Janganath Temple in Orissa

The beautiful ancient temple in Orissa receives visitors, general pilgrims as well as newly wed couples seeking blessings from Lord Jagannath.

The state of Orissa has many Hindu temples and monuments. Ancient and sacred, these temples are visited not just by the people of Orissa but Hindus from other parts of the country. The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a revered place and visited by thousands. This temple is among the four abodes of the ultimate divine. The temple structure dates back to 12^th century. The Ganga dynasty king, Chodagangadeva, built it.

Puri, the small beachfront town is famous for the Janaganath temple and seafood. This towering structure of the temple is visible from the countryside. The height of the structure is approximately 65 meters. The temple has a huge compound surrounding the four sides. The compound houses many important facilities like the famous temple kitchen, which feeds about 10,000 visitors and temple staff. The ‘prasad’ is cooked and served in the temple kitchen. The temple is the source of livelihood for around 6000 temple staff and management.

The temple has visitors from all walks of life. Being a sacred place of Hindu pilgrimage, the newlywed after completing the Oriya matrimony rituals visit the temple and receive the lord’s blessings. Puri is a regular destination for newly married couples. Apart from the pilgrimage center, there are many important ways of spend time in Puri for the newlyweds.

The Puri temple was covered with white plaster and the temple art was not discovered till the year 1975. The white plaster earned this structure name of ‘white pagoda’ by sailors who visited the Puri shores. The white plaster in the temple structure baffled many history aficionados and scholars. Orissa has a great temple art and there was no trace of it in this temple. In the 1975, archaeologists removed the plaster and found the hidden art underneath. The reason for covering the beautiful temple work with plaster was to protect the structure from salty water. The temple has intense religious value among the people of Orissa.

Author: Shipra Sinha