STORY OF LORD JAGANNATH:
When lord Krishna was accidentally killed by a hunter, his body was burnt but due to him being a
form of Lord Vishnu his heart was not burnt. His heart was very unnatural and transmitted a lot of
energy and light. The hunter then tried to sell the heat generated but nobody wanted to buy it. Then
finally, he kept the heart on a piece of log and threw it in the water. One night, the king of Awanti
dreamt that Lord Vishnu was saying, “If you take a dip in the ocean and you will find me.” Then he
took a dip in the ocean and found the piece of log and saw the heart. At that very moment he decided
to make a temple using it. When he announced in the village that a temple was being made many
people went there but nobody was ready to help in Lord Jagannath’s statue. But after some days
Vishwakarma came and said that he will make the statue of Lord. His condition was that he was to be
locked up in a room where he would create the statue and the room would only be opened after 21
days. The king accepted and Vishwakarma Ji started making the sculptor. Every day the king used to
listen the voices created by making the sculptor. One day no voices were made and the king went
curious. So, he decided to open the door but then he saw that nobody was working just there were
three statues. One of lord Jagannath, one of goddess Subhadra and lastly, one of lord Balram. Because
the king had opened the door before 21 days, the sculpture was incomplete. In most temples,
sculptures are made of stone and metal but, in puri the sculptures were made out of neem and wood.
Krishna’s heart was kept in the wooden sculpture. Due to the heart being able to transmit energy, it
had been kept inside the wooden sculpture. In present times, when the sculptures are replaced, their
hearts are also replaced and transferred to the new sculptures. Saints performing the ceremony cover
their eyes and wear gloves, as it is believed that anyone who sees the heart during the process is
destined to meet a swift demise. Furthermore, on the day of the ceremony, a power cut occurs in Puri,
as it is believed that the object contains tremendous energy.
Festivals and Rituals of the Jagannath
Temple, Puri:
There are elaborate daily worship services in the Jagannath Temple. 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. This spectacular festival includes a procession of three huge chariots
bearing the deities of Jagannath Early European observers told tales of devotees being
crushed under the wheels of these chariots, whether by accident or even as a form of
meritorious suicide akin to suttee.
1. Chandan Yatra:
In Akshaya Tritiya every year the Chandan Yatra festival marks the commencement of the
construction of the Chariots of the Rath Yatra
2. Snana Yatra:
On the Purnima of the month of Jyestha the gods are ceremonially bathed and decorated every
year on the occasion of Snana Yatra
3. Anasavara:
Every year, the main deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra & Sudarshan after the holy
Snana Yatra on the Jyestha Purnima, go to a secret altar named Anavasara Ghar where they
remain for the next dark fortnight (Krishna paksha). Hence devotees are not allowed to view
them.
4. Rath Yatra:
The Jagannath triad are usually worshiped in the sanctum of the temple at Puri, but once
during the month of Asadha (Rainy Season of Orissa, usually falling in month of June or
July), they are brought out onto the Bada Danda (main street of Puri) and travel (3 km) to the
Shri Gundicha Temple, in huge chariots (ratha), allowing the public to have darśana (Holy
view). This festival is known as Rath Yatra, meaning the journey (yatra) of the chariots (ratha).
The Rathas are huge wheeled wooden structures, which are built anew every year and are
pulled by the devotees. The chariot for Jagannath is approximately 45 feet high and 35 feet
square and takes about 2 months to construct.
5. Nabakalebara:
Nabakalabera is a ritual associated with Jagannath[84] which takes place every 8, 12 or 19
years, when one lunar month of Ashadha is followed by another lunar month of Aashadha.
Meaning "New Body", the ritual involves installation of new images in the Jagannath Temple
and the burial of the old images at the temple at Koili Vaikuntha. The festival is witnessed by
as millions of people and its budget exceeds $500,000.[85] More than three million devotees
were expected to visit the temple during the Nabakalevara in 2015,[86] making it one of the
most visited festivals in the world.
Architecture:
The Jagannatha temple is one the most refined piece of Kalingan Architecture.
The temple stands in the centre of an inner courtyard on a high-raised platform. It has four
components:
Vimana or Deula (Garbagriha)
Jagamohana
Natamandapa
Bhogamandapa
The architectural style of the Jagannath temple is a combination of two types-
Rekha
Pidha
Parts of the Temple :
The vimana is built in the nagara style Rekha deula.
The jagamohana is in the Pidha deula style.
The main temple, the sanctuary (Garbhagruha) is commonly known as Vimana or deula and is
built in the framework of Nagara Sthaptya as a Rekha deula characterized by a curvilinear
tower known as sikhar.
The crowning at the top is the ‘Neelachakra’ (an eight-spoked wheel) of Lord Vishnu. It is
made out of Ashtadhatu and is considered sacrosanct.
The viman or deula is built on the Pancha Ratha ground plan in such a manner that its vertical
shape starting from the bottom up to the highest level of the curvilinear shikhara is divided
into five projected column or pillar-like structure i.e rath in each of the four sides.
Here lies the unique architectural quality of the Pancha Ratha Rekha deula of Shree
Jagannatha.
Both the Vimana (Sanctuary) and the porch (Jagamohana) are
divided into five principal parts along the vertical plane through
the foundation:
pishta or pitha
the Bada (vertical or perpendicular wall)
gandi (trunk of a body) i.e., the curvilinear tower in the case of a Rekha
deula a pyramidal roof in the case of pidha deula
mistake (head of the crowning elements)
The Natamandap (the audience hall) and the Bhoga Mandap (the hall for residuary offerings)
are built in a row in an axial alignment in an east-west direction.
There are four gates to the temple-
Eastern ‘Singhdwara’ which is the main gate with two crouching lions
Southern ‘Ashwadwara’
Western ‘Vyaghra Dwara
Northern ‘Hastidwara’.
There is a carving of each form at each gate.
Fun Facts about Jagannath Temple –
Puri, Odissa:
The temple is over 61 metres (200 ft) high in the Nagara Hindu temple style, and one of
the best surviving specimens of Kalinga architecture, namely Odisha art and architecture.
It has been one of the major pilgrimage destinations for Hindus since about 800 CE.
Lord Krishna is worshipped as Lord Jagannath in the temple.
The temple is famously associated with the annual chariot festival, in which the three
principal deities are pulled on large and elaborately decorated temple cars.
The image of Jagannath is unique in that it’s made of wood unlike that of other Hindu
temples and is ceremoniously replaced every 12 or 19 years by a replica.
