Jagannath Puri Facts

Let’s explore the Jagannath Puri facts, The Jagannath Puri Temple is one of India’s most admired and respected Temples. Numbers of devotees visit Jagannath temple every year. Lord Krishna is worshipped as Lord Shree Jagannath in Jagannath Temple.

The temple is situated in Puri and is of utmost importance to the Hindu devotees as it is one of the Char-Dham Pilgrimages. It is believed that Lord Shree Jagannath is present in this temple along with their elder brother.

There are several unexplained science, mysteries, and miracles connected with this temple, which have no scientific reasons. Historians, scientists, even priests, and common people have been trying hard to solve these mysteries for so many years but it remains a mystery for everyone till now. So, let’s dive into its amazing facts and mysteries about the temple

Jagannath Puri Facts No. 1- The Direction of the Flag

Flying in the face of nature’s Code of Conduct everybody knows that anything or piece of cloth is dominated by the wind to fly according to its course. The flag of Jagannath Puri temple is a dynamic and living symbol of the temple and is an integral part of the daily rituals and traditions associated with Lord Jagannath.

The same principle has numerous applications from the giant Canvas on your ship to a small flag in your hand, all follow the same code. But it looks like the flag mounted on the top of the Jagannath Puri Temple is a unique Oddity to the principal.

This particular flag flows in the opposite direction to the wind’s direction without any scientific background to back it up.

Jagannath Puri Fact No.2 – The Flag Changing

The flag atop the temple is changed daily by a designated priest of Jagannath Puri temple, 1800 years old tradition, that a priest climbs at top of the Shikhara of the Jagannath Temple every day to change the flag.

This ritual is followed by dates far back to the day the temple was built. The practice is done with bare hands without any protective gear in the Jagannath Puri Temple.

Jagannath Puri Facts No. 3 – The mystical Idols of the Temple

The deities are changed every 14 to 18 years old idols are buried near the Koili Vaikuntha, one above another, replaced by new ones. These deities of Jagannath Puri temple are made up of neem wood and are believed to be disintegrated on their own. The idols are fully made of wood and are replaced to new idols during Nabakalebara.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.4 – No Shadow of Temple

A necessary detail while sketching anything is shading. No matter what time of the day it is, no matter where the sun is shining through in the sky, the Jagannath Puri temple doesn’t have a shadow of a temple. Shadow happens when sunlight glows on one part of the subject leaving a shadow on the other, which ultimately triggers shade.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.5 – The Sudarshan Chakra

The temple’s flag atop the main spire is called Nila Chakra, which is believed to be the largest alloy wheel in the world. From every direction you look, the Chakra of Jagannath Puri temple looks back with the same appearance. It is like it was designed to look just the same from every direction.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.6- Nothing Fly Above the temple

this particular area is restricted, not even a single bird is encountered above the temple dome, and even an airplane could not be seen hovering above the Jagannath Puri temple.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.7 – The Food never gets wasted

The Parsada prepared in the Jagannath Puri Temple every day is never wasted, not even a bite as, In Hindu mythology, wasting food is considered a bad sign; the Temple crew follows the same.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.8 – Sound of sea waves.

After you take the first step inside the temple’s complex from Singha Dwara’s entrance, the audibility of the ocean waves is entirely lost.

This phenomenon is more prominent in the evening time, according to myth, Goddess Subhadra wished that the temple would be a place of serenity, and to please her, the temple mutes the sound of the sea.

Jagannath Puri Facts No. 9 – Method of cooking

The Mahaprasad of Jagannath Puri temple is prepared by thousands of priests and 7 earthen pots are placed one above the other the food is cooked over firewood and the food in the topmost pot gets cooked first followed by the rest is another mystery of the temple.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.10- The prediction of Rainfall

It is said that the typical feature of this temple is that some drops of rain begin dripping on its roof seven days before rain, predicting how will rainfall be this year.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.11- Rath Yatra

The tradition of Jagannath Puri temple Rath Yatra is more than 400 Years old. The three new Chariots are made of Neem tree every year, the Gajapati of the temple dresses like a sweeper and cleans the road with a golden-handled broom to perform the Chera Pahara ritual. The rath yatra symbolizes the fact of the journey of lord shree Krishana from Dwarka.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.12- The Chariot Facts

Jagannath’s rath is called Nandigosha and is about 44 feet tall, and has 16 wheels the colors used for his chariot are red and yellow.

While Balbhadra’s chariot is called Taladhwaja is about 43 feet tall and has 14 wheels, the color of his chariot is red and blue, and Devi Subhadra’s chariot is known as Darpadalana and is about 42 feet tall and the color used in her13 wheel chariot is red and black.

Jagannath Puri Fact No.13- The Dress Code for Jagannath Puri Temple

Women are asked to wear traditional sarees and girls should wear Salwar and suits. No one is allowed to wear shorts and visit the temple. And the Servitors, are required to wear traditional clothes like Dhoti, Gamuchha.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.14- 22 Steps In  Jagannath Puri Temple

According to Brahma Gyani Sadhaka, the Bramha is inserted in the Daru Murti after 21 days so it is required to cross 21 steps to Darshan of the Bramham. Therefore, 22 steps represent this. There are a total of 18 Purans and 04 Veda in Jagannath Sanskruti So 22 steps are built to represent the Purans and Vedas.

Jagannath Puri Facts No.15.- Nabakalebara

The ritual is performed during the 8th, 12th, or 19th year after the previous Nabakalebara, and signifies the renewal or re-embodiment ritual of the wooden idols of the Chaturdha-Murty of Lord Shree Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra, and Sri Sudarshan.

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