History of puri jagannath temple (Article)

 History of puri jagannath temple

Teaching Bengalis about Puri is like explaining a mother about her own son. All pilgrimages once, but Puri again and again. Puri is inseparable with the travel-happy Bengali. For Bengalis, Puri is nearly like a second home. Although the sea bath is a big draw, what actually makes Puri dear to Bengalis is the Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival). The splendor of this festival attracts thousands of Bengalis to Puri each year.

History indicates that Puri was inhabited by the Aryans earlier. But earlier to them, the Shabaras resided in the neighboring forests. Those times used to refer to the location as "Dantapuri"—city of teeth—in honor of a Buddhist relic, the holy tooth of Lord Buddha. The location where the Jagannath Temple stands today used to be a Buddhist stupa. The three chariot annual festival "Dantotsava" used to be celebrated those days. In the 9th century, Adi Shankaracharya founded Puri as a Hindu pilgrimage center. The deity was first worshiped as "Purushottam," but in the 15th century, the name was changed to "Jagannath."

When the British came, they constructed resorts along the coast of Puri. Until 1936, Puri was the capital of Odisha. Even now, the summer headquarters of the governor of the state is in Puri. Subsequently, Bengali entrepreneurs rented out the British resorts, further cementing Puri in Bengali society. Through time, Puri became a part of Bengali life that could not be separated, even called the "Vaikuntha of the mortal world" (heaven on earth). The golden shores, the legendary Marine Drive, and the renowned Swargadwar (gateway to heaven) continue to enthrall Bengalis. Swargadwar, with its cremation ground, is sacred to many. It is also the hub of different Bengali travel activities, with hotels such as "Pulin Puri" and "New Sea-Hawk" maintaining the mix of tradition and modernity.

Jagannath Temple and Its History- The largest attraction of Puri is the Jagannath Temple, popularly referred to as "Shreekhetra." During Satya Yuga, King Indradyumna of Avanti, a scion of the Surya dynasty, sent his priest Vidyapati to Odra (Odisha) to search for Lord Vishnu. Vidyapati found Vishnu being worshipped as "Neelamadhava" in a Shabara family. Indradyumna himself came to Odisha to see darshan (holy sight) of Vishnu but couldn't. Disappointed by this, he conducted an Ashwamedha Yajna. Sage Narada later instructed him that Lord Vishnu would appear in wood and not in stone. In accordance with Neelamadhava's divine instruction, a hallowed log (Brahma Daru) manifested within the waters of Puri, said to be the navel of Lord Krishna. Indradyumna employed the divine wood to sculpt the gods of the temple. Within the sanctum (Ratnavedi) of the temple, there are seven idols:

1. White-faced Balabhadra (Balarama)  

2. Black-faced Jagannath (Krishna)  

3. Yellow-faced Subhadra (their sister)  

4. The Sudarshan Chakra  

5. Golden idol of Goddess Lakshmi  

6. Silver idol of Goddess Saraswati  

7. Neelamadhava at the back

When a specific lunar phase leads to two Ashadha months (which happens approximately every 12-19 years), a big ceremony known as "Nabakalebara" is held, in which the wooden idols of the deities are replaced. The previous idols are entombed in the "Vaikuntha Dham" on the temple campus. The last Nabakalebara occurred in 1996.

**The Grand Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival)**

Rath Yatra is one of the most important Hindu festivals, which attracts millions of pilgrims. The tradition is rooted in the life of Jagannath's visit to his "Aunt's house" which is the Gundicha Temple. Legend has it that King Indradyumna's queen, Gundicha Devi, was instrumental in the building of the deities from Brahma Daru. The festival marks Lord Krishna's pilgrimage from Gokul to Vrindavan, as he goes to his aunt's house for a retreat along with his brothers, Subhadra and Balabhadra. They come back after nine days to the main temple.  

Three deities travel in imposing chariots:

1. Chariot of Jagannath – Nandi ghosh or Garudadhwaja (Height: 13.5m, 832 wooden pieces)
2. Subhadra's chariot – Darpadalana or Padmadhwaja (Height: 11.5m, 593 wooden pieces)
3. Balabhadra's chariot – Taladhwaja (Height: 12m, 763 wooden pieces)

Each chariot consists of 16 wheels and is ornamented with 1,600 meters of multicolored fabric. The building starts on Akshaya Tritiya with the use of 1,072 tree trunks. Each chariot is flanked by nine sub-deities, two gatekeepers, a charioteer, and a flag deity.

Balabhadra heads the procession during Rath Yatra, followed by Subhadra, and Jagannath at the end. On the return journey, known as *Bahuda Yatra* (Reverse Rath Yatra), the same sequence is followed. When they arrive at the Lion Gate of the temple, the deities are kept in their *Swarnavesha* (golden dress) overnight before being reinstalled on the sanctum's Ratnavedi the following day.

One of the special traditions is when the King of Puri sweeps the path of the chariot with a golden broom. It has been a tradition for generations. The devotees number in the thousands and pull the chariots, which do not halt until they reach Gundicha Temple.

In earlier times, devotees believed that being crushed under the chariot’s wheels granted instant liberation (moksha), leading to many fatal incidents. However, with changing beliefs, such acts have nearly disappeared, though occasional accidents still occur.

It is also said that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself even pulled the ropes of the chariot at some point, making the festival spiritually more valuable. Nowadays, Rath Yatra receives millions of devotees and international tourists alike and is considered to be one of the largest religious festivals of India.