Jagannath Puri

Jagannath literally means “The Lord of the Universe“. The temple is situated in Puri, in the eastern state of Odhisha. The temple dates back to the 12th century CE when it was rebuilt by the Ganga ruler, Anantvarman Chodganga. It has faced many destructions and lastly, it was reconstructed in the 16th century.

It is one of the sites of the Char Dham Yatra. Lord Jagannath (Krishna) along with his sister, Subhadra and his elder brother, Balram is worshipped here. The temple has the main entrance (Singh Dwar) located on the East side and it has other entrances in the other 3 directions.

Jagannath Yatra

Jagannath Yatra is held mostly in the month of July. Hence it is the best time to visit this place.

Although, this place experiences enough warmth in the peak summer so you can also plan for winters. Also, Odisha is very near to the Bay of Bengal. Therefore Cyclones hit this state almost every year, so you should keep a check on that as well before planning.

Jagannath temple is a temple of many miracles and mysteries. There is a popular belief among the devotees that Lord Jagannath overlooks this structure. No aircraft or birds fly above the structure of this temple hence making it an unofficial “No fly zone“.

The construction of this temple is done in such a way that it’s shadow never touches the ground. The flag atop the temple is known as Patitapabana. It is changed everyday by the members of the family appointed by the king for this work since 800 years. The 165 meter structure is climbed barefoot without any help. The flag always flows in the opposite direction of the wind.

The Nilchakra (Blue Wheel) made of Ashta Dhatu (eight metals) is situated above the temple and it is considered very auspicious. Everyday the temple feeds as much as 1,000 people. The Mahaprasad is made as an offering to God. It is cooked in earthen pots using woods and coal. The pots are put on top of one another and miraculously the one on top gets cooked first.