Jagannath Puri

One of the Char Dham on the Odisha coast, where Shri Krishna is worshipped as Jagannath with Balabhadra and Subhadra.

Jagannath Puri, on the eastern sea coast of Odisha, is one of the Char Dham. Here Bhagavan Shri Krishna is worshipped as Jagannath, "Lord of the Universe", together with his elder brother Balabhadra, his sister Subhadra and the Sudarshan. According to the popular tradition, King Indradyumna was inspired in a dream, and the deities were made from a sacred log of wood that came from the sea. Vishwakarma, who came in the guise of an old carpenter, left them in their unique form with large round eyes, and it is this form that is still worshipped. The deities are made of neem wood and are renewed from time to time in the rare Nabakalebara ceremony.

The great Shri Jagannath temple, with the Nila Chakra and flag atop its tall spire, draws devotees from far away. Its Mahaprasad is famous: food is cooked in the vast temple kitchen in earthen pots over wood fires, offered to Lord Jagannath and to Goddess Vimala, and then becomes Mahaprasad. In the Ananda Bazaar devotees of every background sit and eat it together without distinction. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spent many years of his life in Puri, and the Govardhan Matha, the eastern seat established by Adi Shankaracharya, is also here.

After the Snana Yatra on the full moon of Jyeshtha comes the world-famous Rath Yatra on the second day of the bright fortnight of Ashadha. The three deities ride on huge chariots to the Gundicha temple, and lakhs of devotees feel blessed to pull the ropes. A few days later, in the Bahuda Yatra, the Lord returns to his temple.

Practical note: Puri has its own railway station. The nearest large city and airport is Bhubaneswar, about sixty kilometres away.

State

Odisha

Nearest City

Bhubaneswar

Main Temples

Shri Jagannath Temple, Gundicha Temple, Govardhan Matha

Associated Leela

Krishna as Jagannath with Balabhadra and Subhadra