The Jagannath Temple is a world famous Hindu temple situated in Puri, Odisha.The Buddhist and jains also have some roots regarding this temple. Since this temple includes in the char dham of Hindu religion it is visited by thousands every day to fulfill their lifetime wish. A peculiarity of the image of the Jagannath at Puri is that it is made out of wood instead of stone or mettle. Every twelve years these wooden figures are replaced by using an exact replica of the original. Though the temple has a history immemorial, the present temple is believed to be constructed in the 12 century by the Progenitor of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty, king Anatavarman chodaganga Deva. The main deities worshiped at Puri are Jagannath (lord Krishna or Vishnu), Balabhadra and the goddess Subhadra. These three deities are sitting on the bejeweled platform or the Ratnavedi in the inner sanctum. The huge temple complex covers an area of over 400,000 square feet and is surrounded by a huge wall of height 20 ft. The temple complex contains at least 120 temples and shrines. With its Sculptural richness and fluidity of the Oriya style of temple architecture, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India. Puri is considered as the cultural capital of Odisha.
Major attractions :
The main entrance of the Temple is known as Singhadwara, so named because two huge statues of crouching lions exist on either side of the entrance. The temple has 3 more entrances, facing one in each direction. The temple has four distinct sectional structures, namely : Deula Griha (Sanctum santorum), Mukhathala (Frontal Porch), Nata Mandir (Audience/Dance hall) and Bhoga Mandapa (offering hall). The main temple is a curvilinear temple and crowning the top is the Srichakra of Vishnu.This is the highest temple in Odisha. The Kitchen of the temple is considered to be the largest of its kind in the world and is believed under the direct control of goddess Mahalakshmi. The most important and world famous festival of Puri is the Rath Yatra or the Chariot festival in June. This spectacular festival includes a procession of three huge chariots bearing idols of jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra through the streets of Puri. The chariots are huge wheeled wooden structures pulled by the devotees. The chariot of Jagannathe is about 35 feet in length, 35 feet in width and 45 feet in height. The most significant ritual associated with this festival is Chere Pahara (means, Sweeping with water). During the festival the king wears the outfit of a sweeper and sweeps all around the deities, chariots and even the road. This ritual signifies that under the lordship of Jagannath there is no distinction of a king or servant and all are equal before God.
How to reach :
Biju Patnaik air port at Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport which is 56 km away from Puri. Puri is a major railway junction and is well connected by road with neigbouring cities and states.
#tagautam #educatererindia #share #upsc #7004069539_whatsapp #tourism
www.educatererindia.com
Comments
Post a Comment