One of the holiest and sacred Jagannath Temples in India is the glorious Jagannath temple in the archaic city of Puri. It is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Balaram and Goddess Subhadra. It is an extremely important and auspicious pilgrim place for the devotees and is one of the four dhams that makes up the Char Dham. We all know that deities and idols are usually made up of stone or metal. But, in Puri, they carve out the idols out of neem wood. Also, these idols disintegrate themselves. King Anantavarman was the mind behind this temple. Many people from across the world come every day for theJagannath Temple Darshan Tour. Continue reading this blog for information on this enchanting temple.
History Of Jagannath Temple:
The temple came to existence in the year 1161. This makes the temple almost 900 years old. This glorious temple is very popular for the annual celebrations of Rath Yatra. Legend has it that people found the original image of Lord Jagannath near a banyan tree in the form of a blue jewel. At that time, it was the belief of devotees that this striking bluestone will bequest instant redemption. This was the reason, Dharma and Yama did its burial. Years later, the popular King Indradyumna and Malwa took it upon themselves to find that picture. Later, as per Lord Vishnu’s instruction, he went to the Puri seashore and carved an image out of a floating log.
Interesting Facts About The Temple Of Lord Jagannath:
Here are some significant facts on the Jagannath Temple.
- The flag: The flag on the temple flows in the opposite direction of the wind. No one has been able to explain it to date.
- The daily activity: A priest climbs up the 45 storey wall everyday and changes the flag with bare hands without any protective gear. There is a popular belief which goes that if they do not change the flag daily, the temple will shut down for eighteen years.
- Shadow-less: According to facts, they say that the temple has no shadows from any direction or any corner. No matter where you go, you won’t be able to find a single shadow of the temple. Is it an architectural wonder, or is it something divine?
- The Sudarshan Chakra: The first surprising factor is how the hard metal, which weighs about a tonne, just got up without the help of any machinery and only with human force in that century. Another amazing fact is about the direction of Sudarshan Chakra. It looks the same from every direction you look.
- Nothing flies above the temple: We see birds flying above our heads and rooftops all the time. But, you cannot find a single bird flying above this holy place.
- There’s no wastage of food: A total number of 50,000-2,00,000 people visit the temple everyday and as a result the prasad made in the temple is never wasted. Devotees devour every bit of it with salvation.
- Waves are inaudible: The moment you keep your feet inside the temple and enter from the Singha Dwara door, you won’t be able to listen to the sound of waves. You will again find it once you leave the temple.
- Reverse breeze flow: The land breeze usually blows during the daytime, and the sea breeze blows during the night time. But, the opposite happens in Puri. There have also been no scientific reasons behind it.
- The cooking technique: It is amazing that only the priests know the traditional way to cook the Parsadam. They place seven pots on top of another and they use firewood to cook them. Surprisingly, the pot that is on top cooks first, and then the rest cooks from top to bottom.
- The Rath Yatra: The Rath Yatra is the famous annual event. During this festival, the idols are taken outside the temple on two sets of carriages (3 each). The first carriage takes the gods and goddess till the water field, which acts as the boundary between the Jagannath Temple and Mausi Maa temple. The idols are carried in 3 boats to cross the river after that, Now the second carriage comes in and takes them from the river to the Mausi Maa Temple where the rituals are held.
This is a small brief about the stunning Jagannath temple of Puri. If you want to visit Puri and you are looking for suitable packages then check out the website of My Tirth India. They have the best packages for the Jagannath Temple darshan package at an affordable range with every convenience. Check out their website for more information.