Jagannath Dham, Puri

Jai Jagannath,

After my retirement from service of 29 years on 31^st March, 2011, I left Delhi and settled down in Puri (Jagannath Dham), in my home State of Orissa. My new residence, Puri, gave me opportunities which I had dreamt of. I am now fully involved in my creative pursuit which is photography, oil painting, playing music on my synthesiser and traveling and exploring my surroundings which has been my hobby since childhood. Apart from these, studying about the   Jagannath Temple and its surroundings fascinates me. Jagannath was called “Purusttam” since his origin at Puri or Purustam – Shri Keshetra.

Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Lord Neela Madhav by Savar king Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity, King Indradyumna sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity. After hearing from Vidyapati, King Indradyumna   proceeded immediately to see and worship the deity. But the deity had disappeared. The king was disappointed. The deity was hidden in sand. The king was determined not to return without having a darshan of the deity and observed fast unto death at Mount Neela. Once during sleep, the king had a vision of Lord Jagannath  directing him to receive the fragrant tree on the seashore and making idols out of it. Accordingly the king got the image of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan made out of the wood of the divine tree and installed them in the temple.

The construction of Jagannath Temple was initiated by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev during the year 1078. It was rebuilt and completed by King Ananga Bhima Deva in the year 1174.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. The main temple structure is 214 feet and is enclosed by two rectangular walls. The outer enclosure is called Meghanada Prachira with 665’x640’ with 20 feet high. The inner wall is called Kurmabedha 420x315 feet. 

The Main entrance is Singhadwara, means The Lion Gate, is one of the four gates .Two huge statues of crouching lions exist on either side of the entrance. The gate faces east opening on to the Bada Danda or Grand Road. The Baisi Pahacha or the flight of twenty two steps leads into the temple complex. An idol of Jagannath known as Patitapavana, means the "Saviour of the downtrodden and the fallen" is painted on the right side of the entrance. In. ancient time when untouchables were not allowed inside the temple, they could pray to Patitapavana from the out side.      


This Jagnnath temple has the largest kitchen in the world. The kitchen can prepare food for 100,000 people. Daily offerings (Bhoga) are made to the Lord six times a day.  The temple has as many as 6,000 priests with about 119 categories of Sevaks.

There is a wheel on top of the Jagannath Temple called the Nila Chakra which is made up of eight metals and its height is 11’8”, diameter 7’6”, thickness 2” and 8 number of wheel bars with the  weight of 2200 kg. Every day, a new flag is tied to a mast attached to the Nila Chakra.


During June/July a famous festival, Ratha Yatra is held. Jagarnath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are placed in three rathas made of wood which are 46 feet high and has 16 wheels, each feet in diameter , drawn along Grand Road (Bada Danda) to the Gundecha temple and back to their home temple after 9 days.

Puri sea beach is the best in India where you can see the beauty of the sky in radiant colours, colorful sunrise and sunset.  The beach is very wide and exposed with fine stretch of white sand in which pilgrims bath in their customary, fully attired manner. The fishermen guide bathers out through surf.

I realized in Puri there is a lot of literature available on many aspects of life. It is not easy to understand the complex system of Jagannath Dham.  There are few places  on earth with such enormous variety  that Jagannath Dham, Puri  has to offer. Now I request all my friends and relatives to visit Puri and give me an opportunity to share my experience with them.