THE LORD JAGANNATH TEMPLE DIVINE SITE ( PURI ) IN ODISHA, INDIA
The Jagannath Temple ::- This Temple Is An Important Hindu Temple Dedicated To Lord Jagannath, A Form Of Sri Krishna In Puri In The State Of Odisha On The Eastern Coast Of India. The Temple Was Built By The Ganga Dynasty King Anantavarman Chadaganga In The 12th Century CE, As Suggested By The Kendupatna Copper- Plate Inscription Of His Descendent Narsimhadeva II.
Anantavarman Was Originally A Shaivite And Became A Vaishnavite Some Time After He Conquered The Utkal Regional In Which The Temple Is Located In 1112 CE. A 1134 - 1135 CE Inscription Records His Donation To The Temple. There Fore, The Temple Construction Must Have Started Sometime After 1112 CE. The Traditional Story Concerning The Origins Of The Lord Jagannath Temple Is That Here The Original Image Of Jagannath ( A Deity Form Of Vishnu ) At The End Of Dvapara Yuga Manifested Near A Banyan Tree, Near Seashore In The Form Of An Indranilamani Or The Blue Jewel.
It Was So Dazzling That It Could Grant Instant Moksha, So The God Dhrama Or Yama wanted To Hide It In The Earth And Was Successful. In Kali Yuga King Indradyumna Of Malwa Wanted To Find That Mysterious Image And To Do So He Performed Harsh Penance To Obtain His Goal. Vishnu Then Instructed Him To Go To The Puri Seashore And Find A Floating Log To Make An Image From Its Trunk. The King Found The Log Of Wood. He Did A Yajna From Which God Yajna Narsimha Appeared And Instructed That Narayan Should Be Made As Fourfold Expansion, Paramatma As Vasudeva, His Vyuha As Sankarshana Yogamaya As Subhadra And His Vibhava As Sudarshana Viswakarma Appeared In The Form Of An Artisan And Prepared Images Of Jagannath, Balabhadra And Subhadra From The Tree.
The Temple Annals, The Madala Panji Records That The Jagannath Temple At Puri Has Been Invaded And Plundered Eighteen times. In 1692 Mughal emperor Aurangzeb Ordered To Close The Temple Until He Wanted To Reopen It Otherwise It Would Be Demolished, The Local Mughal Officials Who Come To Carry Out The Job Were Requested By The Locals And the Temple Was Merely Closed. It Was Re-Opened Only After Aurangzeb's Death After 1707. The Temple Is One Of The Holiest Vaishnava Hindu Char Dham ( Four Divine Sites) Also Including Rameswaram, Badrinath, Puri And Dwarka. The Huge Temple Complex Corers An Area Of 400,000 Square Feet And Is Surrounded By A High Fortified Wall. This 20 Feet High Wall Is Known As Meghanda Pacheri. Another Wall Known As Kurma Bedha Surrounds The Main Temple.
There Are Elaborate Daily Worship Services. There Are Many Festivals Each Year Attended By Millions Of People. The Most Important Festival Is The Rath Yatra Or The Chariot Festival In June. The Spectacular Festival Includes A Procession Of Three Huge Chariots Bearing The Idols Of Jagannath, Balabhadra And Subhadra Through The Beda Danda Meaning The Grand Avenue Of Puri Till Their Final Destination The Gundicha Temple Travel ( 3 Km).Unlike The Stone And metal Icons Found In Most Hindu Temples The Image Of Jagannath ( Which Gave Its Name To The English Term Juggernaut ) Is Made Of Wood And Is Ceremoniously Replaced Every Twelve Or 19 Years By An Exact Replica. Its One Of The Chardham Pilgrimage Sites.
How To Go ::- To Reach The Temple You Can Get Regular Bus, Taxi And Auto Services Are Available From Bhubaneswar And Railway Station At Puri (3 Km ) . Puri Is A Major Railway Junction. Regular Direct Train Services Are Available From Puri To Many Cities In India. Nearest Airport Bijupattnaik Airport At Bhubaneswar (60 Km )
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