By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik - Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist
Vedic Gods resided in the sky. They were unbound by geography. Temple Gods are firmly bound by geography. Jagannath is firmly linked to Odisha, Tirupati to Andhra Pradesh, Nathdvara to Rajasthan. The temple as we know it today is closely linked to land given by kings to village Gods via Brahmins, a practice that became widespread 1,500 years ago. Through the temple, the wealth generated from farms was circulated among weavers, garland makers, dancers, and musicians, who contributed to the many rites, rituals and festivals of the temple. It created an economy.
