Jagannath Temple Puri
On a tour to Puri, you will get to visit numerous attractive holy places in Puri. Jagannath Temple is not only an important Holy place in Puri but the whole of Orissa. It is considered as one of the most important char dhama in India. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The Jagannath Temple in Puri, India is held in high esteem by all the Hindus. It is an important pilgrimage destination in the city. The specialty of this temple is that the deities of Jagannath, Shuvodra and Balabhadra are made of wood. It is also famous for its kitchen or madapalli. This kitchen prepares food for Perumal. It feeds countless devotees every day. However during the festival period, the number of devotees increases to around 100,000.
History of Jagannath Temple Puri
In the 12th century, Puri's Jagannath Temple was built by Raja Ananta Varman Chodaganga Dev. Till 1558 this temple was run and maintained by the Hindu rulers. Later, Orissa was captured by the Afghan Nawab of Bengal and the Afgan General 'Kalapahad' attacked this temple. Further, Ramachandra Deb who established an independent kingdom called Khurda assumed the responsibility of the temple. He replaced the deities here. He continued with the management of the temple till 1760 as he paid respect to both the Mughals and Marhatas. Again, Marathas took the direct charge of the temple and managed it till 1803. However, in 1803 when British joined Orissa into British Empire they allowed Puri Raja to run the management of the temple. This status remained into existence till 1947.
Description of Jagannath Temple Puri
Jagannath Temple in Puri is around 62 km from Bhubaneshwar. The main temple which rises up to 65 meters in height is perched on a raised platform. Within this temple premises, you will also come across small temples dedicated to Goddess Vimla, Laxmi and Vishnu. There is a market called Ananda Bazar which is counted among the largest food market of the world.
The Jagannath Temple enshrines the images of Lord Vishnu, elder brother of Lord known as Balabhadra and younger sister Suvadra. You will notice that the image of the lord Vishnu depicting outstretched open arms give the message of love and friendship.
The compound of the Jagannath Temple glorifies fort-style patterns. It exemplifies Kalinga architecture. The main highlights of this temple are curvilinear tower on a Five chariot plan, neel chakra or Blue wheel built of an alloy of eight individual metals called 'Asta - Dhatu', and 'Aruna Stambha' an 11 meter long pillar located in the front gate along with the image of Lord Vishnu.
This temple celebrates the festival of Ratha Yatra on grand scale when the three of the images of Lord Vishnu, Balabhadra and younger sister Suvadra are pulled in stringed chariots.
