Jagannath Temple Puri Odisha History and Interesting Facts

Jagannath Temple Quick Facts

Jagannath Temple Overview

The world-famous Shri Jagannath Temple is located in the coastal city of Puri in the state of Odisha. This temple is counted as one of the Char Dham of Hindus. It is a Vaishnavite temple dedicated to Jagannath (Shri Krishna), an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Jagannath is considered to be the 10th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The word Jagannath means Lord of the world, his city is also called Jagannathpuri or Puri. This grand temple is not only the center of faith of the devotees of Shri Krishna but is also a wonderful specimen of architecture.

The structure of this Temple is such that even those who have taken big degrees in the field of engineering have not been able to distinguish it. Every day thousands of devotees come to Puri to see this temple.

Jagannath Temple History

The First evidence of the construction of this World Famous Temple is found in the Vanparva of the epic Mahabharata of the country. It is said that first of all, Sabar Adivasi Vishwavasu worshiped him in the form of Neelmadhav. Even today there are many servants in the temples of Puri, who are known as Daitapatis.

Established in Puri, this temple was built in the 7th century by the Kalinga king Ananthavarman Chodaganga Dev. The Jagmohan and Vimana parts of the temple were built during his reign (1078-1148). The Afghan general Kala Pahad attacked Odisha and destroyed the idols and parts of the temple and the worship was stopped.

Temple has been demolished 3 times. In 1197, Odia ruler Ananga Bhimdev got it renovated and gave the temple its present form. In 1558, the Afghan general Kala Pahad attacked Odisha and caused great damage to the temple and stopped the worship. Later, after Ramchandra Deb established an independent kingdom at Khurda, the temple and its idols were restored. Around 30 small and big temples are established around the main temple.

Jagannath Temple Interesting Facts

1. Built in Puri, this grand temple is covered over an area of about 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) and is surrounded by boundary walls.
2. Built in the Kalinga style of architecture and sculpture, this temple is one of the grandest monuments in India.
3. The main Temple is of curvilinear shape, the upper part of the temple is adorned with the Sudarshan Chakra (wheel of eight saws) of Lord Vishnu, also known as Nilachakra.
4. The Sudarshan Chakra is made up of Ashtadhatu, which is considered very sacred and sacred.
5. The main building of the temple is constructed on a 214 ft (65 m) high stone platform.
6. The Idols of the main deities Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra are installed on a stone-plated stone platform in the inner sanctum inside the temple.
7. The main marhi (building) of the temple is surrounded by a 20 ft (6.1 m) high wall and another wall encloses the main temple.
8. A beautiful 16-sided monolithic pillar (pillar) is situated just in front of the main entrance of the temple. Its gate is guarded by two lions.
9. This Temple holds special significance for the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect. The temple is associated with Vaishnava traditions and the saint Ramananda.
10. A flag is situated on the top of the temple, which always flutters in the opposite direction of the wind.
11. For the last 1800 years, a priest of the temple has climbed the 215 feet (65 m) high peak and changed the flag daily.
12. The main dome of the temple is built in such a way that its shadow does not appear on the ground even once during the day.
13. The kitchen of Jagannath Temple is known as the largest kitchen in India. In this huge kitchen, 500 cooks and their 300 assistants work to prepare the Mahaprasad that is offered to the Lord.
14. In the Kitchen of the temple, 7 utensils are placed on top of each other to cook the prasad. This prasad is cooked on wood in earthen pots. During this, the dish of the vessel placed on the top is first cooked, then the prasad is cooked one after the other from the bottom.
15. Many annual festivals are also held here, but the annual Rath Yatra festival held in the month of June or July of the temple is famous all over the world. In this, three different grand and decorated Rath Yatras of the three main deities of the temple, Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Balarama and sister Subhadra are taken out.
16. Often in sea Areas, during the day the wind flows from the sea to the earth, while in the evening the flow is from the earth to the sea, but here the Maya of Lord Jagannath reverses it and during the day from the earth to the sea and In the evening, the wind blows from the sea to the earth.
17. In June 2018, the Odisha government replaced Pradeep Kumar Jena, chief administrator of the Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTS), and appointed PK Mohapatra in his place. The headman's reshuffle in the temple was done because of the loss of the keys to the inner chamber of his Ratnabhandar.
18. Only people of the Hindu sect can enter the temple, entry of non-Hindu people in the temple is strictly prohibited.