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| Puri Temple Jagannath, Odisha, India.hindutav.com |
Lord Jagannath temple, dedicated to the Lord of the Universe, was built in the 12th century and is a unique one located in Puri, Odisha. It is an important pilgrimage center for the Hindus across India and is one of the 'Char Dhams' (four divine sites) located in all four directions of India. This temple is well-known for its grandeur, beauty, fascinating sculptures. On one's first visit, one will be struck by the majestic towers and impressive architecture of small several towers in the complex. The temple is designed to resemble a human body, symbolic of the Hindu philosophy that ''the God is not just in the temple but within every human being, every living creature''. The temple was built over its ruins by Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev(1077-1150), the ruler of Kalinga. The temple assumed its present shape under Ananga Bhima Dev in1174 AD.
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| Entrance, Jagannath Temple, Puri Odisha India dreamstime.com |
King Indradyumna (probably of the Avanti region region), the ruler of the territory, is said to have built this temple with the idols carved from a special log of wood he found on the sea shore. He sought the help of Vishwakarma (in the guise of an artist), the architect of Gods to design the idols. The lord, who himself appeared in the guise of a carpenter, agreed to carve the wooden idols on condition that there should not be any interference before completion of the idols. A couple of weeks later, driven by anxiety about the well-being of the carpenter, the queen along with king opened the door to see the carpenter at work. To their dismay, he abandoned his work, leaving the idols unfinished. The idols were devoid of hands. An astral divine voice (Assarere) told the king to install the idols in the temple.
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| god,Jagannatha, goddess subhadra and god Balabhadra imagepo.com |
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| Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha, India..orissadiary.com |
Temple worship was stopped after 1558 during the occupation of Muslim rulers of Afghan region. Later when Ramachandra Dev established an independent kingdom at Khurda in Orissa the Jagannath temple was sanctified and the deities were reinstalled.
Tradition has it, the temple administration, for centuries, have been taken care of by communities called sevayats. Gajapati, king of Puri is the first sevayat of the temple and nearly 75 sevayats look after the various temple duties such as pooja rituals, maintenance, prasada, etc., for the temple on any given day sharing different set of duties.
The presiding deity here is Lord Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), an incarnation of lord Vishnu and is worshiped along with his brother Shri Balabhadra (Balarama) and sister Subhadra Devi here. The unusual feature here is the idols are made of Neem (Margosa ) wood placed on the bejeweled platform (Ratna bedi). They are replaced by new ones as per proper temple Agama rules every two 12 years on an auspicious day with elaborate ceremony with devotion.
The Puri Temple complex is spread over a 10 acre land and is built on a mammoth raised platform. The impressive 214 tall tower has a metal wheel. There are as many as 30 small temples in addition to shrines dedicated to Maha Lakshmi, Lord Narasimha, Kanchi Ganapathy, Goddess Saraswathi and Gowri and they are around the main sanctum.
The massive area of the temple complex has four segments : Bhuj Mandir, Nata Mandir, Jagamohana and Deul. Jagannath Temple has four entrances from four directions and near the eastern gate, there is a huge pillar at the entrance known as Aruna sthamba which, it is believed, belonged to the Sun temple of Konark and was shifted to Puri. The 22 steps at the main entrance are known as Baaisi Pahachas and are replete with the Hindu spiritual significance.
Apart from Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balabhadra, Lord Subhadra the Sudarshan Chakra, deities of Sridevi, Madanmohan and Vishwadhatri are also worshiped. The temple has two huge compound walls, the outer one known as Meghanada Pracira and the inner one known as Kurma Pracira. Devotees worship Lord Shiva at Biswanath mandir; situated to the left of the Baisi Pahacha before entering the sanctum sanctorum. Inside the sanctum the wooden idols of - Jagannath , Balaram and Subhadra, are installed on the massive raised platform measuring 16 feet long, 13 feet wide and 4 feet high known as Ratnavedi or Mahavedi. As in other temples the idols are adorned with large jewels on - hira , mukta and pannais.
Jagannath Temple of Puri, Orissa - Some Amazing facts:
01. It is one of the oldest temples in India, first built in 1100s AD,
02. There is no untouchability in the temple premises. Poorest and the downtrodden can freely worship and offer the humble fare of khichadi to Lord Jagannath in earthen pots.This is the universal offering in this temple.
03. Sri Jagannath Puri Temple with high-fortified wall is spread over an area of approximately 400,000 square feet. There are at least 120 temples and shrines in the entire temple complex. Fortificaion was done in view of many raids from the Muslim rulers of Delhi centuries ago.
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| Puri, Odisha, Rath (chariots) Yartra, sudheeptnair.wordpress.com |
04. The annual famous Rath Yatra, a chariot festival in which a procession of the three main temple deities, Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra , is taken out on three beautifully decorated chariots in the months of June or July every year.
05. The entire temple complex of Jagannath uses the services of over 6,000 priests with over 14,000 people serving as the assistants and attendants of the priests. Then, there are numerous pilgrim guides who take devotees on a complete tour of the Jagannath Puri Temple.
06. Ritual chakra and flags at the top shikhara of Puri temple of Jagannatha are also related to Sudarshana Chakra. The red flag (12 or 14 Feet) denotes that Jagannath is within the building.
07.The other place that draws large crowds in the temple complex is Ananda Bazaar (The market area of Mahaprasad near 22 steps) where the bhog and delicacies are on sale.
08. This temple has the unique distinction of giving Prasad - food to the devotees from morning till 11 PM and the kitchen here is the largest one in the world.
After a visit to this massive temple. many devotees say their blissful experience remains etched in their mind for some time after return to their place and in this euphoria they are convinced to face challenges in life with more determination and better focus.
Ref:
05. The entire temple complex of Jagannath uses the services of over 6,000 priests with over 14,000 people serving as the assistants and attendants of the priests. Then, there are numerous pilgrim guides who take devotees on a complete tour of the Jagannath Puri Temple.
06. Ritual chakra and flags at the top shikhara of Puri temple of Jagannatha are also related to Sudarshana Chakra. The red flag (12 or 14 Feet) denotes that Jagannath is within the building.
07.The other place that draws large crowds in the temple complex is Ananda Bazaar (The market area of Mahaprasad near 22 steps) where the bhog and delicacies are on sale.
08. This temple has the unique distinction of giving Prasad - food to the devotees from morning till 11 PM and the kitchen here is the largest one in the world.
After a visit to this massive temple. many devotees say their blissful experience remains etched in their mind for some time after return to their place and in this euphoria they are convinced to face challenges in life with more determination and better focus.
Ref:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagannath_Temple,
Puri "Jagannath Temple, Orrisa". Retrieved 2006-09-20.
http://jagannath.nic.in/?q=node/158
Puri "Jagannath Temple, Orrisa". Retrieved 2006-09-20.
http://jagannath.nic.in/?q=node/158
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