My association with Jagannath goes back to my student days at the University of Delhi when, upon getting tired of hostel food, I often accompanied my friends to Jagannath temples located at Hauz Khas and Thyagraj Nagar in Delhi. The temple prasad, which comprised dalma, rice, saag and kheer, reinvigorated us. It made me more curious about Odia cuisines, the sociocultural life of Odisha, the Odia diaspora, and above all, Lord Jagannath, who has played an instrumental role in constituting a distinctive Odia identity. In recent times, Jagannath has travelled as a cultural symbol beyond Odisha and several temples have come up in Delhi, Chennai, Agartala, Patna, and other places. With the rise of the Odia diaspora, the Lord has been transformed from a regional god into a pan-Indian religious symbol.