Jagannath temple is one of the
renowned Hindu temples in India, located on the eastern coast of the country,
at Puri, in Odisha. The temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath and the literal meaning of the name is the ‘Lord of the Universe’. The temple stands as an important pilgrimage centre for the Hindus, especially who worship Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna. The temple is regarded as the part of the ‘Char Dham Yatra’, which almost every Hindu expects to fulfill in one’s lifetime.
History
The present structure of the temple
was initiated by Anantavarman Chodaganga, a Kalinga ruler, during the period of
12th century. The temple was concluded by King Ananga Bhima Deva, an
Oriya ruler. The image of Lord Jagannath is believed to have been found buried
in the Chilka Lake in order to protect it from destruction from enemy
intruders.
The Temple
The entire complex of the temple is
spread over a vast area of about 400,000 sq km, which is abounded by a thick
wall that towers to a height of about 20 ft. The complex is dotted with around
120 temples and shrines comprising tall shikahara, rising to a grat height of
about 192 ft. The parts of the temple have been divided into four different
parts according to the different purposes served by them. The outermost circle
is known as the Bhogmandir, a little ahead of which is a pillared hall, used by
the dance and music shows, known as Nata Mandir, next to which is the
Jagamohana, which is worship place of the devotees and the last one comprises
of the inner sanctum or the deul, which includes the deities. Lord Jagannath is
at the center of the sanctum along with his two siblings, Lord Balabhadra, his
brother and Goddess Subhadra, his sister, who are placed on the either side of
the main deity. The idols of these three deities are made out of sacred neem
logs, known as Daru Brahma. The deities are decorated with different garments
and jewels as according to the different seasons. The temple also includes
separate shrines for different Gods and Goddesses, such as Lord Ganesh, Lord
Dhiva, Goddess Parvati, Goddess Laxmi and the Navagrahas.
Rath Yatra
There are many festivals celebrated at
this temple but the most prominent one is the Rath Yatra or the Chariot
festival, which is celebrated in the month of June. This festival includes a
huge procession of three large decorated chariots, on which idols of Jagannath,
Balabhadra and Subhadra are taken out. Hundreds of devotees attain this
procession and get involved in pulling the ropes of the chariots to get wheels
of the chariots rolling. The procession is initiated from the Jagannath temple
and concluded at the Gundicha temple.
Best Time to
Visit
The best time to visit the temple is
from the months of October to march.
Visiting
Time: The
temple is open on all days of the week from 5.00 am to 12.00 pm and from 4.00
pm to 9.30 pm.
Accommodation
There are plenty of accommodation
facilities in Puri that range from budget class to luxury class and are equipped
with almost all the modern day amenities. The hotels and resorts in Puri offer
special packages to the visitors, such as honeymoon packages and student
packages.
How to Reach
By Air: The nearest airport to the
temple is in the capital city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, located at a distance o f
about 60 km from the Puri town. The airport is well linked with places like
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and many other major cities in India. Regular
bus and taxi services are available from the airport to the temple.
By Train: Puri has its railway
station, which conducts regular trains to places like Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai
and Bhubaneswar.
By Road: Puri has a very good
network of roads that connects the place with various major cities within
Orissa, such as Bhubaneswar (56 km), Konark (35 km) and Cuttack (32 km).
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