Manika Gauduni

Manika Gauduni was a famous Gopal woman (Milkmaid) from Manikpatna, Odisha. She is a historical figure in the Jagannath culture, and it is believed that she offered yoghurt to Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra after winning Kanchi expedition of Gajapati King.[1]

Background

After defeat in the famous Kanchi expedition, the Gajapati of Kalinga (now Odisha) prayed to Lord Jagannath. Moved with the prayer of Gajapati, Lord Jagannath along with his brother Lord Balabhadra started an expedition to Kanchi on horse-back. Jagannath and Balabhadra saw Manika selling yogurt. Two brothers stopped next to her to drink yogurt. Thinking of them as the soldiers, Manika asked for the payment of her yogurt. They had to mortgage a gold ring[2] with Manika, from whom they had to drink yogurt on their way to Kanchi. At last Gajapati Purusottama Deva won the battle.

While returning, Milkmaid Manika obstructed the Gajapati pleading for the unpaid cost of yogurt consumed by Gajapati's two leading soldiers riding on black and white horses and produced the gold ring as evidence. Gajapati identified the ring as that of Lord Jagannath and upon the divine support, enthusiastically led the expedition[3][4]

Manika, a black and white movie, was released in 1986 in the Odia language describing the background of this story.

References
  1. "Odisha Government Portal" (PDF). Odisha.gov.in. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  2. Tripathy, Gagan Mohan; Dāśa, Birañci Nārāẏaṇa (2 November 1990). "Legends and Stories on Lord Jagannath". Niladrisha Publications. Retrieved 2 November 2017 – via Google Books.
  3. Samaya, Magazine (18 August 2015). Manika Gaudani. Bhubaneswar: Ashirbad Publications. pp. 36–37.
  4. ନିତାଇ ବେଦ. "Kanchi Abhiyan". Nitaaiveda.com. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
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