History of Gorgeous Jagannath Puri Temple

Jagannath Puri, Orissa, is a well-established pilgrimage site that’s popular with both domestic and foreigners. Unquestionably, the mammoth temple of Shri Jagannath in the city is one of the most popular religious institutions in India which invites devotees from far and wide. The temple is an artistic wonder and a showcase of great Hindu cultures and religiousness. Now the question is – who built this temple and when was it built. Since there is no clear-cut record, this question is still a mystery. However, a number of myths and legends speak about the spiritual significance and establishment of this shrine.

There are several different views, according to which the temple was built between 1085 and 1100 AD. The temple, in course of coming to its present form, must have taken different shapes periodically. Even the presiding deity Jagannath was popular with different names such as ‘Jaganat’, ‘Jaganaelo’, ‘Basidev’ and ‘Jagaboi’ at different time. As per the sources from Vedas and early Puranas, the land and the sanctity of Lord emerged long before rise of Buddhism and Hindu historical Era. Some evidences say that the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang also worshiped a wooden god of 90’ height. Also, the story of visit of Joseph Chirst has mention of the antiquity of the sanctuary. It’s therefore the temple is believed to be constructed in pre-historical era.

Now if considering he mythological records, we find that the first wooden image in temple was established by Indradhyamuna – a descendant of solar dynasty and the king of Ujjain. He started the construction of this giant temple following the heavenly oracle. It’s also said that Devrishi Nard advised the king to install image of lord Jagannath: an incarnation of lord Vishnu, inside the temple. One day in his dream, king Indradhyamuna saw a huge tree with four branches half hidden in sea. When he asked the meaning of this dream, Narad stated the tree as lord Vishnu’s transfiguration. Now with help of many of rulers in the country, the king constructed a huge temple and placed four wooden idols of Jagannath, Balabhadhra, Subhadhra and Sudarshan.

This age-old sanctum of lord Jagannath, later on, went through several developments and renovations in course of time. The enormous contribution from Gangavanshi and Surya Vanshi kings of Orrisa is admirable. After that, Anangabhimadeva-III completed the unfinished work of this temple and also constructed tow other shrines of Astachandi and Astasambhu.

Today, the temple is an iconic structure renowned for its architecture brilliance and great Hindu religiousness. Millions of devotees from different corners of the country visit Jagannath Puri, when annual Rath Yatra (Cart Festival) takes place here in July-August. When planning to visit this lovely city, it’s always recommended to book you accommodation well in advance. A wide range of deals for Jagannath Puri tour are available online. People who visit the city can have a delightful beach vacation too. Puri beach is awesomely beautiful and an ideal spot for swimming and other water funs. When booking a travel deal, it’s important to conduct an online research.