Shree Jagannath Temple - Puri
Jagannath Temple is one of the important religious places of India which is also one of the Char Dham (Jagannathpuri, Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameshwaram).
Jagannath Temple - Puri (Odisha)
Jagannath Temple is one of the important religious places of India which is also one of the Char Dham (Jagannathpuri, Badrinath, Dwarka, Rameshwaram). This temple is located in the Puri district of the state of Odisha, India. This temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The main temple of Jagannath at Puri was built by King Indradyumna of Avanti. This temple was rebuilt in the 10th century. This temple is one of the 108 Abhiman Kshetras of the Vaishnava tradition. The entire temple is famous for its annual rath yatra and festival in which the three principal deities are carried out on huge and elaborately decorated and pulled temple cars.
The temple is worshiped by a Bhil Sawar tribal priest. The Jagannath Temple of Puri is also famous because according to many legends the heart of Lord Krishna is kept in this temple. This temple is considered sacred for Hindu Vaishnavism and traditions. Many great Vaishnava saints were associated with the Jagannath temple such as: Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Vallabhacharya and Ramananda. Near the temple, MR Math was established by Ramanuja and Govardhan Math was established by Adi Shankaracharya.
Story About The Jagannath Temple
According to the legends of the Mahabharata and the Puranas, the Jagannath Temple was built by King Indradyunma, the son of Bharata and Sunanda and a Malava king. According to the Skanda Purana and the Brahma Purana, Jagannath was originally worshiped as Nila Madhava by a Savara king named Vishvasu. Hearing about the deity, King Indradyumna sent Vidyapati, a Brahmin priest, to locate the deity. Vidyapati tried hard but could not find the place. But he managed to marry Vishvavasu's daughter Lalitha. After repeated requests from Vidyapati, Vishvavasu blindfolded his son-in-law and took him to a cave where Neela used to worship the medium. Vidyapati was very sharp with intelligence, while leaving, he dropped mustard seeds on the ground on the way.
After a few days those seeds sprouted, from which they later came to know the cave. Hearing him, King Indradyumna immediately went on a pilgrimage to the country of Odra (Odisha) to see the deity and worship him. But the gods had disappeared as soon as the king reached there. Seeing this the king was disappointed and the gods remained silent in the sand. The king was determined not to return without seeing the deity and fasted unto death at Nilanchal, when a divine voice 'Bhavatu Naam' (so be it) was heard. After hearing this divine voice, the king sacrificed the horse and built a grand temple for Lord Vishnu and the idol brought by Narasimhanarada was installed in the temple. While sleeping the king had a vision of Sri Jagannath and a subtle voice instructed him to get a fragrant tree on the beach and make a deity out of it.
Jagannath Temple History
The temple was rebuilt in the 10th century CE by the Ganga dynasty king Anantavarman Chodaganga, as evidenced by the Kendupatna copper-plate inscription of his descendant Narasimhadeva II. Anantavarman was a Shaivite by origin, and became a Vaishnava sometime after his conquest of the Utkala region (in which the temple is located) in 1112 AD. 1134-1135 BCE The details of his donation to the temple are recorded in an inscription of . Hence the construction of the temple must have started some time after 1112 AD.
According to a story in the temple history, it was founded by Anangabhima-deva II. Different chronicles mention the year of construction as 1196, 1197, 1205, 1216, or 1226. This suggests that the construction of the temple was completed or that the temple was renovated during the reign of Anangabhima, the son of Anantavarman. The temple complex was further developed during the reign of later kings including the Ganga dynasty and the Gajapati dynasty.
Structure of Jagannath Temple
Jagannath Temple is a very big temple which is spread over an area of 37000 square meters. The height of the outer wall of the temple is 61 meters which covers the entire temple from all sides. This wall is known as Meghanand Pacheri. The main part of the temple is surrounded by a wall called Kurma Bheda. This temple is built on the basis of Oriya architecture, inside which there are about 120 temples and pilgrimage sites. The wheel of Lord Vishnu is made on the summit of the top of this temple which is known as Neel Chakra. The height of the spire of this temple is 65 meters.
Every day a different flag is hoisted on the Neel Chakra which has been named Patit Pawan. This chakra is made of 8 mixed metals with a circumference of 11 meters and a height of 3.5 meters. There are four gates to enter the temple, which are known as Sinhadwar, Hathidwar, Vyaghradwar, and Ashwadwar. Arun Stambh is located in front of Singhdwar which is 16-sided.
Best Time to Visit Jagannath temple
According to pilgrims and tourists, the best months to visit Jagannath Temple are October to February. The temperature of Jagannath Puri remains moderate during these months which makes it a good season to visit. During December to January the cold increases mildly but this season is also worth visiting. The view of the sun setting in the sea during these seasons is amazing. Those who want to see the Rath Yatra of Jagannath Temple should visit in the months of June and July.
Nearby tourist Attractions toa visit in Puri
Most of the tourists and pilgrims in Puri of Odisha go only to visit Shri Jagannath Temple, which is an important pilgrimage site here. There are many other tourist places in Puri where you can visit. Such as: Sri Gundicha Temple, Golden Beach, Atharnala Bridge, Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves, Konark Sun Temple, Lingaraj Temple, Markandeshwar Temple, Sudarshan Craft Museum, Puri Swargadwar Beach, Sea Beach, Nandankanan Zoological Park, Vimala Shaktipeeth Temple, Sunara Gauranga Temple etc. . These are some of the tourist places near Jagannath Temple that you can visit.
How to reach Jagannath temple?
It is a city in the state of Orissa in India, known for its rich Sanskrit heritage, pilgrims and religious sites. It is one of the Char Dhams of India which is an important Hindu pilgrimage site visited by a large number of tourists. There are many attractive places and views in Puri that win the hearts of tourists. Here plane, train, bus can be reached through any vehicle. It is well connected by air, train, road. You can also reach here with the help of your vehicle.
By Air: The nearest airport to Puri is the Biju Patnael Airport, which is located at Bhubaneshwar, about 60 km from Puri. This airport is well connected to all the cities of the Indian state. With its help, you can easily reach Puri.
By Train: The nearest railway station to Puri is Puri Railway Station which is well connected to all the states of India. Jagannath Temple is located 2.7 kilometers from the railway station, where you can reach with the help of a taxi.
By Road: Puri is well connected by road to all other states of India. You can easily reach Puri by road through buses and taxis.
Jagannath Temple Trip Cost
The cost of visiting Jagannath temple varies depending on you. Plane, train, bus all have different ticket prices. Cost of getting around Puri, Transport cost, Hotel fare, Food cost, How many days you are staying, How much you can spend there, What is your budget? It all depends on you. If you want to visit Puri with the least expenditure, then you can roam in the expenditure of 4 thousand to 5 thousand rupees and in maximum you can increase it according to your budget.
Many tour packages are also available for pilgrimage to Puri which can range from 15 thousand to 30,000 thousand. The tour package amount also increases according to the number of days you are staying in Puri. You can take tour packages through any online company.
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