Shree Jagannatha temple

4.7

Location: Grand Rd, At post, Puri, Odisha 752001, India

Estimated Visiting Time: 1 hour

The Shree Jagannatha Temple is devoted to The Shree Jagannatha Temple is devoted to Lord Jagannath, who is thought to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It was built in 1198 BCE and is close to non-Hindus. It is surrounded by two walls and has a 190-foot Shikhara that is atop Vishnu’s discus-shaped Sudarshan Chakra. The temple’s presiding deity, Lord Jagannath, is depicted as being large and white-eyed in black, with black eyes; the idol is regularly tended to by changing its clothes. Additionally, the temple entrance serves as the route for the renowned Rath Yatra, an annual chariot procession in which the idol of Lord Jagannath is brought out onto the streets, surrounded by tens of thousands of devotees., who is thought to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It was built in 1198 BCE and is close to non-Hindus. It is surrounded by two walls and has a 190-foot Shikhara that is atop Vishnu’s discus-shaped Sudarshan Chakra. The temple’s presiding deity, Lord Jagannath, is depicted as being large and white-eyed in black, with black eyes; the idol is regularly tended to by changing its clothes. Additionally, the temple entrance serves as the route for the renowned Rath Yatra, an annual chariot procession in which the idol of Lord Jagannath is brought out onto the streets, surrounded by tens of thousands of devotees.

Attraction

For its annual Ratha yatra or chariot festival, Shree Jagannatha temple is famous, in which the three principal deities are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. 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, unlike the stone and metal icons found in most Hindu temples, this is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites of puri.

History

From the 10th century onwards, the present temple was rebuilt, on the site of an earlier temple, and begun by Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, the first king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. To all Hindus, and especially those of the Vaishnava traditions, the temple is very sacred. As Ramanujacharya, Madhavacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Vallabhacharya, and Ramananda, many great Vaishnava saints, were closely attached to the temple. Ramanuja established the Emar Mutt near the temple was established by Ramanuja and Govardhan math was established by Adi Shankaracharya, which is the seat of one of the four Shankaracharyas. It is to the followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism it is also of particular significance, whose founder was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lived in Puri for many years and, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath.

Inside/Outside Views

The huge temple complex covers an area of over 400,000 square feet is covered by this huge temple. By a high fortified wall, the temple is surrounded. The height of the wall is twenty feet and is known as Meghanada Pacheri. The main temple is surrounded by another wall named the kurma bedha At least 120 temples and shrines are contained by it. Shree Jagannatha temple is one of the most magnificent monuments of India with its sculptural richnesses and fluidity of the Oriya style of temple architecture.

Opening Hours

Saturday : 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday : 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Monday : 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Tuesday : 6:00 am to 9:00pm
Wednesday : 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Thursday : 6:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday : 6:00 am to 9:00 pm

Entry & Others Fees

No entry fee is needed.

Near Restaurants

Near Hotels

How to Reach

Situated close to Bhubaneswar, puri has great air, road, and rail connectivity. From most major parts of India, puri itself is accessible by road and rail.

By Air: The nearest airport is Biju Patnaik airport at Bhubaneshwar which is nearly 56 km from the heart of Puri city. The airport is very well linked to the major cities of Delhi and Mumbai. Through Delhi or Kolkata, International travelers need to get connections.

By Train: A major railway junction is placed in Puri. From many cities in India, including Bhubaneswar, New Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata, regular direct train services are available.

By Road: Through well-constructed roads, Puri is connected with the neighboring cities. To travel to Puri, buses are considered to be the main option as the bus stand near the Gundicha Temple. By bus one can reach Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack in 15 minutes.