Puri Jagannath Dham: One of the Most Char Dhams and Pilgrimage

The Story of Jagannath Temple

The Lord Jagannath Temple is a very ancient temple located in Puri in the coastal line of Odisha state. Before it’s name was Kalinga, this temple is for Lord Vishnu. As per Indian History, The King of Avanti “Indradyumna” was started this temple of Jagannath at Puri near the sea beach. After him, the temple was rebuilt and completed from the tenth century onwards by King “Anantavarman Chodaganga”, he is the first king of the “Eastern Ganga Dynasty (पूर्वी गंगा राजवंश)” of “Choda Vansh”. This temple’s puja rules and regulations and rituals are totally different from other temples, because the rituals are followed by “Oddiyana Tantras” some people say, this is just the refined versions of “Mahayana Tantras” as well as “Shabari Tantras”. Means if I say the concepts are derived from “Tantric Buddhism” and rituals are followed by tribal beliefs respectively.

The Story of Lord Jagannath (भगवान जगन्नाथ की कहानी)

Puri Dham (पुरी धाम) is a pilgrimage shrine of Lord Vishnu (पुरी भगवान विष्णु का तीर्थस्थल है). It is believed that, Lord Krishna's heart (भगवान कृष्ण का हृदय) was placed here inside the idol. The idol is built in wooden, the wooden of special neem tree. It is said that when Lord Krishna's heart did not burn in the fire and it was still burning, then after a lot of hard work, Yaduvanshis are threw Sri Krishna's heart into the sea, the tribal king of Bhil Tribal Caste he took of Lord Krishna's heart or "Bramha" from the sea. He saw a dream, Sri Krishna’s heart floating in the water in the dream. Then he got from water and keep it in a cave and worship it regularly. The head of the tribals called Sardar of Bheel was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Puri Jagannath Dham: One of the Most Char Dhams and important Pilgrimage Destination.

After a few days, the King Indradumna listened about it and some soldiers were sent to get “Bramha” from the Bhil Sardar’s cave. But the Bhils were not able to get away from Shabars and they did not even know that the leader of the Bhil caste used to worship “Bramha” secretly. After a few days, King Indradyumna made a plan, he came to know that Bhil Sardar had a daughter who was very beautiful, her name was “Laleetha”. Then king Indradumna sent a young man named “Vidyapati” to make friends with Laleeta and said that her father worships “Bramha” of Lord Vishnu to know the truth. Vidyapati tried his best to seduce Laleetha and he was successful. Bhil Sardar used a cave in Neegari hills to worship the “Bramha” secretly. The name of that mountain was Nilagiri or called blue hills. The stones of that mountain were of blue color.

Often Laleetha told to Vidyapati about the worship of “Bramha” by their community and the festivals celebrating there. One day Vidyapati told Laleetha that, he wanted to see the God to whom they worship in the caves. But Laleetha clearly refused and said that it is not so easy to know, if the father will know he must be punished us. A few days, again one day Vidyapati said that he wanted to see the God, but despite much understanding he did not agree, then Laleetha tied a scarf around Vidyapati's eyes. Before that Vidyapati secretly carried some mustard seeds in his hand when he walked carrying some mustard in both his hands and kept dropping it on both sides of the road. Laleetha guided him on the road and finally reach at the cave and view the “Bramha”. After a few days those mustard is started sprouting and turned to mustard plants on the line in both side of the road. After that, Vidyapati quickly went and informed King Indradumna. The king attacked with his army and brought that “Bramha” and built a huge temple on the sea shore of Puri which still exists today. It is said that in order to save Brahma, he called some wooden sculptors to make the idols in wood, Lord “Vishwakarma” himself came as a normal sculptor and said that he will make the idol in wood very soon as per the requirement.

But before that, the sculptor keeps some conditions, the conditions are that “I will make in the room by closing the door from inside and no one will come to me until these three idols are completed.” Then the king said, “how is it possible? without eating, sleeping, how can you do work inside the room” He asked again, “How will we know that you have completed your tasks? Then sculptor said, don't worry, I myself will come back and inform you when my task is over.

Then queen asked, “how will we find out whether there is work going on or not?” Then the sculptor said, “that you will hear the sound of hammer and chisel moving while am working.” Then after everything was finalized, the raw wood was brought into the room and closed the door. Work also started accordingly, the cutting of wood, the sound of hammer and chisel also being heard outside. Everyone get sure working is going on. Everyone was happy that the temple has also been built, now all three idols “Jagannath(जगन्नाथ)”, “Balabhadra(बलभद्र)” and “Shubhadra(सुभद्रा)” will be coronated on the Ratna Singhasan. The king was also a little excited because he wanted the work to be done as soon as possible before the given muhurat time.

After a few days the voice was stopped. Then servant of king “Rajdoot” informed the king and the queen also came to know. But according to the condition the door cannot be opened in any way. Everyone is worried, no any voice or sound was not coming, what to do, wait for a week but the queen told the king that it seems that the sculptor has died. Because the one who hasn't eaten since so many days is living in a confined room, can you imagine? The king also wandered in thought, then the king's ministers took suggestions from him, and the door was broken.

But what happened! What they are seeing?

The sculptor was not there, he was disappeared only those three incomplete wooden made statues were inside the room. So, friends those statues are, that you are seeing even today which has not been completed. The king must have felt very sad and then he renounced everything and tied himself in a room in front of god. Then Sri Narayan himself appeared to him in his dream and said that he is pleased with his devotion to the king, whatever little has happened has happened in the vision of law or “Vidhi-ka-Vidhaan (विधि का विधान)”. No one has made any mistake in this. I myself sent Vishwakarma to make these wooden statues and whatever has been done, these uncompleted wooden statues are will be worshiped from today onwards in this Kali Yuga.

Friends, from then till today Lord Shri Jagannath is being worshiped with incomplete statues in Puri Dham. Lord Jagannath had 60 putties of food offered daily. 1 putti=20 Bharana or 850Kg. Apart from that 56 Bhog is very dear to him on daily basis.

“Puri” is also called “Shrikshetra”. Puri Jaganth Temple (पुरी जगन्नाथ मंदिर) is called Sri Mandir. “Sri” means Lakshmi, means the temple in which Lakshmi resides is called Sri Mandir. Sri Jagannath Temple is called “Vaikunth Dham of Kalyuga(कलयुग का वैकुंठ धाम)”. I would say, you must go there and with devotion, you will get a darshan of Lord Jagannath in whatever form you want to see him. The biggest devotees of Sri Jagannath come to see him such as Guru Nanak, Sri Chaitnya, Gaurang, Adi Guru Shankaracharya, Bhakta Salabega, Dasia Bauri and so on. It is said that “Lankapati Vibhishan” comes daily from Dakshin or south door to see Sri Jagannath.

It is said in the Vedas, that among the four Dhams, the best Dham is Puri Jagannath Dham. Your pilgrimage is not complete until you have visited the Srikshetra (श्रीक्षेत्र). There are many mysterious things with this temple. Just like the sound of the ocean at night is heard everywhere in the town but is not heard inside the Jagannath temple. No airplane or birds have ever flown over the temple. The temple flag always flies in the opposite direction of the temple. The priest of the temple is hoisting the daily new flag above the temple. When they climb the temple, climb in the opposite direction, which is a matter to think about.

Mughal empires have attacked this Jagannath temple 18 times to destroy it. But successful never happened. Today there is a 1500 years old temple in front of you, carved like a rock, and it is saying that this earth is still there, and the day I die, this earth will also be included in the world. Jai Jagannath!! Jai Jagannath!