Why this Trust exists at all?
We believe, the deepest purpose of Shree Jagannatha Balabhadra Subhadra Charitable Trust is not to become a large NGO.
We don't even think our deepest purpose is to become a famous religious organisation.
We think its role is much subtler.
We are preserving and creating a way of experiencing the sacred.
Modern society suffers from a peculiar kind of poverty.
People have information, but very little initiation into wonder.
Children know mythology through algorithm-driven snippets.
Families rarely sing together.
Festivals increasingly become photo opportunities.
Communities gather physically less often.
Religion becomes either intellectual debate or private ritual.
But, Jagannatha offers something different.
He comes out of the temple.
He allows Himself to be pulled by everyone... whether they are His devotees or not.
Kings and labourers hold the same rope.
Mahaprasad erases social hierarchy.
Music dissolves self-consciousness.
His 'leela' allows people to inhabit their sacred prayers in His sacred stories than merely hear them.
In many ways, Jagannatha culture is one of India's oldest technologies for creating community.
And that is extraordinarily relevant today.
Therefore, our mission, I'd say, may not actually be "charity."
It may be:
To create transformative shared experiences rooted in Jagannatha culture that reconnect people with devotion, community and meaning.
Through these, you would notice, something very beautiful is emerging.
Heart. Imagination. Hands. Devotion. Culture. Seva.
This is our blueprint, this is our mission!
"We gather people around the timeless culture of Lord Jagannatha through festivals, music, theatre and shared acts of devotion, creating spaces where ancient wisdom can be experienced, celebrated and carried forward into contemporary life."
