Jagannath Puri
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Jagannath Puri, located in the Puri district of Orissa is a
famous holy pilgrim town. It is at a distance of 60 kilometers from
the capital city of Bhubaneswar. It is one of the four dhams in the
country (part of the famous char dham yatra).The numerous monuments,
maths, ashrams, marvelous temples and beautiful beaches make it a
major tourist attraction. You can visit Puri at any time of the year.
However the weather is particularly pleasant between October and
April, and the annual yatra takes place in the months of June and July
Puri is home to the famous Jagannath temple, which is the abode
of Lord Jaganath or Purushottam, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Jagannath
temple is an ancient temple dating back to the 12th century. It was
built by King Ananta Varman Chodaganga Dev of the Ganga dynasty. The
temple has been built in the Kalinga style of architecture. Built on a
sprawling 400,000 acres of land, the temple complex is surrounded by
high walls. This complex encloses about 120 different shrines. The
main temple is constructed on an elevated platform and is one of the
tallest structures in India. The shikhara of the temple is 192 feet
high. There are four entrances to the temple. The main entrance is the
eastern one known as the lion gate or the Singhdwara. It is named so
as two statues of lions guard the entrance on either side. The other
three entrances are the Hathidwara (Elephant gate), Vyagradhwara
(Tiger gate) and Ashwadhwara (Horse gate). The temple consists of four
main sections, the outermost being the Bhogmandir, dining hall. The
next is the Natyamandir, dance and music hall. The third one is the
Jagmohana, the place where devotees assemble and the fourth section
Deul, which enshrines the deities. The temple enshrines three main
deities namely - Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra.
Rath Yatra is one of the main festivals celebrated every year in Puri.
It is also known as the festival of chariots. During this festival,
the three main deities Lord Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra are
taken out of the temple in their respective chariots in procession.
Devotees from all over the country throng Puri during the chariot
festival
Other Attractions:
While the Jagannath temple is the main attraction in Puri, there are a number of other temples as well that are worth a visit. These include the Gundicha Ghar temple, commonly known as Lord Jagannath's aunt's house (Mausi ma temple); Astasambhu temple, another temple enshrining Lord Vishnu and Loknath temple
Puri is also very well known for its gorgeous beaches and fine white
sands. The sunrise and sunsets over the beaches look stunning. Puri
beach is one of the most popular beaches across the country
The origins of the Jagannath temple are wide and varied, the
architecture itself signifying the Aryan Phenomenon. Earlier, the
Presiding Diety of Puri as well as Orissa was worshipped as a
primordial God, named Kitung. According to 'Skanda Purana' and 'Brahma
Purana', Biswabasu - the local sabara chief worshipped 'Kitung' as the
God. Originally the deity was in the form of 'Lord Krishna's image'
made of granite stone. The present day 'Daru Murty' or (wooden image)
came much later.
The present Temple of Lord Jagnnath was constructed by the Ganga
Emperor Chodaganga Dev (1078-1147 A.D.) of Ganga dynasty. A stone
inscription during the reign of Emperor Chodaganga Dev has been
discovered in the Nursingha Temple within the compound of Lord
Jagannath Temple within which one can get to know many facts about the
temple is history behind it. It may be mentioned that Jagannath as a
deity being worshipped has been referred to by Raja Indrabhuti of
Sambal, who flourished in the 8th century A.D.
The Jagannath Trinity as known from the Sculptural representation on
the walls of the Sub Temple of Konark. It was regarded s the synthesis
of Purusottama, Shiva and Durga during the Ganga Period. It was at the
time of the rule of Bhanu Deva II the Purusottam was regarded as
Jagannath by the Ganga rulers and the name become popular after
Kapilendra Gajapati in 1435 A. D. Madalapanji records that the early
Temple of Lord Jagannath was constructed by Jajati Keshari who
recovered the image of Jagannath from Sonepur, where the deities were
concealed sine the time of Raktababus invasion.
The images of Puri Temple were taken away to an Island in Chilika lake
before Sultan Firoze Shah Tughluq tried to defile them in the mid of
the 15th century. It was during the solar dynasty that Jagannath was
worshiped as the great Deity in India.
At present the worship of Lord Jagannath is being managed efficiently
and systematically with regard to the religious traditions conducted
with the Temple of Lord Jagannath. The Archeological Survey of Inda
has taken up the conservatins of these magnificent architecture of
Lord Purusottama. The peeling off the lime plaster has revealed
beautiful sculpture on the walls of the Jagannath Temple and the Laxmi
Temple. The Cultural Affairs Department, Orissa has been taking keen
interest in the improvement of a running garden round the Temple and
archeological conservation of the sacred monument - a treasure of
Indian architecture.
How to get there:
By Air
The nearest airport is in Bhubaneswar,
which is at a distance of 60 kilometers from Puri. There are flights from Kolkata to Bhubaneswar, Chennai to Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam to Bhubaneswar, Delhi to Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar, Mumbai to Bhubaneswar.
By Rail
You can reach Puri directly by Trains as it is
well connected via rail to cities like Delhi , Kolkata, Tirupati, Okha, Ahmedabad.
By Road
Puri has a good network of roads connecting it to various places like Kolkata to Puri and Bhubaneswar.
Bhubaneswar is just an hours drive from Puri.
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