The Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Sri Krishna in Puri in the state of Odisha on the eastern coast of India. Explore the Mysteries of Jagannath Puri Temple.
History of Shree Jagannath Puri Temple
The Shree Jagannath Puri temple is a sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu. Lord Jagannath was worshipped secretly in a forest as Lord Neela Madhaba by a king named Viswavasu. King Indradyumna was excited to know more about the deity, so, he sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to Viswavasu. Vidyapati searched high and low for the place, but all his efforts were in vain.
Because, he fell in love with Viswavasu’s daughter, Lalita, and married her. Afterward, at the request of Vidyapati, Viswavasu took his son-in-law blindfolded to the cave where he worshipped Lord Jagannath.
Smart Vidyapati dropped mustard seeds on the ground on the way. After this, King Indradyumna proceeded to Odisha to the Deity. However, the idol was not there. Though disappointed, he was determined to see the idol of Lord Jagannath. A sudden voice told him to construct a temple on Nilasaila.
Afterward, the king ordered his men to build a beautiful temple for Vishnu. The king later invited Brahma to consecrate the temple. However, Brahma was in meditation which lasted for nine years. By then, the temple got buried under the sand. The king was anxious when the king heard a voice that directed him to find a floating log of a tree on the seashore and make idols out of it during his sleep.
Accordingly, the king again built a magnificent temple and installed the images of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra made out of the wood of the divine tree. Explore the Mysteries of Jagannath Puri Temple.
Mysteries of Jagannath Puri Temple
Puri’s famous Jagannath Temple holds a prominent place of importance for devotees. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites in India and is also well known for the annual chariot festival or Rath Yatra. Many legends believe that King Indradyumn built Lord Jagannath’s holy shrine after being blessed by Lord Vishnu and he guided him in his to find Nila Madhava in their dream.
It is one of the holy dips in the river, where the iron road was found floating by King Indradyumn. It is believed that Lord Vishnu then whispered to him that the floating rod is his heart, which will remain on the land forever. Then king fastly ran with the rod to Lord Jagannath and placed it in him discreetly. King never allowed anyone to see or touch the rod found by him.
People say that when the Pandavas started their journey to Yamraj. At that time Sapt Rishis advised Pandavas to visit the ‘Char Dham’ to get closer to ‘moksha.’ Jagannath Temple in Puri is one of the holy places of ‘Char Dham.’ Since then, the Jagannath idol has always remained off-limits for people, and devotees can see him only for a particular time. Below, you will get to know in detail more about the Mysteries of Jagannath Puri Temple.
1. Defying Nature’s Code of Conduct
Everyone knows about the direction of air. But at Jagannath Puri temple the flag flies in the opposite direction. The flag flows in the opposite direction to the wind’s flow without any scientific background.
2. The Climb
It’s believed that if the ritual of flag hosting is skipped one day from the calendar, the temple will be closed for 18 years. The Climb is one of the Mysteries of Jagannath Puri Temple.
3. A Light With No Darkness
A necessary detail while sketching anything is shading. Shading happens when sunlight glows on one part of the subject leaving a shadow on the other, which ultimately triggers shade. But, what if something has no shadow?
It is reported that the temple has no shadow at all, at any time of the day from any direction. Could it be an architectural marvel or Lord Jagannath’s message to humanity?
4. The Riddle of The Sudarshan Chakra
There are two mysteries behind the Sudarshan Chakra. The first mystery is how the hard metal weighing about a tonne, just fitted up there without any machinery just with a human force.
The second is one deals with the architectural technique related to the Chakra. From every direction you look, the Chakra looks back with the same appearance. It is designed to look the same from every direction.
5. No One is Above God
The sky is the bird’s domain. Birds fly over where they like. But, this particular area is restricted, not even a single bird is flying above the temple dome, and even an airplane could not fly above the temple.
6. The Food Is Never Futile Here
The Temple crew knows that wasting food is considered a bad sign in Hindu mythology; they follow the same rules. The total number of people visiting the temple varies between 2,000 to 2,00,000 people daily. Miraculously, the Parsadam prepared every day is never wasted, not even a bite. Could this be effective management or the Lord’s will?
7. Mute Water
Second, after you take the first step inside the temple from the Singha Dwara entrance, the audibility of the ocean waves is entirely lost. This phenomenon is more prominent in the evening time. Again, no scientific explanation adds up to this fact. The sound can be heard when you come out of the temple.
According to the local people, it was the wish of Subhadra Mayi, who wished for peace within the temple gates. Hence her wish is completed. Mute Water is one of the most Mysteries of Jagannath Puri Temple
8. Reverse Gear of The Breeze
In the daytime, the breeze from the sea comes to land and the opposite happens in the evening. But, in Puri, the breeze has a tendency to contradict and opt for the exact opposite direction. In the daytime, the breeze blows from land to sea and the opposite in the evening happens.
9. Magical Methods To Cook
The traditional way to cook the Parsadam is preserved by the priests here. There is the use of seven pots as vessels which are kept one above another and are cooked using firewood. Enchantingly, the top pot is cooked first, and the rest follows the same order! Magical Methods to Cook is one of the most important Mysteries of Jagannath Puri Temple
10. Deities Disintegration
The deities are buried every 14 to 18 years, one above another, replaced by new ones. These deities are made up of neem wood and are believed to be disintegrated on their own.
11. The Rath Yatra
The Rath Yatra is an annual parade in which the deities are carried outside the temple on 2 sets of chariots (3 each). The first chariot carries the deities to the river which separates the Jagannath Temple and the Mausi Maa temple. After that, the idols are boarded in 3 boats to cross the river. Now the second chariot comes into play. It carries the deities from the river to the Mausi Maa Temple where the ritual takes place.
Do not miss to read Everything About Jagannath Puri Blog for complete information about Jagannath Puri.
Architecture of Jagannath Puri Temple
The Jagannath Temple is one of the most spectacular temples in India. With its classic Oriya architecture, it never fails to sweep tourists off their feet. It covers an area of approximately 4,00,000 square feet and is enclosed by two rectangular walls. The outer wall is called Meghanada Pacheri which is 20 ft. high. The other one is called Kurma Bedha which surrounds the main temple.
The main shikhara or tower which is higher compared to other shikhara houses the deities. The temple has four distinct structures- the Vimana, the Jagamohan or the porch, the Nata Mandir, and the Bhoga Mandap built in a row.
There are four gates- the eastern Singhadwara (Lion Gate), the southern Ashwadwara (Horse Gate), the western Vyaghrasana (Tiger Gate), and the northern Hastidwara (Elephant Gate). The Lion Gate is the main gate, located on Grand Road. Within the temple complex, there are many shrines also.
Also, there is a wheel on the top of the temple known as the Nila Chakra or the Blue Wheel. It is made up of different metals and every day a new flag is hoisted on the chakra.
Best Time To Visit Sri Jagannath Puri Temple
May to July witness the monsoon season of Puri and therefore, heavy rainfall is observed during this time. However, the major festivals of Jagannath Puri Temple like Rath Yatra take place in these months only. Though the weather is unfavorable, you have the opportunity to be a part of the dazzling festivals of Puri. The prices can be high as a plethora of devotees visit this time.
Puja At Jagannath Puri
Do you want to take advantage of the Holy moment of Puja at Jagannath Puri? Book your Puja online by YatraDham.Org right now.
Accommodation Near Jagannath Puri Temple
Rooms in Puri or a Dharamshala in Puri near Jagannath temple can be booked on the YatraDham.Org. the website conveniently with an assurance of reliability. A Puri Dharamshala list includes many Dharamshala in Jagannath Puri and is near the temple and also has a facility of Hotels in Jagannath Puri. In Puri, there are various options for the visitor.
- Jagannath Ballav Bhakta Niwas Puri
- Sri Srirup Siddhanti Gaudiya Seva Ashram
- Jagannath Puri – Rathyatra 2024 Accommodation Package
- Sri Malook Peeth Gopal Ashram
- Sri Malook Peeth Gopal Ashram
- Hotel Jagannath Darshan Yatrik Niwas
Also, read Jagannath Puri Bethak ji And Accommodations Blog for more information.
How to Reach Puri?
Puri is a major railway junction and is well-connected to all the major cities in the country. The nearest airport is in the capital city, Bhubaneshwar which is 56 km away from Puri. One can hail a taxi from the airport to Puri.
How to Reach Puri by Road
Buses are available from Vishakhapatnam, Kolkata, and Bhubaneshwar.
How to Reach Puri by Train
Puri lies along the Calcutta-Chennai line and most of the trains stop here. Therefore, it is easy to reach the Puri Railway Station via train.
Local Transport in Puri
Traveling within the city is facilitated by various modes of transport like cycle-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, and hired motorbikes. Cycle rickshaws are the most economical option. The meters of the auto-rickshaws usually don’t work so you know how to strike a bargain and hired motorbikes come at the cost of 400-500 rupees per day.
For more details on How to reach Jagannath Puri, check out the detailed Blog on this by YatraDham.Org.
