juggernaut

The word "juggernaut" refers to a massive, unstoppable force, campaign, movement, or object. Its origin traces back to the Hindu deity Jagannatha, a form of Vishnu, and his chariot festival, Rathayatra, in Puri, India.123

Historically, exaggerated reports from the 14th century described devotees sacrificing themselves by being crushed under the massive chariots carrying Jagannatha. British colonial observers, viewing Hindu practices negatively, misinterpreted these events as religious suicide. Through metonymy, these accounts led to the English word "juggernaut" initially meaning a massive, crushing vehicle, and later evolving to its current figurative sense of an overwhelming and unstoppable entity.2431