Char Dham
SRI PURI JAGANNATH
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath (Krishna) and located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat (Universe) and Nath (Lord of).
Please Drop your Valuable experiences/comments here- click here
The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of Krishna and Vishnu.The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated chariots. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervor
- The Puri Jagannath Temple!!!
- The painting of Ratha Yatra!!!
- The Rath Yatra !!!
- The Deities!!!
Structure of The Temple :
The present temple is a rekha deula withcurviliner tower on a Pancha Ratha plan.It was built by Ananta Barma Chodaganga Dev during 12th century A.Dand was completed by his grandson Ananga Bhima Dev.This temple is one of the tallest monument in the country,the height of which is about 214 feet from the ground level. It stands on an elevated platform of stone measuring about 10 acres, located in the heart of the town and presents an imposing sight.The temple is bounded by two enclosures.The inner enclosure is 400' x 278 'size and known as Kurma Bedha. The outer enclosure is of 665' x 644' size with the height varying from 20 ' to 24 ' is and popularly known as Meghanad Prachir.
The temple has four gates at the eastern,southern,western, and northen midpoints of the Meghanad Prachir and are called Lions gate,Horse Gate , TigerGate and the Elephant Gate respectively.
The temple has got four halls in a row such as Viman (main temple where Lord Jagannath is worshipped with brother Balabhadra, sister Subhadra and Sudarshan), Jagamohan (Audience hall ), Natamandap (Dance hall ) and the Bhoga Mandap (offering hall ).
The Legend Of Puri:
Legendary account as found in the Skanda-Purana, Brahma Purana and other Puranas and later oriya works state that Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Neela madhab by a Savar king ( tribal chief ) named Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity , king Indradyumna sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity, who was worshipped secretely in a dense forest by Viswavasu. Vidyapati tried his best but could not locate the place. But at last he managed to marry Viswavasu's daughter Lalita . At repeated request of Vidyapti, Viswavasu took his son-in-law blind folded to a cave where Neelamadhab was worshipped. Vidyapati was very intelligent. He dropped mustard seeds on the ground on the way. The seeds germinated after a few days,which enabled him to find out the cave later on. On hearing from him , king Indradyumna proceeded immediately to Odra desha ( Orissa ) on a pilgrimage to see and worship the Deity. But the deity had disappeared .The king was disappointed .The Deity was hidden in sand. The king was determined not to return without having a darshan of the deity and observed fast unto death at Mount Neela, Then a celestial voice cried 'thou shalt see him '. Afterwards the king performed a horse sacrifice and built a magnificient temple for Vishnu. Narasingha Murti brought by Narada was installed in the temple.During sleep,the king had a vision of Lord Jagannath. Also an astral voice directed him to receive the fragrant tree on the seashore and make idols out of it. Accordingly the king got the image of Lord Jagannath,Balabhadra ,Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan Made out of the wood of the said tree and installed them in the temple.
How to Reach:
- Airport :Access to Puri is quite convenient and hassle free by air and the nearest airport is Biju Patnail Airport located 60 kms from Puri in Bhubaneshwar. The major domestic carriers like Indian, Jet, Sahara, and Deccan operate regular flights from New Delhi, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mumbai.
- Railhead : The railway terminus of the city offers express and super-fast train connections with New Mumbai, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata and Baidyanath Dham. Puri also has excellent rail connections with Tirupati, Okha and Ahmedabad.Puri Is under judistriction of East Coast Railway.
- Road : Road transport is equally commendable and you can reach Puri from the important cities of India. From Bhubaneshwar it is a 60 kms drive on state highway. The main bus stand is located nearby Gundicha Mandir on Grand Road and regular bus services to the nearby destinations such as Konark and Bhubaneshwar are available. The roads are well-maintained and reaching Puri by road is very convenient.
History of the Temple :
The celebrated Temple of Lord Jagannath now existent at Puri was constructed by Raja Ananta Varman Chodaganga Dev in 12th century A.D. The wooden images of Jagannath Balabhadra and Subhadra were installed in that temple. The management of the temple continued under the Hindu rulers till 1558, when the State of Orissa was conquered by the Afghan Nawab of Bengal and the temple was attacked by the Afgan General ‘Kalapahad’. Then, an independent Khurda kingdom was established by Ramachandra Deb, who assumed the management of the temple. He consecrated the temple and reinstalled the deities. Raja Mansingh, a General of the Mughal King Akbar, defeated the Afghans and annexed Orissa in to the Mughal dominion. It remained under the Mughals till 1751 A.D. Till 1760, the temple continued under the Khurda Raja, who was paying tribute to Mughals and Marhattas. Marhattas took up direct management of the temple till 1803. The Britishers annexed Orissa into British empire in 1803 and allowed Puri Raja to manage the temple. The position continued till 1947.
Maha prasad :
As of today Jagannath Puri temple’s kitchen is considered as the largest kitchen in Bharat where “Maha Prasad” is fed to thousands of devotees on a daily basis. Around 500 cooks and 300 helping hands prepare 56 different offerings known as ‘Mahaprasad’ or ‘Abhada’ for Lord Jagannath, which are served to the deity six times a day. It is said that food for one lakh devotees can be prepared in the temple kitchen with in an hour.
Ratha Yatra :
The most splendid of the innumerable festivals celebrated round the year in the holy city of Puri , the Ratha Yatra is the grand culmination of a series of celebrations spread over the summer and the monsoon months.Akshaya Trutiya tithi marks the beginning of the construction of the Rathas (chariots) for the ceremonial journey and sojourn of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra at the Gundicha Temple for a week. The most exciting part of the Rath yatra is the pulling of chariots by thousands of people who lay their hands on the sturdy ropes and drag the massive structures along the Bada-Danda,the grand road. The chariot of Balabhadra moves first, followed by those of Subhadra and Jagannath. The chariots grind forward slowly until they reach the Gundicha temple and the three deities rest for a night at the entrance on their own chariots. They enter the Gundicha temple on the next day in the usual Pahandi style and stay there for seven days. Godess Laxmi,who gets angry for being left out at the temple, proceeds to the Gundicha temple to meet her Lord, Jagannath , on the Hera Panchami day,the fifth day of the fortnight. After having a stealthy look at her Lord, she returns to the temple, damaging a part of Jagannath's chariot in anger and disgust.On the Dwadasi day, the three deities go back to their original place,the Ratna simhasana, literally the jewelled platform,with the usual fanfare and the Pahandi style.Their arrival into the Sanctum sanctorum marks the end of the Ratha Yatra the grand festival of chariots.
Other Places :
- The Dolphins Of Chilka!!!
Chilka Lake:
Chilka Lake is nearby puri and you can hire a vehicle from puri. The Route from puri to Chilka is enchating with coconut tree queuing both the sides. it just looks like a filmy setup with cool breeze soothing u now and then. At chilka lake you can hire a boat, he will take you round the lake and if you are lucky you can spot some dolphins jumping, I was lucky to spot one or two. Chilka lake is eco-spot, it hosts for the siberian birds. But due to recent enchroachments and global Warming, Rising Tide levels, the regular guests are dwindling.
You can get down and the island at the confluence of Chilka lagoon and the Bay of Bengal.If you like the marine food, you can have some taste there.Any way its just a different world.