Jagannath Temple

The land of Lord Jagannath, meaning ''Lord of Universe'', is one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots in India. One of the four divine abodes lying on four directions of the compass; The Jagannath temple in Puri was built approximately 12th Century AD by King Chodaganga of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. The completion was later brought about by his descendant, Anangabhima Deva, during the 12th century.

Dedicated to Krishna, Balabhadra and Subhadra, the temple has these three as principal deities. Similar to the Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneshwar, th is temple is also close for Non-Hindus who contend themselves by just viewing it from outside its precincts.

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General Information The vast temple complex occupies an area of over 400000 square feet,

and is bounded by a 20 feet high fortified wall. This complex contains about 120 temples and shrines. History: The temple was originally built by the Kalinga ruler Anantavarman Chodaganga (1078 - 1148 CE). Puri is also referred to in the Bhrama purana. Orissa has Konark as the Surya Kshetra, Puri as the Vishnu kshetra, Bhubaneshwar as the Hara Kshetra and Jaipur as the Parvati Kshetra.

There are as many as 24 festivals each year, the most important one of them being the Rath Yatra or the Chariot festival in the month June - July. The spectacular chariot festival involves the procession of three colossal chariots bearing the images of Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra through the streets of Puri.

Legend has it that the original image of Jagannath was found at the foot of a fig tree, in the form of an Indranila or the Blue Jewel. Its blinding brightness, prompted Dharma to request it to be hidden in the earth. King Indradyumna, of Malwa intending to discover this image, performed severe penances, and was instructed by Vishnu to go to the Puri seashore, and look for a floating log, and fashion an image from its trunk. http://www.holybharathpilgrimage.com

How to get there Puri, being the dwelling place of Lord Jagannath, is one of the most visited pilgrim destinations of India. Devotees come here from different parts of the country to offer prayers and seek the blessings of the Lord.

By AirBhubaneswar serves as the most convenient entry point for traveling to Puri by air. The capital city of Orissa is linked with all the major cities of India, such as Kolkata, Delhi and Hyderabad, by direct flights.

By Rail/TrainRegular trains operate from the railway station in the city, connecting it with almost all the major cities of Orissa as well as the rest of the country.

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By RoadFor getting to Puri from some other city of Orissa, it is best to travel by road as it is a very convenient and inexpensive option. Government State Transport and Orissa Road Corporation buses regularly ply between Puri and Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Chilka, Konarak, Chennai, Sambalpur and Visakhapatnam. http://www.holybharathpilgrimage.com