Jagannath Temple (Puri)

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Jagannath Temple at Puri
Jagannath Temple at Puri

The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath (Krishna) located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat (Universe) and Nath (Lord of).[1][2] The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of Krishna and Vishnu.[3] The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, chariot festival where huge and elaborately decorated chariots are used for the procession of the three main temple deities.

The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated chariots. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervor[4].The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava traditions and saint Ramananda who was closely associated with the temple. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.[5]

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[edit] Origins of the temple

According to recently discovered copper plates from the Ganga dynasty, the construction of the Jagannath temple was initiated by the ruler of Kalinga, Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev [6]. The Jagamohana and the Vimana portions of the temple were built during his reign (1078 - 1148 CE). However it was only in the year 1174 CE that the Orissan ruler Ananga Bhima Deva rebuild the temple to give a shape in which it stands today[7].

Jagannath worship in the temple continued until 1558, when Orissa was attacked by the Afghan general Kalapahad. Subsequently, when Ramachandra Deb established an independent kingdom at Khurda in Orissa, the temple was consecrated and the deities reinstalled [8].

[edit] Legend surrounding the temple origin

The traditional story concerning the origins of the temple us that the original image of Jagannath (a deity form of Krishna) was found near a fig tree in the form of an Indranila or the Blue Jewel. It was so dazzling that Dharma wanted to hide it in the earth. King Indradyumna of Malwa wanted to find the image and to do so he performed harsh penances to obtain his goal. Vishnu then instructed him to go to the Puri seashore and find a floating log to make an image from its trunk. The King found the log of wood. Vishnu and Vishwakarma appeared in the form of artistes and prepared images of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra from the tree.[9].

[edit] Buddhist beginnings

Some archaeologists opine that there existed a Buddhist stupa at the site of the present one, which may have housed the tooth relic of the Buddha before it was transported to its present location in Kandy, Sri Lanka.[10] Around that period Buddhism was assimilated within the Vaishnava fold, whence Jagganath worship gained popularity. This was in the tenth century, during the reign of the Somavamsi kings of Orissa. [11]

[edit] The temple structure

The huge temple complex covers an area of over 400,000 square feet, and is surrounded by a high fortified wall. It contains at least 120 temples and shrines. With its sculptural richness and fluidity of the Orissan style of temple architecture, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India.[12]

The main temple is a curvilinear temple and crowning the top is the 'srichakra' (a eight spoked wheel) of Vishnu. The temple tower was built on a raised platform of stone and, rising to 214 feet above the inner sanctum where the deities reside, dominates the surrounding landscape. The pyramidal roofs of the surrounding temples and adjoining halls, or mandapas, rise in steps toward the tower like a ridge of mountain peaks.[13]

The main shrine is enclosed by a 20 feet high wall. Another wall surrounds the main temple. A magnificent sixteen-sided monolithic pillar sits in front of the main gate. The gate is guarded by two lions. [14]

[edit] Deities

The Chakra of Vishnu at the topmost point of the temple. The red flag denotes that Jagannath is within the building
The Chakra of Vishnu at the topmost point of the temple. The red flag denotes that Jagannath is within the building

The central forms of Jagannath, Balabhadra and the goddess Subhadra constitute the trinity of deities sitting on the bejewelled platform in the inner sanctum. Worship of the deities pre-date the temple structure and may have originated in an ancient tribal shrine.[15]

[edit] Festivals

There are elaborate daily worship services. There are many festivals each year attended by thousands 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 images of Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra through the streets of Puri.[16]

[edit] Temple today

In modern times the temple is busy and functioning. It has a huge temple kitchen and feeds holy food called "Mahaprasad" to thousands of devotees daily. The temple has over 6000 priests, along with 14000 other employees serving as their assistants and attendants waiting on the Jagannath deity, as well as pilgrim guides. [17]

The temple is selective regarding who is allowed entry into the grounds. Most non-Hindus are excluded from its premises,[18] as are Hindus of non-Indian origin. Visitors not allowed entry may view the precincts from the roof of the nearby Raghunandan Library.[19] There is some evidence that this came into force following a series of invasions by foreigners into the temple and surrounding area.Buddhist, Jain and Sikh groups are allowed into the temple compound if they are able to prove their Indian ancestry.[20]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Vedic Concepts "An example in Sanskrit is seen with the word Jagat which means universe. In Jaganath, the ‘t’ becomes an ‘n’ to mean lord (nath) of the universe."
  2. ^ Symbol of Nationalism "The fame and popularity of "the Lord of the Universe: Jagannath" both among the foreigners and the Hindu world "
  3. ^ Jagannath Temple. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  4. ^ Juggernaut. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  5. ^ Bhaktivedanta VedaBase. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  6. ^ Jagannath Temple.
  7. ^ Lord Jagannath : Symbol of Unity and Integration. Retrieved on 2006-05-01.
  8. ^ Jagannath Temple.
  9. ^ Jagannath Temple at Puri. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  10. ^ Oldest Jagannath Temple of Puri The Buddhist and Somavamsi Connections. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  11. ^ Jainism and Buddhism in Jagannath Culture. Retrieved on 2003-07-01.
  12. ^ Sri Jagannath. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  13. ^ Jagannath Temple, Orrisa. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
  14. ^ Sri Jagannath Temple. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
  15. ^ Juggernaut of Puri. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
  16. ^ Jagannath Temple at Puri. Retrieved on 2006-09-20.
  17. ^ Sri Jagannath. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  18. ^ Jagannatha Puri. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
  19. ^ Puri - Jagannath Temple.
  20. ^ Jagannath Temple. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Famous Vishnu temples
Tirupathy • Srirangam • Badrinath • Kanchipuram • Guruvayur • Puri • Thiruvananthapuram • Udipi • Srivilliputhur • Thiruvallikeni •
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