Bhubaneswar: Speaking at the Odisha Nirman Conclave 2025 organised by Kanak News in Bhubaneswar today, Swami Sarvapriyananda of the Vedanta Society of New York said the spirit of Lord Jagannath and Odia identity continues to guide the state’s development journey.

Delivering the keynote address on “Lord Jagannath and Odia Asmita: The Spirit Behind Odisha’s Development,” he said returning to Odisha felt special as he grew up and studied in the state before becoming a monk. He noted that Jagannath culture has shaped his life deeply.

Swami Vivekananda’s global influence

Recalling Swami Vivekananda’s global influence, he said the first Indian ashram abroad was set up in New York in 1894. He added that the Odia community in the United States is thriving and actively promoting Odia culture, including building Jagannath temples in cities like Houston.

Swami Sarvapriyananda's visit to IIT Bhubaneswar

Sharing his impressions from a recent visit to IIT Bhubaneswar, he said the names of the academic blocks-- Udayagiri, Khandagiri, Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri-- reflect Odisha’s heritage as a major centre of Buddhist and Jain learning. He said the state is regaining its place as an education hub, drawing parallels with the scholarly traditions of the Nalanda era, parts of which he believes originated in Odisha.

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In a personal anecdote, he revealed that during his MBA days, he secretly visited the Jagannath Temple in Puri, praying for the strength to become a monk. He said his spiritual journey was possible due to the grace of Lord Jagannath.

Jagannath culture is a powerful spiritual force

Swami Sarvapriyananda described Jagannath culture as a powerful spiritual force that has absorbed diverse philosophies over centuries. He pointed out that great teachers like Ramanuja, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Sri Chaitanya all visited Puri, reflecting its inclusive character.

He also shared an experience from an interfaith meet at the Vatican, where scholars debated how Buddhism functions as a religion without a creator God. He said Indian spiritual thought is broad enough to include both devotion to a personal God and traditions rooted in self-inquiry, such as Buddhism and Jainism.

Swami Sarvapriyananda on Western views on God

Responding to Western views of God as exclusively male, he explained that Indian traditions see the divine as male, female and beyond gender. He said he often tells American audiences that “God can be Black,” referring to Goddess Kali, and can even be transgender, citing Ardhanarishvara.

He said Odisha, once labelled a poor state, is experiencing a resurgence and is poised to surpass its past achievements, echoing Swami Vivekananda’s vision for India. He referred to the Ganga dynasty’s ancient name for the region, “Purushottama Samrajya,” or the Empire of Jagannath.

Odia school of Vaishnavism

The spiritual leader also highlighted the distinct Odia school of Vaishnavism, where Radha and Krishna represent the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, and the Jagannath Temple is seen symbolically as the human body in which this divine relationship unfolds.

Concluding his address, he contrasted the harmony of Jagannath culture with the rising polarisation in Western societies. He said Odisha’s inclusive and diverse spiritual tradition offers a model for a world struggling with cultural and ideological divides.