History of PURI JAGANNATH

JAGANNATH PURI

by Brahmananda Naatha Saraswathi (of Hari Hara Bhuvaneshwari Peetam)

Jagannath Puri is a temple city in the Indian State of Odisha located 60 KMs from Bhubaneswar, on the seashore of Bengal. Jagannath Puri is one of the four Dhamas of India along with Dwarka, Rameshwaram and Badrinath. Jagannath Puri is the spiritual capital of Odisha and also known by other names such as Shri Purushottama Kshetra, Martya Vaikuntha or the abode of Lord Vishnu on Earth, Shri Kshetra, Nilachal, Nilagiri, Shankha Kshetra or Jagannatha Dham. This Holy City finds

mention in various ancient texts such as Rig Veda, Kurma Purana, Narada Purana, Padma Purana and the Vishnu Khanda of the Skanda Purana.

The most significant aspect of Jagannath Puri is the Jagannath Temple which is famous for its huge Deities of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Devi Subhadra and Their annual Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival) which is the largest religious gathering on the planet. The Puri Ratha Yatra attracts devotees from all over the world. In the Skanda Purana, the chapter called as Purushottama Kshetra Mahatmyam delineates the glories of Hagannath Puri. In this Chapter, Jaimini Rishi states that
anyone desiring to visit Sri Purushottama Kshetra will become free of their past sinful actions.

HISTORY OF JAGANNATH PURI

Puri was the capital of the province of Odisha and the headquarters of the Collector till 1816. The ancient city of Purushottama Kshetra was established by King Indradyumna after the installation of the Deities of Lord Jagannath. Over centuries, the city has been looted and destroyed by Muslim rulers and rebuilt and reestablished by various Kings. The Jagannath Temple was invaded eighteen times during its history to loot the temple treasures. However, the Deities were taken to safe places by the head priests during the time of the invasion.

Govardhana Matha, Puri has gained special significance as one of the four dhamas of India. It is the Eastern Dhama and one of the four Shankaracharyas of India stays here. It is believed that, there were 752 Mathas i.e., religious endowments, constituting institutions for the study and propagation of religious creeds in Puri. But now, about a dozen of them deserve mention. The arrival of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a great Gaudiya Vaishnava Saint from Bengal in the 14th century increased the significance of the Bhakti movement with Puri as one of the major seats of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. As per the scriptures, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the incarnation of Lord Krishna in the mood of Srimati Radharani.

Just like Jagannath Puri is glorious, its residents are also so glorious as they drink the nectar of Lord Jagannath’s pastimes every day. In the Brahma Purana, Lord Brahma says that all the residents of Puri have four arms; Purushottama Kshetra is so amazing that even the donkeys living there have four arms, then what to speak of the human beings.

“Aho Kshetrasya Mahatmyam Samantad Dasha Yojanam
Divishthaa Yatra Pashyanti Sarvaan-eva Chaturbhujam”

The glories of Purushottama Dhama are extraordinary. The Devatas from the heavenly planets look upon all living beings with a radius of ten yojanas of this sacred land as four handed residents of Vaikuntha.

In the Garuda Purana, Vyasa Deva goes on to explain,

“Yatra Sthitaa Janaah Sarve, Shankha Chakraabja Paanayah
Drishyante divi devaamsh cha, mohayanti muhur muhuhu”

When the devatas see that the residents of Puri are four armed with Shankha, Chakra and Padma, residents of Vaikuntha who also adorn the same faint innumerable times by seeing them.

Different Names of Jagannath Puri and their Significance

• Sri Kshetra – The word Sri refers to the internal potency of Lord Jagannath Knows as Lakshmi Devi. Hence the trace of land predominated by Sri Shakthi is called as Sri Kshetra. The local residents and Odiyan Vaishnavas refer to the main temple of Lord Jagannath as Sri Mandir and not Jagannath Mandir.
• Sri Purushottama Dhama – Lord Krishna resides here in the form of archa Vigraha called Sri Jagannath Dev or Sri Purushottama Dev and hence, Puri is called as Purushottama Dhama.
• Jagannath Puri Dhama – Jagannath means the Lord of the Universe and hence, his sacred abode is called as Jagannath Puri Dhama.
• Sri Shankha Kshetra – The land area of puri resembles the shape of a conch and hence called Shankha Kshetra. Lord Vishnu’s four weapons are represented in four different places in Odisha (also known as Odradesha), Shankha Kshetra is Jagannath Puri, Padma Kshetra is Konark, Chakra Kshetra is Bhubaneshwar and Gada Kshetra isJajapura. Of the four, Shankha Kshetra is the best as the Lord resides in His deity form as Jagannath Swami with all his majesty, beauty and sweetness.
• Nilachala Dhama – There is a small mountain situated in the middle of Puri which is bluish in colour on which the current day Jagannath temple is located. Hence, the name Nilachala Dhama. Earlier, Lord Jagannath was known as Nila Madhava whose Deity was made of a dazzling blue stone and worshipped by the local tribesmen called as Sabaras.
• Dasha Avatara Kshetra – It is said that Lord Vishnu originally manifests his different avataras in Puri and then goes to other places to enact the lilas associated with that avatara. After finishing the particular lila, the Lord returns to Puri. The Skanda Purana says that one gets the result of seeing the Dasha Avataras of Lord Vishnu by having just one darshan of Lord Jagannath.
• Bhauma Vaikuntha – As per the Kapila Samhita, Puri is a direct replica of Vaikuntha (sakshat vaikuntha rupam tat). Hence, it is the best of all kshetras and tirthas.
• Narasimha Kshetra – Puri is called as Narasimha Kshetra in the Padma Purana. When Lord Brahma had performed the installation ceremony of the Jagannath Temple, Lord Narasimha manifested from the Yagna Kunda in a ferocious form which frightened King Indradyumna. Seeing this, Lord Narasimha assumed a peaceful form.
• Bhusvarga – As per the Skanda Purana, Puri is known as Bhusvarge i.e., heaven on Earth. The Brahma Purana says that Puri is a very divine abode unlike any other place on Earth which is rarely attained even by the devatas.
• Puri Dhama – The word Puri means residence. Lord Jagannath is the Parama Purusa, i.e., the supreme person who lives here and hence called Puri Dhama.

Benefits of Visiting Jagannath Puri

As per the Skanda Purana, in Dvapara Yuga, Lord Sri Krishna and Arjuna visited Nilachala Dhama i.e., Jagannath Puri for three days. They observed vratas and had darshan of Lord Jagannath.

In the Padma Purana, Sage Narada tells the great devotee Prahlada –“One who sees or even hears about the Supreme Lord manifest on the summit of Nilachala hill will attain Lord Vishnu’s abode”.

In chapter eleven of the Padma Purana, Lord Vishnu tells Lord Shiva – “I eternally reside in Sri Kshetra and I eat there every day. By sleeping in Puri, one obtains the result of Samadhi, and lying down here brings the results of offering obeisances. By wandering around Puri, one obtains
the result of parikrama. Every word spoken here is a prayer glorifying me. Puri is so sanctified and pure that one attains the result of eating havishya (boiled rice with ghee) even by eating fish. Everyone who resides in Jagannath Puri is equal to me. Yamaraja has no jurisdiction to
punish anyone in Puri.”

The Shiva Purana says the following about Puri Dham –

“Aaste ananto avyayo voshnuh, purana purushottamah
Muktim dadaati yo devah, saptadha bhakti vatsalah
Smaranad bhakshanaad, tatha naamaanakirtanaat
Kshetre vaasaad asu-tyaagaad, darshanaach ca yathaa tathaa”

The unlimited, imperishable and primeval Sri Purushottama Deva resides in Puri. Being warmly affectionate to his devotees, Sri Jagannath Dev bestows liberation in the following seven ways – by remembering him, by honoring his Mahaprasadam, by visiting his holy abode, by chanting his holy names, by residing in his holy Dham, by having his darshan or by dying there.

The Brahma Purana states that by bathing in any one of the five sacred places in Jagannath Puri, a person will get liberation. These places are –

1. Indradyumna Sarovar
2. Markandeya Saroar
3. Sveta Ganga
4. Rohini Kunda
5. Sea at Puri, the Mahodadthi, where all sacred rivers of India flow into it.

Places to Visit in Jagannath Puri

• Jagannath Temple, the main attraction of Puri dedicated to Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi.
• Alalanatha Temple, also known as Brahmagiri where there is a temple of Lord Jagannatha and a stone slab containing the imprint of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s body. The Deity here called as Alwarnatha is said have been consecrated by one of the Alwars.
• Narendra Sarovara, which is a large water tank with a temple in the middle dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi. Behind them, there is a Deity of Yashoda Devi, the mother of Lord Krishna. At the other end of the temple rooms is the Deity of Lakshmi Devi. A temple of Lord Shiva and Balakrishna are also present.
• Balagandhi, where Lord Jagannath’s chariot stops to accept Bhog
• and offerings.
• Jagannath Vallabha Gardens, which resembles Vrindavana. There is a temple of Lord Jagannatha here.
• Bhakthisiddhanta Swami’s birth place, which is worth visiting.He is the founder of the Gaudiya Math. The Gaudiya Math temple houses the Deities of Lord Jagannath, Bhaktisiddanta Swami as well as that of the Acharyas of the four sampradayas, i.e.,Vishnuswami, Madhvacharya, Nimbarka and Ramanuja.
• Gundicha Temple, where Lord Jagannath stays for a week during the Rath Yatra festival.
• Narasimha Temple, which stands next to the Gundicha Temple and houses two Deities of Lord Narasimha, one called as Santha Narasimha and the other is Rajo Narasimha. It is said that one who has darshan of Santha Narasimha will be able to free themselves from anger, anxiety and frustration.
• Indradymna Sarovara Kunda, from which water is drawn to clean the Gundicha Temple.
• Paramananda Puri’s well whose water is said to be non-different from the waters of river Ganga. It is said that the water of the well was bitter and hence, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu prayed to Lord
• Jagannath to allow the water of river Ganga to flow into the well and make it sweet. The prayer was accepted and the water turned sweet.
• Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s house contains a hidden tunnel which is said to lead in two directions, i.e., one towards the sea and other towards the Jagannath temple. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was a great devotee of Lord Jagannath.
• Siddha Bakula is the bhajan kutir of Haridasa Thakura who was agreat devotee of Lord Jagannatha inspite of being born into a Muslim family. He used to chant 300,000 holy names of the Lord everyday. The neem tooth stick of Lord Jagannath was planted here by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which grew into a tree in a moment.
• Kasi Misra’s house which used to be the residence of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There is a room seen through a small barred window called Sri Gambhira where the Lord lived. Here one can also have darshan of Akhanda Jyoti lit by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and slippers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
• Other Places Bhaktivinoda Thakur’s Bhajan Kutir, Haridas Thakur’s Samadhi, Chakra Tirtha Temple and others.

How to reach Jagannath Puri

Puri is well connected to other parts of the country through bus, train and flights.

• By Flight – Bhubaneshwar is the nearest Airport and Puri is 60 kms from here.
• By Train – Puri has a railway station and well connected to major rail heads.
• By Road – Puri is well connected by Road. State Bus Transport Corporation plies from various cities in Odissa to Puri and more frequent services from Bhubaneshwar.

Have a wonderful Darshan of the Moksha Puri. Kamakshi Kamakshi Kamakshi!!