Ancient India was able to become the most attractive culture in the world, and people used to travel a long way to India to learn about all the tremendous things that had been discovered and invented here. India has possibly had the most creative civilisation that ever existed. Innovation and creativity have real value in the marketplace. Creativity was one of the greatest gifts to the world by our sanatani ancestors even before thousand years.
Puri is one of the Char Dhams (four holy sacred Hindu pilgrimage places). It is also one of the 52 Shaktipeeth, Mata Bimala Devi sitting here and second largest Indian Saiva khetra (more than 200 Shiva temple around city) after Indian city Kashi and hence Aranapurna Bhandar (big kitchen) available in this two cities (Kashi and Puri). It is also one of the saptapuri seven holy cities /khetras in India and one of best tirtha out of all 108 best hindu holy place in India because the salagram travels though sea way from Soumnath (west) to Puri (east) before King Indradyuna and which was related to NeelMadhav and Savar king story. The other name of Puri is MartyaBaikuntha in Kaliyuga because of all in one place best of all tirthas and all khetras. Puri is considered extremely auspicious (all in one) to visit for Hindus with respect to the other Dhams Badrinath (in Uttarakhand), Dwarka (in Gujarat) and Rameswaram (in Tamil Nadu) or any 12 jyotirlings or 52 Shaktipeeths or seven Khetras / saptapuri or any tirthas.
Located 60 km from Odisha’s capital city of Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of India. The Jagannath Dham (seat of the Lord of the Universe) is the oldest and most significant holy place to visit in Hinduism World. It is said of Char Dham that Lord Vishnu bathes as Rameswaram, gets dressed and anointed at Dwarka, meditates at Badrinath and dines / rest at Puri. Hence a great deal of importance is given to the Mahaprasad here. It is treated as Anna Brahma (Anna means food and Brahma means the all-pervading soul, the universal life force, of the God). Thousands of devotees gather for the Mahaprasad on auspicious occasions.
Puri is a Municipality city with 32 wards now. Puri district is full of forests and natural beauty coastal beach of Bay of Bengal. It is the land of eternal peace. Equality, fraternity and brotherhood form a current and flow unimpeded in the stream of life of the nation. Odia cult is based on Jagannath bhajan, odissi, poetry, novels, prose, pala/ plays, culture, Puri is huge odia speaking population with mixed Telugu and Bengali speaking people (5 languages speaking city) and Shri Jagannath everything thats required in a place which can be center of Hindu attention. No other culture in the world has given so much importance to universal brotherhood. From time immemorial, the holy land of Jagannath has preached the ideals of peace, brotherhood, non-violence and kindness. These are the great contributions of this land to the Indian civilization. Puri had been invaded and plundered for eighteen times by Muslims in the annals of history like Somnath temple.
Adi Shankaracharya
The Sanatana Dharma is eternal and cannot be destroyed. It has been seen that in the course of our history saints came in to protect the dharma and re-established it. Adi Shankaracharya travelled widely within India. Adi Shankaracharya set up 10 monastic orders in India to save Hindusium and to define Artha kaam Dharma Mokhya and connection with char Vedas according to Skanda Purana, Tirtha system is one of them: 1) Tirtha, 2) Ashrama, 3) Vana, 4) Aranya, 5) Giri, 6) Parvata, 7) Sagara, 8) Saraswati, 9) Bharati 10) Puri. In india 108 hindu Sthawar tirthas available including 4 dhams, 12 jyotirlingas, 52 Shaktipeeth, 7 khetras /Saptapuri and other tirthas. Tirtha are of three kinds,
(a) Jangam Tirtha is to a place movable, of a sadhu, a rishi, a guru,
(b) Sthawar Tirtha is to a place immovable, like Benaras, Hardwar, Mount Kailash, holy rivers,
(c) Manas Tirtha is to a place of mind, of truth, charity, patience, compassion, soft speech, soul.
The Char Dham defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of two Vaishnavite, one Shaivite, and one mixed site. Geographically the Char Dham makes a perfect square with Badrinath and Rameswaram falling on the same longitude and Dwarka and Puri on the same latitude, representing the farthest north, east, west, and south points of India and four pillars at the time of Adi Shankara. During his extensive tour throughout India, he also established Mathas in those four places dedicated to the research and preservation of four Vedas. Jyotir Matha as an example at Badrinath, was assigned the task of maintaining and preserving of Atharv Veda. Sharada Matha at Dwaraka was assigned the task of maintaining and preserving the Sam Veda. Sringeri Matha at Sringeri hills in the South India was assigned the task of Yajur Veda and Govardhan Matha at Puri (was assigned the task of Rig Veda) where he appointed his disciple Padmapadacharya as the first head (present Puri Shankarachaya is 144th Padmapadacharya since then).
When Adi Shankaracharya visited Puri, (Odisha name was Kalinga / Utkal ) with his disciples to worship Lord of Universe, they found lord was not there at that time in Sri Mandir (not the present temple you see, this temple build after 200 years from Adi Sankar). They got to know that due to the nonhindu invader's attack on Sri Mandir the idols of the deities were hidden somewhere in a secret place as that incident passed 144 years. So, no one actually knows the place. He by using his inner eyes (power of meditation) found the exact place (Sonpur) where the idols of the deities were buried / kept in “Paatali” in order to save the idols from invaders. In the past, it has been seen that Islamic invaders have come and tried to demolish hinduism / religious establishment of Bharat. The Adi Shankaracharya informed this to the Gajapati King (during 10th century time), and the idols were recovered and again placed in the temple. Since then, the temple rituals are done as per the Shankaracharya’s guidelines (Rigveda). The Adi Shankaracharya introduced the ritualistic procedure according to Rig Veda in the temple (four Vedas = four dham).
From Rigveda; Tantra as a part which expands (vipula) on matters relating to essence (arthan) of philosophy (tattva) and mantra that help to attain liberation. Tattva is the study of the Absolute principle. Tantra brings the realization of tattva (tat=That) within ones experience, with the help of Mantra-Sadhana. Tantra is therefore an intuitional wisdom that liberates. At the same time, it is said, devotion and complete surrender is the secret of Tantra Sadhana. And, it is characterized by high regard, implicit obedience and unquestioned faith. Thousand years before our ancestors know about Kamasutra (84 vers) and display outer wall of all Kalinga Culture (the Rigveda Culture) you can see Puri Jagannath temple, Bhubaneswar Lingaraj Temple, Konark Sun Temple and Jajpur Biraja Temple.
History (before Adi Sankara times)
Legendary account as found in the Skanda-Purana, Brahma Purana and later research say that Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Lord Neela Madhav by a Savar king (tribal chief ) named Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity, King Indradyumna (who ruled over Avanti region ) sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity, who was worshipped secretly in a dense forest by Viswavasu, according to the Mahabharata and the Puranas. 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 Lord Neela Madhav 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 (Odisha) on a pilgrimage to see and worship the Deity. But the deity had disappeared/ hidden in sand. . The king was disappointed and 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 magnificent temple for Vishnu. 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.
Nabakaleber
Acording to Puranas and Mahabharat, it was in Gujarat near Someshwar jyotirlinga, when Arjuna was cremating Krishna's body the heart was incapable of being consumed by the fire, so Arjuna threw it in the sea, and the heart now resides within the idol of the Puri Jagannath Temple as Salagram. Since the idols are made from wood, they’re subject to decay over time and need to be replaced. This is done once every eight to nineteen years. The ceremony of replacement of the images is known as Nava Kalevara, the periodical renewal of the wooden images of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan symbolizes reincarnation with the creation of new images and destruction of the old ones. It takes place once every nineteen years when the Hindu month of Ashadha is followed by another month of Ashadha (dual Ashadha). The last Nabakalebara ceremony was performed in June 2015. Prior to it was in 1996. The four neem trees that would be used for making the new idols of Jagannath and his siblings need to have certain qualities of trees and must also bear holy symbols as shankha (conch shell), chakra (wheel), gada (mace) and padma (lotus) the mystery of nature.
Spiritual Connection and Hinduism
Jagath(world) + Nath (lord). Jagat is the spinal cord consisting of various Chakras starting from Muladhara Chakra up to Ajna Chakra and Natha is the Supreme Soul of the Crown Chakra, Sahasrara. The Yogic way in order to realize Lord Jagannath has to start the spiritual journey from the root chakra to the crown chakra raising the Kundalini to the Sahasrara where Lord Jagannath is placed on the Ratna Simhasana.
आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु।
बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रगहमेव च॥
The same philosophical interpretation with a little difference is found in the Katha Upanishad, “Our body is the chariot and our very Self or soul is its charioteer, intellect is its driver, the mind is its reins, the sense organs are the horses pulling the chariot. Through Yogic practices this chariot will start its spiritual journey towards Paramatma, where lies the Parama Dhama, the abode of ever blissful state. Lord Shri Ram had 12 kalas, Shri Krishna had 16 and Jagannath, the Lord of the World, and it is Lord Vishnu, the protector of the Universe with 64 kalas who is Bhairav of Mata Bimala Devi (Bhairavi with 64kalas). Lord Vishnu took the form of Jagannath in the 11 th century, Adi Shankaracharya times to give an opportunity for the people of this Kaliyug to do service to His Lotus feet, and thus to wash away few of our sins. Actually according to Skanda Purana, Odia Mahabharata and Manika Panjika, it is mentioned that Lord Jagannath is the 9th Avatar of Lord Vishnu instead of Gautam Buddha.
The culture of a nation is reflected in its festivals. We are proud of our motherland and we love and respect our mother tongue ODIA. Odia culture is reflected in the festivals celebrated like World famous Rath Yatra. We still have a lot of good people trying to do good and stay on the path of righteousness. When there is complete anarchy and the evil will feel that it has no opposition, then Lord Kalki will come. All the avatars of Vishnu came to save mankind; the Mother Earth. Kaliyug is mainly ruled by rahu who is karak of material world or illusion world along with ketu (the spiritual). Lord Jagannath (illusions master of the world) is the most mysterious and controller of Rahu and ketu.
Mythological Cultural History
It is mentioned in the Skandapurana that this holy place even Muni Narada and Pandavas know where will be next rest place of the God in Kaliyuga (Muni aksed once to Krishna about next Kaliyug Darsan). The place is the holiest among the holy places of the world and the Lord Jagannath is the greatest among the deities. Odisha is the land of Lord Jagannath. People in this state treat him as the eldest member of the family. All auspicious events are launched by first invoking his blessings. His synonym is Purusottam, so his abode Puri is known as Purusottam Kshetra.
The holy land of Odisha is divided into four kshetras as per Rigveda. These kshetras are named after the four names of weapons of Lord Vishnu such as sankha (conch shell), chakra (disc), gada (mace) and padma (lotus). Puri Dham is known as Sankha Kshetra. Bhubaneswar is Chakra Kshetra, Jajpura is Gada Kshetra, and Konark is Padma Kshetra. Sankha or conch shell is one of the Aiyudhas of Lord Vishnu, who resides in the naval or the central part of the Conch shell (salagram) in the form of Lord Jagannath. The geographical size of Puri resembles a right oriented conch shell, the ‘Dakshinavarta Sankha’, which is why it is also called the Sankha Kshetra. The Sankha Kshetra covers an area of 10 miles, out of which nearly 40% is submerged under water and the other part which lies above water is of the shape of a conch shell or Sankha. The sacred section of puri looks like a conch shell and it is in this section that all the sacred centres like temples, mathas, sacred tanks, old trees and various other sacred sites are located.
Puri is named after demon Shankhasura who was killed by Lord Vishnu. Shankhasura was born from the sweat of demon Madhu. Vishnu killed Madhu when he was on the verge of killing Brahma. Shankhasura wanted to avenge Madhu’s death. He pleased Shiva by his penance and learned Tantra from him. While he was learning Tantra he could hear the recitation of veda. Rishi Yagnavalkya was learning Yajur veda from Brahma at the moment. Shankhasura wanted to learn the recitation and he asked Shiva for the source. Shiva instructed him to go to Brahma to learn the Vedamantra. But Brahma had already distributed the four Vedas among his disciples, so Brahma refused to teach him Vedamantra.
Shankhasura was enraged and he took away the four Vedas from the disciples forcibly and hid them in the sea. Lord Vishnu took on the incarnation of “Meen” to search for the demon. The demon hid in the Kalpa Vriksha inside the present temple. Lord Vishnu tried to kill the demon. The demon hid in a conch. Vishnu used teh Sudarshan chakra but the hard conch diverted the chakra. FinallyVishnu killed the demon with his Brahmastra. Shiva was furious at the death of his disciple. The assembled gods pleased Shiva by singing “Vedasara Staba” (glories of Shiva). He requested Vishnu to name the place as Shankha kshetra after the name of Shankhasura. The proposal was accepted and the place was named as “Shankha kshetra”.
According to legends, when Goddess Lakshmi in her Tulshi incarnate was meditating in the Char Dham, Lord Vishnu had slaughtered the demon Shankhasura. To ensure that Goddess Lakshmi doesn’t have to recall the gruesome incident the blowing of the Conch is prohibited in Puri temple. Then, according to another legend when the great sage Agastya was slaughtering the demons in Kedarnath, two demons Vatapi and Atapi managed to escape the carnage. The demon Atapi took refuge in the Mandakani river, while Vatapi choose the Conch to save his life. It is believed that if someone blows the Conch, then the Vatapi demon would come out of the Conch.
Glorious Architecture and Structural Details
The huge temple complex covers an area of over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) and is surrounded by a high fortified wall. This 20 feet (6.1 m) high wall is known as Meghanada Pacheri. Another wall known as kurma bedha surrounds the main temple. It contains at least 100 temples and shrines. With its sculptural richness and fluidity of the Odia style of temple architecture, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India.
In front of the main gate stands an eleven-metre tall monolithic pillar known as Aruna Stambha, dedicated to Aruna the charioteer of Surya, the Sun-god, it used to be part of the world-renowned Sun Temple in Konark till the last quarter of the 18th century, the pillar was brought here by a Maratha sage. From the main gate, a flight of twenty-two steps leads to the temple’s inner courtyard. These twenty-two steps or Baisi Pahaca, are revered by devotees but their significance described in connecting article. Inside, to the left is the temple’s sprawling kitchen area where the Mahaprasad prepared and to the right, the Ananda Bazaar, where the Mahaprasad is sold to the devotees.
The temple has four distinct sectional structures, namely – 1. Deula, Vimana or Garba griha (Sanctum sanctorum) where the triad deities are lodged on the ratnavedi (Throne of Pearls). In Rekha Deula style; 2. Mukhashala (Frontal porch); 3. Nata mandir/Natamandapa, which is also known as the Jagamohan (Audience Hall/Dancing Hall), and 4. Bhoga Mandapa (Offerings Hall)
The main temple is a curvilinear temple and crowning the top is the ‘srichakra’ (an eight-spoked wheel) of Vishnu. Among the existing temples in Orissa, the temple of Shri Jagannath is the highest. The temple tower was built on a raised platform of stone and, rising to 214 feet (65 m) above the inner sanctum where the deities reside, dominates the surrounding landscape. The pyramidal roofs of the surrounding temples and adjoining halls, or mandapas, rise in steps toward the tower like a ridge of mountain peaks. Vimana : The imposing structure consists of the Vimana, Jagamohana, Natamandira and Bhogamandapa. The last two structures were, perhaps, constructed during the Suryavamsi Gajapati rule.
The Vimana of the temple stands at a lofty height of 214 ft. and 8 inches and a square of 80 ft. The figures in the Vimana are the proofs of the developed art of Kalinga. Among those, the figures of Astadikpa/a lion standing over crouching elephants, the figure of adult Krishna, the procession of horses and elephants, various social-cultural scene, erotic panels etc. The Vimana has been constructed in a Pancharatha plan. Jagamohana : The Jagamohana of the temple like that Vimana follows a Pancharatha style. The roof of this structure is amply supported by several iron beams. Its height is 120 ft. The Natyamandira of the temple is pyramidal in form. It is a square room measuring 69 ft x 67 ft. inside and the outside measurement of it is a square of 80 ft.
Natamandira and Bhogamandapa : The Natyamandira depicts the story of the Kanchi-Kaveri expedition which most probably found a place there during the glorious reign of Gajapati Purusottamadeva. Like Natyamandira, the Bhogamandapa is a pyramidal structure measuring 58 ft. x 56 ft. The sculptures in this structure depict mainly stories related with Sri Krishna’s life.
Nilachakra : The Nila Chakra (Blue Discus) is the discus mounted on the top Shikhar of the Jagannath Temple. As per custom, every day a different flag is waved on the Nila Chakra. The flag hoisted on the Nila Chakra is called the Patita Pavana (Purifier of the Fallen) and is equivalent to the image of the deities placed in the sanctum sanctorum. The Nila Chakra is a disc with eight Navagunjaras carved on the outer circumference, with all facing towards the flagpost above. It is made of an alloy of eight metals (Asta-dhatu) and is 3.5 Metres (11 feet and 8 inches) high with a circumference of about 11 metres (36 feet). The Nila Chakra is distinct from the Sudarshana chakra which has been placed with the deities in the inner sanctum. Nila Chakra is the most revered iconic symbol in the Jagannath cult. The Nila Chakra is the only physical object whose markings are used as a sacrament and considered sacred in Jagannath worship. It symbolizes protection by Shri Jagannath.
Outer-walls and Doorways : The entire Jagannath temple is surrounded by an outer wall known as the Meghanada Prachira. The eastern gate is popularly known as Singhadwara. On either side of the entrance, the figure of a big crouching lion with a crown on the head is found. Two robust figures, Jaya and Vijaya are found on the pilasters of that door. This gate is famous among the pilgrims as Jaya Vijaya dwara. This gate is the main entrance to the temple. This gate contains the images of Patitapabana, Ganesha, Hanuman etc. In front of the gate is Aruna Stambha (the Surya pillar) which was brought from Konarka and installed there during the Maratha rule. The southern gate or Aswadwara comes next in order of importance. The gate is so named because two big horses (one black and another white) with their riders (Balabhadra and Jagannath respectively) are found on the pilaster of that door. The last entrance gate to the temple of God Jagannath is known as the Vyaghradwara. It is due to the presence of two big tiger images there. Their presence gives a grandiose look to the gate.
Outer-enclosure after Hastidwara : The outer enclosure, after the Hastidwara is significant with the presence of the shrines of Sitala, Uttarayani, Hanumana, Somanatha, Dhavalesvara and Patalesvara. Four epigraphs of the famous Ganga monarch Anangabhimadeva III found in the Patalesvara temple describe the rituals of the Jagannath temple. There are many Mandaps (or pillared halls on raised platforms) within the temple precincts for religious congregations.
The prominent ones are: Mukti Mandap, the seat for the most learned scholars who meet here to take important decisions related to rituals of the temple; Dol Mandap, which houses a beautifully carved stone arch used for constructing a swing for the annual Dol Yatra festival; and Snana Bedi, a rectangular stone platform where the annual bathing ritual of the wooden deities takes place. There are three natural water sources within the temple enclosure: Rohini Kunda, whose water is strewn on devotees for purification; Rosa kupa and Jalakrida Mandapa, where all ceremonial bathing of the deities is conducted. You can see Kashi Viswanath, then comes Shri Ganesh, Mahavir Hanuman, Shri Satyanarayan, Kalpa Vriksha, Shri Bata Ganesha, Rohini Kunda, Maa Bimala, Sakhi Gopinath, Kanchi Ganesh, Maa Saraswati, Maa Gayatri, Maa Bhubaneswari, Maa Bedha Kali, Maa Lakshmi, Shri Nabagraha, Shri Rama Chandra, Shri Aishaneshwar and the main temple of Lord Jagannath.
Mukti Mandapa has existed as long as the temple. It gained prominence during the Gajapati rule where 16 villages of Bramhana were established called the Shohala Sasana. The bramhins from these 16 villages have always had a seat in the Mukti mandapa. It used to be a seat of Bramhana authority but nowadays it only exists as a symbol of a bygone era.
Mahaprasad
Entering the temple from the main gate, to the left is the temple’s sprawling kitchen complex of around 44,000 square feet. This is where Jagannath’s Mahaprasad (temple food offering) is prepared and offered to the Lord six times a day, the most awaited being at around 1pm. The Mahaprasad is a very elaborate affair with 56 varieties of dishes made in the course of the day. These consist of rice, dal (pulses), vegetables and sweets. The food is pure vegetarian without onions and garlic. It is cooked in accordance with prescribed procedures and is offered first to Jagannath and then to Devi Bimala after which it becomes Mahaprasad.
The Rosasala or the kitchen of Lord Jagannath is regarded as the greatest kitchen in the world. Here, rice and vegetables are cooked simultaneously by earthen pots kept over one another. The cooked rice and curry are offered to God as Bhoga which becomes Mahaprasada after the offering is made. The temple’s kitchen is said to be the largest in the world. As per tradition, it is supervised by Mahalakshmi, the divine consort of Vishnu. It has a daily capacity of cooking for 100,000 devotees within 2-3 hours. The process of preparation is hygienic. Food is cooked only in earthen pots and on firewood only. The earthen pots are kept on each other up to 5-7 layars and cooked on firewood. In this process the contents in the top pot get cooked first and then the bottom one. Furthermore, the pots provide amazing heat retention and food stored in them stays piping hot for 4-5 hours. Around 700 temple cooks are preparing the Mahaprasad. Fruits, vegetables and even spices are used following a set standard which has remained constant over the past centuries. On an average, food is prepared for 20,000 people but on special occasions the number crosses 50,000. Mahaprasad is offered every day except during the 21 days preceding the annual Rath Yatra festival.
Ananda Bazaar: After visiting the main temple, devotees proceed to Ananda Bazar, the market area where Mahaprasad and other offerings made to the deities are available for sale. It is located to the right within the kitchen enclosure. Ananda Bazaar is popularly called the biggest open-air eatery in the world, where every day thousands of devotees purchase and eat together irrespective of their caste, creed and status. Most of the residents in and around Puri depend upon this Mahaprasad to entertain their guests during social functions such as thread ceremony and weddings. It is considered very auspicious to have Mahaprasad in the temple. Still, it can also be packed. And there are numerous sweet stalls selling dry Mahaprasad which is popular with tourists to carry home as it can last for some days. While the consort of Lord Jagannath is Goddess Bimala / Mata Durga, it is also believed that Bimala Temple is one of 52 Shaktipithas in India, where remains of Mata Sati fell during Shiva Tandava. The daily offerings to Lord Jagannath becomes Mahaprasad only after these are offered to Mata Bimala.
Annual Rath Yatra Festival
One of the most popular and significant festivals of the Jagannatha Temple of Puri is its annual Rath Yatra, the country’s only Hindu festival in which the images of the deities are taken out of the temple. The Rath Yatra is a ten-day chariot festival commemorating the annual visit of Jagannath to his birthplace, Gundicha Temple, and to his maternal aunt’s place, Mausi Maa temple, along with his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra. On his journey, he is also accompanied by the celestial wheel, Sudarshan Chakra. Every year, during the Hindu month of Aashaadha, the images are carried in towering temple-design raths (chariots) around the city’s main street Bada Danda in what is Odisha’s biggest and most iconic festival.
They travel 3km grand road to the Gundicha Temple and remain there for nine days before returning via the Mausi Ma temple in the same manner. The grand raths are specially new wooden made each year for the deities and are pulled by devotees for the entire distance. These huge chariots are approximately 45 feet high and it takes about two months to construct them. Construction of the raths always commences on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya (in April or May). The temple’s Chandan Yatra (Sandalwood Journey), a 42-day festival begins on this day too.
The logs of wood (of specified trees) for the chariots are provided free of cost by the state government. These are delivered to the temple on the day of the Hindu spring festival, Vasant Panchami (in January or February), also the birthday of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge. The cutting of the logs to the required sizes starts on Ram Navami (in March or April), the birthday of Lord Rama. Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is one of the largest festivals of India. Now it is not just limited to the borders of our nation but it is hugely celebrated outside India also. Iconic cities of the world like San Francisco, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo and even the remote corners of Russia celebrate Rath Yatra in its full glory.
All these instances show that Sanatan Dharma can easily be adapted and people all over the world are getting attracted to Sanatan Dharma is the proof of this. The Odias think and believe that Jagannath is Purana Brahman Rama and Krishna all, are His incarnations, His dwelling place, Purushotama Puri is eternal known as Martyavaikuntha. Sri Jagannath culture connects and unifies the cultures of the past, the present and the future. In the cultural world, Sri Jagannath is a bright illuminating star. The greatness of Nilachala, the holy abode of the Lord. According to him in the pond of India Chilika, Utkal is an attractive Lotus flower and Nilachaladhama is the filament of this lotus flower where the Lord is enshrined. Read more about Rath Yatra :
Snana Yatra is one of the most important rituals before the Rath Yatra. It takes place on Purnima (Full Moon Day) of Jyeshta month. The three deities are brought out of the inner sanctum to the stone platform, Snana Bedi, where they are given a ceremonial bath. After this ritual, the three deities are taken to a secret altar in the temple where they remain for the next 15 days, away from public view. They are looked after by the Daitapatis, who are tribal descendants and play a major role in all the temple rituals. No food offerings are made to the deities during this period. The visiting devotees pay obeisance to the images of the deities on cloth painting called Pattachitra especially made for this purpose and placed on the Ratnavedi. The first glimpse of the deities can be had when they are placed on the Ratnavedi on Amavasya (New Moon Day) of Jyestha month just before the Rath Yatra.
Bhakti Movements: Salabeg’s literary contributions also came at a time when the Bhakti movement in India had reached its pinnacle. This movement saw the emergence of poets and writers like Chaitanya, Jagannath Das and panchasakha, Tukaram, Nanak, Mirabai and Tulsidas among many others. “The 15 to17th-century Bhakti literature was an attempt at reaching out to God without the inter-mediation of priests. According to local folklore, Salabeg began writing his bhajans in praise of Jagannath after his supplications were answered by the Lord. The story as: “On the day of the car(t) festival, Nandighosha, the car(t) of Jagannath, on its way back to Srimandira, did not move and remained static till the arrival of Salabeg at Puri.” As the legend goes, after getting a glimpse of Lord Jagannath, Salabeg started living in Puri and composed his ‘bhajans‘ while living at the same place for the rest of his life.
The temple opens every day at 5am with a Mangal Aarati (early morning prayer) after which more than 20 different rituals are performed till midnight. These rituals reflect the daily routine. When rituals are going on, devotees have to take a glimpse of the deities from the Mukhsala. Unlike at other renowned temples, devotees are allowed to go right near front to the deities. This happens for free, during Sahana Mela or public darshan which starts after the end of Abakasha Pooja which is held between 6am-7am.
Since non-Hindus are forbidden to enter the temple, they can partake in the Mahaprasad through the priest associated with their hotels. Every hotel in Puri has one or more associate priest called ‘Panda’. Non-Hindus can also view the temple from outside. It is said that the reason behind forbidding their entry is that the temple is the holy seat of Jagannath and of immense significance. The temple is closed for non-Hindus. Yet, the cult of Jagannath invites the curiosity of scholars across the world. The annual Rath Yatra festival gave them the opportunity to view the deities as they were brought out from the temple premises and were carried in richly-decorated wooden chariots to be pulled through the streets of Puri in a massive ceremonial procession. Its origin and evolution has remained a mystery and a widely studied subject / research topic.
Over the centuries, the temple attracted numerous renowned religious teachers of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion, visited the temple in 1505. However, Buddhist and Jain groups of Indian origin are allowed inside the temple compound. Past attacks on the temple by Muslims are also cited as one of the reasons. The temple, considered the richest in eastern India. For devotees interested in learning more about Jagannath, there is a small museum called Niladri Vihar. Being an important pilgrimage place, tight security is maintained at the temple. Cameras and mobiles are not allowed inside. A safe-keeping facility is provided near the main entrance to deposit these along with leather items and other belongings.
Kanapata Hanuman; is located on the western gate of Jagannatha Temple (Vyaghra dvara). After marrying Laxmi devi who is the daughter of the ocean, the Lord became the son-in-law of the ocean . During the night the waves of the ocean make a loud sound that is heard all over Puri. One time this sound entered Jagannatha’s temple, thus disturbing the Lord’s sleep. Lord Jagannatha ordered Samudra not to make any sound which might disturb Him. Since then, the sound of Samudra crashing on the beach never again entered Jagannatha’s Temple. Lord Jagannatha engaged His devotee Hanuman to stand at the south gate and listen attentively and ensure the sound never entered the mandira. “Kanapata” means to engage the ears (kana) for hearing. Thus Hanuman is known here as Kanapata Hanuman.
Saradha Bali: There existed a river named Saradha in the middle of Bada Danda (Grand road, now medical chock). It is very interesting to know existence of such a river which also validated by various ancient texts and Madala Panji as well. The river is believed to be at least 84 meter wide bisecting puri town. Saradha river is described in ancient literature like Skanda Purana, Brahma Purana and Kapila Samhita also in Madala Panji (an official chronicle of the Jagannath temple) since the early part of 19th century, refers to the existence of a river in between the Jagannath Temple and Gundicha Temple, cutting across the present-day Grand Road between the two temples. According to these texts, six chariots were used during the Ratha Yatra (car festival), three on each side of the river channel, to carry the idols on either side of the river. Another folklore refers to Lord Jagannath appearing in the dream of Saradha Devi, wife of Puri Gajapati Narasingha Dev, and instructing her to close the river by filling it with sand in order to make the Ratha yatra smoother. The geography of Puri has changed but we have preserved our beloved Jagannath temple.
Alarnath Temple is situated in Brahmagiri, which is about 23 km from Puri. Legends say that 15 days before rath yatra jagannath darshan not possible hence peoples visit Alarnath. Actually the motive of Lord Jagannath is to bring Peace among people and show that God is neither doesn't have any shape nor has any shape. Now it is up to the devotees to interpret with their own views.
Inside the Temple: Continue reading (translation may require)
Authored by Dr Anadi Sahoo
