culture and Children's Literature: v. 3. Indian culture and education |date=2009|publisher=Deep & Deep Publications |isbn=978-81-8450-150-6 |language=en}}{{cite book|author=J C Manti|title=The Saga of Jagannatha and Badadeula at Puri (: Story of Lord Jagannatha and his Temple)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QweqCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA99|date=22 August 2014|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=978-93-82652-45-8|pages=99–}} who were the hereditary rulers of the ancient realm of Trikalinga (regions of Kalinga, Utkal, Dakshin Koshala), medieval era Khurda Kingdom and the rulers of the Puri Estate, with their current capital located at Puri.{{citation |title=The Traditional Role of Gajapati Maharaja in Shri Jagannath Temple |publisher=Orissa Review |url=http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2011/july/engpdf/27-30.pdf |author=Bhaskar Mishra |date=July 2011 }}
The Gajapati Maharaja is the current Adhyasevaka (known as the first and foremost servitor) of Lord Jagannatha and among many rituals is involved in 'Chhera Pahara', the ritual involving the symbolic cleaning of the raths during Ratha Yatra (Puri). He is also the chairman of the Shri Jagannatha Temple Managing Committee{{citation |title=The Legitimacy of the Maharaja of Puri Relating to Feudatories and the Car Festival |publisher=Odisha Review |url=http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2012/June/engpdf/40-43.pdf |author=Abhimanyu Dash |date=June 2012 }} of the Jagannath Temple at Puri.
Early life
Dibyasingha Deba ascended the throne in 1970 at the age of 17 after the death of his father, the then Maharaja of Puri, Gajapati Birakishore Deba. Before taking the titular name of Dibyasingha Deba, he was named Jenamani Kamarnaba Deba.[http://uppercrustindia.com/oldsite/12crust/twelve/season7.htm "The Maharaja Of Puri"], Upper Crust, retrieved 7 May 2017.
He did his schooling from Convent School, Puri and Rajkumar College, Raipur in Chhattisgarh. He went on to pursue his graduation in History from the St. Stephens College from where he graduated in 1972 and then pursued LLB from Law Faculty at University of Delhi (1971-1975). He then pursued LLM from the Northwestern University School of Law (1975-1976), Chicago before eventually taking on the traditional role of the titular King of Puri and hence the chairman of the Temple committee. Due to being abroad in Chicago in 1975-76, he skipped the Chhera Pahanra ritual that year. It was instead done by the Mudiratha servitor of the temple at that time. {{cite web |title=Here's All You Need To Know About The King Of Puri |publisher=Sambad |url=https://sambadenglish.com/heres-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-king-of-puri/ |date=26 June 2017 |access-date=27 January 2021}}{{cite web |title=Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb completes 50 years of Kingship|publisher=KalingaTV |url=https://kalingatv.com/state/gajapati-maharaja-dibyasingha-deb-completes-50-years-of-kingship-here-is-the-list-of-puri-king/ |date=9 July 2020}}{{cite web |title= Puri King abstains from Chhera Pahanra Ritual|work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/puri-king-abstains-from-chhera-pahanra-ritual/articleshow/76223989.cms|date=6 June 2020}}
Regnal year (Anka year)
The Regnal year (known as Anka year) of the Maharaja used for the corresponding Odia year in the Odia calendar (panjis):
| class="wikitable"
|+ Regnal & Anka year ! Gregorian year | Regnal year | Odia year | Anka year |
| 2024 CE | 54 | ୧୪୩୦ ଉତ୍କଳାବ୍ଦ 1432 Utkaḷābda | ୬୫ ଅଙ୍କ 67 Aṅka |
Temple administration and roles
As the titular head of the dynasty, the Gajapati Maharaja acts as the Chairman of the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee and also attends to the rites and rituals of the temple during the festivals and religious occasions like Ratha Jatra, Bahuda Jatra, Pusyabhiseka, Snana Jatra and many other important socio-religious and cultural events. He also leads a team of scholars under the aegis of the Temple Administration named Shri Jagannatha Tatwa, Gabeshana O Prasara Upasamiti.{{citation |title=The Traditional Role of Gajapati Maharaja in Shri Jagannath Temple |publisher=Orissa Review |url=http://magazines.odisha.gov.in/Orissareview/2011/july/engpdf/27-30.pdf |author=Bhaskar Mishra |page=30 |date=July 2011 }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.shreejagannatha.in/about-shree-jagannath-temple-administration/ Jagannath Temple Management]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Deba, Dibyasingha}}
Category:St. Stephen's College, Delhi alumni
Category:Faculty of Law, University of Delhi alumni
Category:Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni
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