Shree Jagannath Mandir, Puri(Odisha)
The Jagannath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Vishnu in Hinduism and two of his siblings, Balaram and Subhadra, alongside Sudarshan (the deified form of Vishnu’s primary weapon). It is located in Puri in the state of Odisha, situated on the eastern coast of India.As per temple records, King Indradyumna of vanti built the main temple of Jagannath at Puri.
The present temple was rebuilt from the eleventh century onwards, on the site of the pre-existing temples in the compound, but not the main Jagannath temple, and begun by Anantavarman Chodaganga, the first king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
The temple is one of the holiest Vaishnava Hindu Char Dham sites, the four divine pilgrimage sites, the other being Rameswaram, Badrinath and Dwarka.
Dieties
Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra are a trio of deities worshipped at the temple. The inner sanctum of the temple contains the deities of them carved from sacred neem logs, known as daru sitting on the bejewelled platform or ratnabedi, along with the deities of Sudarshana Chakra, Madanmohan, Sridevi and Vishwadhatri.
The Rath Yatra
The Ratha Yatra of Puri,is considered the oldest and largest Hindu chariot festival celebrated annually, on the bright half of the lunar month of Ashadh (June–July).The festival is held at the city of Puri, in the state of Odisha, India and associated with the deity Jagannath (a form of Vishnu or Krishna).During the festival, three deities (Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra) are drawn by a multitude of devotees in three massive, wooden chariots on bada danda (the grand avenue) to Gundicha Temple whereby they reside there for a week and then return to the Jagnannath temple. This return trip is referred to as the Bahuda Yatra.
The three chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are newly constructed every year with wood of specified trees like phassi, dhausa, etc. They are customarily brought from the ex-princely state of Dasapalla by a specialist team of carpenters who have hereditary rights and privileges for the same. The logs are traditionally set afloat as rafts in the river Mahanadi. These are collected near Puri and then transported by road.
Aarti Timings
- Dwarpitha and Mangal Arti at 5am.
- Sandhya Arti at 3:30pm.
- Pahuda Arti at 9pm.
How to Reach
Puri is located in the state of Orrisa (Odisha). It is well connected to major destinations of India by air, road and railways. Bhubaneshwar’s Biju Patnaik Airport is the closest airport to Puri. Daily trains to Puri ply from major cities like Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. Puri has good motorable road connectivity. One can board the state government buses or private buses to reach Jagannath temple. For a comfortable journey you can also book a taxi or hire a cab.