One of the oldest mysterious temple : Jagannath Temple in Puri
1. Introduction :
We all love to read mystery and thrille novels and stories. Mystery and thrill scare our minds as well as create the urge to find the mystery. Today we will discuss the mystery of a temple and the history of the temple deity. The history of the temple located in the state of Orissa in India is very ancient. Today we are going to share with you some important information about the temple, things that many of you may or may not know.There is a mysterious history behind the construction of the temple and there are some strange incidents in the temple, which are still happening today. Those events still make modern science think. The solution of which has not been found by any worshiper of science till date.The mysterious temple I am talking about is the Jagannath temple in Puri and its idols.
2. Construction of the temple :
i) Ancient history : -
Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Lord Krishna, at Puri in the state of Orissa on the east coast of India. The temple was built in the twelfth century AD by King Anantavarman of the Ganga dynasty, as proposed by the Kendupatna copperplate inscription of his descendant Narsinghdev II. Anantavarman was originally a Shaiva and became a Vaishnava after conquering the Utkal region (where the temple is located) in 1112 AD.Therefore, the construction of the temple must have started after 1112 AD.
According to a legend in the history of the temple, it was founded by Anangabhima-deva II. Various histories variously refer to the year of construction as 1196, 1197, 1205, 1216, or 1226. It is understood that the construction of the temple was completed or the temple was renovated during the reign of Anangabhima, the son of Anantavarman. The temple complex was further developed during the reigns of later kings, including the Ganga dynasty and the Suryavanshi (Gajapati) dynasty.
ii) According to Skandha Purana : -
The city of Puri is now located in the Indian state of Orissa, the mythical name of Orissa being Utkal Province. The city of Puri is located on the seashore. At that time, mainly by sea, in different countries like Sumatra, Java, Indonesia, Thailand, there was a boom in the trade of merchants.Since Puri Dham is one of the four dhams of Lord Vishnu, people used to know Puri as Srikshetra, Sri Purushottam, Nilanchal and Jagannath Puri Dham. In Jagannath Dham, Lord Vishnu composed many of his leelas.In Skandha Purana, Lord Vishnu descended as Purushottam Nilmadhaba and Sabar was worshiped as the chief deity of the Dalit nation.
As the main revered deity of the people of Sabar nation, the form of God is as black here as that of the Kabils. It is believed that people of Sabar caste used to make idols of their revered deity out of wood. At present Lord Jagannath is worshiped by Sabar caste priests as well as Brahmin priests.Needless to say, from the full moon of the month of Jyastha to the date of the full moon of the month of Ashar, Jagannath Dev is worshiped by priests of the Sabar caste. According to the Puranas, the Purushottam Hari is worshiped in the Nilgiris and this Hari is considered to be another form of Lord Rama.It is said that the priest Bishwa Basu, the leader of the Sabar caste, worshiped Jagannath for the first time.
iii) According to legend : -
The king of Malbar was Indradyumna. His father was Raja Bharat and his mother was Sumati Devi. King Indradyumna saw Lord Jagannath in his dream one day. In a dream, Jagannath Dev ordered King Indradyumna to have a statue of Lord Jagannath in a cave in the Nilanchal mountain, and bring it to the king to build a temple to worship him.Upon receiving the dream order, King Indradyumna, with his army and followers, set out for the Nilanchal mountain in search of the idol of Lord Jagannath.
Among the king's attendants was a Brahmin named Vidyapati, a close associate of King Indradyumna. He had heard of the worship of Nilmadhaba by the lower castes of Sabar Kabil in public.And he also knew that the people of this patient nation had hidden the idol of Nilmadhab in a cave in the Nilanchal mountain.Vidyapati then realized very well that the king's army could not find the idol of Nilmadhaba without the help of Biswa Basu, the chief of the Sabar caste, despite the best efforts of the feudal lords.Bishwa Basu was a devotee of Nilmadhab and a priest of the Sabar caste. Bishwa Bose used to worship Nilmadhab in secret in the caves of Nilanchal mountain.
Finding no way to rescue the idol of Nilmadhaba without the help of Bishwa Basu, Vidyapati, a close priest of King Indradyumna, cleverly married Bishwa Basu's daughter.Later, with the help of Bishwa Basu's daughter, Vidyapati brought the idol of Neel Madhav from the cave of Nilanchal mountain and handed it over to King Indradyumna.Bishwa Basu was deeply saddened by the theft of the idol of his deity Nilmadhab. Then seeing the suffering of the devotees, Lord Jagannath in a dream ordered King Indradyumna to put the idol of Nilmadhaba back in the cave of Nilanchal mountain and on the other hand Lord Indradyumna was assured by Lord Jagannath to return to him.
King Indradyumna then placed the idol again in a cave in the Nilanchal mountain. On the other hand, King Indradyumna then started the construction of the temple waiting for the return of the Lord. When the construction of the temple was completed, Indradyumna begged Lord Jagannath to return.Lord Jagannath then told King Indradyumna in a dream that a neem tree trunk would float from the city of Dwarika to the shores of Puri and reach the shore.And his idol should be made of that neem wood.
The next morning King Indradyumna went to the beach of Puri with Lashkar Adi. When he went to the beach, he saw a neem tree trunk floating. The king then ordered the army of his feudal lords to lift the trunk of the tree from the water to the shore.But after hundreds of attempts, the king's army, the feudal lords, failed to bring the tree trunk ashore. King Indradyumna then understood Lord Jagannath's leela and prayed to Bishwa Basu, the chief devotee of the Sabar caste, a devotee of Nilambar, for help to bring the trunk ashore.
But surprisingly, the king's army and feudal lords could not lift the neem tree trunk to the shore despite all their efforts. Then Bishwa Basu carried the tree trunk to the shore on his shoulder alone.Wood was found but there were doubts about how to make the statue. Then Bishwakarma himself appeared to King Indradyumna in the form of an old craftsman.King Indra laid down three conditions for the construction of the idol of Bishwakarma.E.g. ----
1. He will make the idol alone and he will not take any help from anyone while making the idol.
2. The doors of the temple will be kept completely closed while the idol is being made.
3. He will complete the construction of the idol within 21 days and the doors of the temple will be completely closed for these 21 days.
King Indradyumna accepted all the conditions of the old craftsman and ordered to start the work of making the idol.
Then the sound of knocking, knocking, chiseling hammer started coming out from the womb of the temple house. On the other hand, curiosity about the idol of Rani Gundicha Devi, the wife of King Indradyumna, grew.Thus, after 19-20 days, Rani Gundicha Devi curiously peeked at the door of the temple but she did not hear the sound of any chisel hammer. The queen then thought that the old craftsman might have died of starvation.Upon receiving the news, King Indradyumna himself came to supervise the incident.Seeing no way out, the king was helpless and ordered to open the door of the temple.
But what is surprising is that as soon as the door of the temple was opened, the old craftsman disappeared from the temple. The king then looked at the idol and saw that there were three idols lying half-built.Only half of the hands of Lord Jagannath and Balabhadra were made then, and the work of the hands and feet of sister Subhadra remained incomplete. The king then set up an incomplete half-built idol of Jagannath, grandfather Balabhadra and sister Subhadra in the temple, thinking it was God's will.And since then even today the half-made idols of Lord Jagannath, Dada Balabhadra and sister Subhadra have been worshiped in the temple of Puri.
King Indradyumna kept the world's tallest monument for Jagannath. It was 1,000 cubits high. He invited Brahma, the cosmic creator, to sanctify temples and images.For this purpose Brahma came from heaven. He was very pleased to see the temple. Brahma asked Indradyumna how he (Brahma) could fulfill the king's wish, because he was very pleased with him for setting up the most beautiful temple for Lord Vishnu.Folding his hands, Indradyumna said, "My Lord, if you are really pleased with me, please bless me with one thing, and that is that I should be without problems and should be the last member of my family." If anyone is alive after him, he will only be proud as the owner of the temple and will not work for the society.
3. Structure :
The huge temple complex covers an area of more than 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) and is surrounded by a high castle wall. This 20 feet (6.1 m) high wall is known as Meghnada Pachari. Another wall surrounding the main temple is known as Kurm Bedha. It has at least 120 temples and shrines.With the richness and fluidity of Oriya style temple architecture, it is one of the finest monuments in India. The temple has four distinct divisional structures, namely, Deula, Biman or Garba Griha (sanctum sanctorum) where the three deities reside on the Ratnavedi (throne of pearls).
i) Facade (front porch) : -
The main temple is a curved temple and the crown is Vishnu's 'Srichakra' (an eight wheel) at the top. Also known as the "blue wheel", it is made of octahedron and is considered sacred. The temple of Sri Jagannath is the highest of the existing temples in Orissa. The temple tower was built on a high platform of stone and rises 214 feet (65 m) above the inner sanctum where the gods reside, dominating the surrounding landscape.
ii) Sapphire cycle : -
The Sapphire Chakra (Blue Discus) is a discus placed on the top of the Jagannath Temple. According to custom, a different flag is hoisted in the blue circle every day. The flag hoisted in the blue circle is called the prostitute pavana (purifier of fall) and is equivalent to the idol of the gods kept in the sanctum sanctorum.
The Sapphire Chakra is a disc with eight new carvings engraved on the outer perimeter, all facing the upper flagpost. It is made of an alloy of eight metals (whole-metal) and is 3.5 meters (11 feet and 8 inches) high and about 11 meters (36 feet) in circumference.
In 2010, the Nila Chakra was repaired and restored by the Archaeological Survey of India. The blue chakra is the only physical object whose symbols are used in Sanskrit and is considered sacred in the worship of Jagannath. It is a symbol of protection of Sri Jagannath.
iii) Lion Gate :
The Lion Gate, which means The Lion Gate in Sanskrit, forms one of the four gates of the temple and the main entrance. The Lion Gate is named because there are two huge statues of crouching lions on either side of the entrance. The gate faces east to the Great Rod or Grand Road. A flight of twenty-two hills or twenty-two steps enters the temple precincts.A statue of Jagannath known as Pittapavan, meaning "savior of the poor and downtrodden" in Sanskrit, is painted on the right side of the entrance. In ancient times, when the untouchables were not allowed to enter the temple, they could pray to the prostitute Pavna. The idols of the two guards of the temple Jaya and Vijaya are standing on either side of the door.
The idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were brought out of the temple through this gate just before the start of the procession. On their return from the Gundicha temple, they must formally place the goddess Mahalakshmi, whose idol is engraved on the door, for the negligence of taking her with them on the journey. Only then did the goddess allow them to enter the temple.A sixteen-sided pillar known as the Aruna Pillar. At the top of this pillar is a statue of Arun, the charioteer of the sun god. One notable thing about the Arun Pillar is that it was earlier located at the Konark Sun Temple. Later the Maratha guru Brahmachari Gosain brought this pillar from Konark.
iv) Horse Gate : -
In addition to the main entrance to the temple, there are three more entrances facing north, south and west. They are named after the animal sculpture that protects them. Other entrances are the Elephant Gate or Elephant Gate, the Bygradwara Tiger Gate and the Horse Gate.
v) Small temple : -
In the southern part of the Jagannath temple complex is a cluster of small temples including the Bimala temple (extreme right). The temple complex has numerous small temples and shrines where regular worship is held. Bimala Mandir (Bimala Mandir) is considered to be one of the most important Shakti Peethas where the navel of Goddess Sati fell. It is located near Rohini Kund in the temple premises.As long as the food given to Jagannath is not given to Goddess Bimala, it is not considered as Mahaprasad. The temple of Mahalakshmi has an important role in the rituals of the original temple. It is said that Mahalakshmi supervised the making of offerings for Jagannath.
vi) Mandapa : -
There are many mandapas or pillar halls on the raised platform in the temple complex which means religious congregation. The mandapa is the mandapa of the holy seat of the selected witty Brahmins. Here important decisions are taken regarding the conduct of daily worship and festivals. The dola mandapa is notable for a beautifully carved stone torana or arch that is used to make dolas for the annual dolayatra festival.During the festival the idol of Dolobindis placed on the swing. The bathing altar is a rectangular stone platform where the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are placed for formal bathing during the annual bathing procession.
vii) Fasting House : -
The temple kitchen is the largest in the world. According to tradition, Goddess Mahalakshmi, the empress of the temple herself, supervises all the mahaprasad cooking in the temple kitchen, and if there is any defect in the prepared food, a shadow dog appears near the temple kitchen, which is a sign of her dissatisfaction.If a shadow dog is seen, the food is immediately buried and a new batch is cooked.
All 56 types of food produced are vegetarian and prepared without onion, garlic or chilli prescribed by Hindu scriptures.The water is drawn from earthen pots using water drawn from two special wells near the kitchen called Ganga and Jamuna. The most relative offerings are kothabhog or half, given after noon. After making offerings to Jagannath and other deities, food is sold at the Ananda Bazaar in open market near the temple.
4. Jagannath Dev :
Jagannath (i.e., "Lord of the theWorld" or "Lord of the World") is a Hindu deity. His worship is practiced in the Indian states of Orissa, Chhattisgarh (Bastar region), West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, Manipur and Tripura and in Bangladesh. Jagannath is a special form of the Hindu god Vishnu or his incarnation Krishna. He is worshiped along with his grandfather Balarama and sister Subhadra.
Statues of Jagannath are usually made of wood. The main idol of Jagannath (Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra) is made of 'Neem tree' or wood of neem tree. The eyes of this statue are large and round. The hand is incomplete. No legs can be seen in the statue. There are various doctrines and sacred beliefs about the absence of incomplete hands and feet in idols.The worship of Jagannath is also different from the worship of other Hindu deities. The main temple of Jagannath is located in the city of Puri in the state of Orissa. This temple is one of the four shrines of Hinduism.
There is no explicit mention of Jagannath in the Vedas. He is also not a member of Dashabatar or Vedic Hindu deities. However, in some Oriya texts, Jagannath has been replaced by Buddha as the ninth incarnation of Vishnu. Jagannath is a non-sectarian deity in the form of Vishnu.He cannot be associated with any one community of Hinduism alone. Followers of Vaishnavism, Shaiva, Shakta, Smart and all branches worship Jagannath. Jagannath's association with Buddhism and Jainism is also shown.
i) Origin : -
According to them, the word "Jagannath" is a noun like the two words "Loknath" or "Avalokitesvara". In fact, the deity who is considered to be the highest is called "Jagannath". The etymological meaning of the word "Jagannath" is "Lord of the world or the universe". It consists of a combination of the words "jagat" (whose root is "gamh", meaning "whatever goes") and "nath" (i.e., lord or shelter).That is, the word "Jagannath" means "one who is the shelter or lord of the moving world". Also, according to the structure of Jagannath's idol, his "Kalya" (i.e., "black god" or "god of time"), "Darubrahm" (i.e., wood-shaped Brahman), "Darudevata" (i.e., wooden god), "Chakakshi", "Chakadola or The name "Chakanayan" (i.e., the god whose eyes are round) is also common.
According to some researchers, the word "Jagannath" is a cultured indigenous word. These researchers consider Jagannath to be a tribal deity. Sarvara, a primitive tribal of Orissa, was a tree-worshiper. They called their god "Jagannat". Probably, the word "Jagannath" comes from this word. Although not all of these doctrines are universal. An Abrahman priestly class known as "Daitapati" claims that they are the descendants of a Sarva Jagannath-devotee named Vishwabasu. They celebrated some of the major festivals of the Puri temple and became known as the Family of God.
ii) Theoretical explanation : -
Some sects of Hindus consider Jagannath to be an incarnation of Vishnu. In some communities, Vishnu is considered to be the source of all incarnations. It is believed that the incarnations originated from Jagannath, the cause of all worldly creation. So like the incarnations like Rama, Krishna, Jagannath has no biography or pastime.
Dipti Roy writes in his book Prataprudra Dev (the last notable Sun King of Orissa):
According to Saral Das (Oriya poet), "All the incarnations of Vishnu (Jagannath) emanate from him and disappear in Jagannath after the end of their leela.During the reign of Prataprudra Deva, Oriya poets adopted this idea and propagated this doctrine in their books. Ex to them, Jagannath is empty man, formless and niranjan. He is always present for the leela in Nilachal; They also say that incarnations like Rama and Krishna have emanated from Jagannath and performed Leela in the world and at the end of Leela they have merged in Purnabrahma.
There are signs of all incarnations of Vishnu in Jagannath. He is worshiped in the form of one incarnation of Vishnu in special occasions. Although he is specially associated with Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu. In the Puranas, the lion incarnation of Vishnu broke a wooden pillar and came out.That is why Jagannath is worshiped in the form of Darubrahma by reciting Narsingh Stotra. Every year in the month of Bhadra, Jagannath is worshiped as a dwarf incarnation of Vishnu. Jagannath is also worshiped as a dwarf during the annual rath yatra. Tulsidas came to Puri in the sixteenth century and worshiped Jagannath as Raghunath (Ram).Jagannath has been associated with Krishna since the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Buddha, the ninth incarnation of Vishnu, is also considered to be Jagannath. However, the attempt to include Jagannath instead of Buddha as the ninth incarnation of Vishnu is controversial.
There was never any caste system among the devotees in Jagannath temple. Jagannath is worshiped in all communities of Hinduism. He is not only a Vaishnava deity, he is the deity of all communities. Jagannath is considered the essence of Tantric action.Shaivas and Shaktas consider Jagannath to be the Bhairab of Goddess Bimala i.e. Shiva. Even the worshipers of Jagannath temple belong to the Shakti community. However, the Vaishnava community is the most influential in this temple. According to popular belief, Jagannath can take the form of any deity to fulfill the desires of the devotees.In the Bhagavata Purana, sage Jagannath and Shiva prove unity. Ganapati Bhatta of Maharashtra worshiped Jagannath as Ganesha during Hatibesh.
5. Acharya and Jagannath Puri :
It is known that all the famous Vaishnava Acharyas including Madhavacharya visited this area. Adi Shankaracharya established his Govardhana Math here. There is also evidence that Guru Nanak, Ramananda, Kabir, Tulsidas, Ramanujacharya (who established the 'Emma Math' near the temple), Srimanta Sankardeva and Nimbarkacharya visited the place.Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Gaudiya Vaishnavism stayed here for 24 years, establishing that the love of God could be spread by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Srimad Vallabhacharya Jagannath visited Puri and recited Srimad-Bhagavatam-din. His seat is still famous as "Bouthakji". This confirms his Puri tour.
A famous incident took place during the visit of Vallabhacharya. A discussion was held among the Brahmins and Vallabhacharya was asked 4 questions. Which is the highest of the gods, which is the highest mantra, which is the highest scripture and which is the highest service. Discussions were going on for a long time with many schools.
Finally Sri Vallabh said ask Lord Jagannath to confirm Sri Vallabh's answer. A pen and paper were left in the inner sanctum. After a while the door opened and 4 answers were written.
1) Devaki's son (Krishna) is the God of God
2) His name is supreme in the mantra
3) His song is the highest scripture (Bhagavad Gita)
4) His service is the highest service.
The king was shocked and declared Sri Vallabh the winner of the speech. Some of the participating scholars were jealous of Shri Vallabh and wanted to test him. The next day was Ekadashi, a day of fasting where one has to fast from grain. Scholars offered Sri Jagannathji's Sri Vallabh rice prasad (the temple is famous for this). If Sri Vallabh had eaten it, he would have broken his vow of fasting but if he did not accept it, he would have disrespected Lord Jagannath. Shri Vallabh took Prasad in his hand and spent the rest of the day-night explaining the verses of the greatness of Prasad and ate rice the next morning.
6. Chardham :
The temple is one of the holiest Hindu shrines. Looking at the history of the temple of Jagannath Dev in Puri, it can be seen that there is a belief among the people of the Hindu community that Lord Vishnu used to travel to his four shrines at different times.
These four dhams are Badrinath Dham, Dwarika Dham, Puri Dham and Rameshwaram. Lord Vishnu bathed at Badrinath Dham, located on the summit of the Himalayas in the northern part of India.Then he went to Dwarika Dham in Gujarat in the west and wore clothes, he ate in Puri Dham in Orissa in the east and lastly the Lord rested at Rameshwaram in his fourth Dham in the south.
According to the mythology, Lord Krishna stayed in Puri Dham at the time of his death in the Dwapar era.Jagannath is the form of Lord Krishna, so since Lord Krishna is the Lord of the living world, people call him Jagannath, the Lord of the world.
Puri is one of the most revered places for Hindus.Where Lord Jagannath is worshiped together with his grandfather Balabhadra (Balaram) and younger sister Subhadra.
7. Customs :
i) Sandalwood Yatra : -
Every year the sandalwood festival at Akshay Tritiya initiates the construction of the chariot.
ii) Bathing : -
On the full moon day of the month of Jyastha, bathing and decorating are officially done every year on the occasion of the bathing procession of the gods.
iii) Anbhasar or Anasar : -
Literally means leave. Every year, the main idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan go to a secret altar called Anbasara Ghar after a holy bath on the Jyastha full moon, where they stay for the next dark fortnight (Krishnapaksha).So fans are not allowed to see them. Instead the devotees go to the nearest Brahmagiri to see their beloved Lord in the form of Vishnu in the form of a four-armed Alarnath.Then the man gets the first glimpse of the Lord on the day before the chariot ride, which is called the New Youth. It is said that the gods get fever after taking a huge bathAnd were treated for 15 days by their special slaves. Cooked food is not given to the gods during this period.
iv) Daily food offering : -
The morning offering to the Lord which forms his breakfast and is called Gopal Vallabhbhog.Breakfast consists of seven items such as khuwa, lahuni, sweet coconut shake, coconut water and popcorn sweetened with sugar known as khai, yogurt and ripe banana. Sakla Dhoop forms its next offer at 10 am.It usually consists of 13 items, including Andrew Cake and Mantha Puli.The large shankhudi bhoga forms the next rist and the offering contains pakhla with yoghurt and kanji paise.Offerings are made in the Bhog Mandap, about 200 feet from the Ratnavedi. It is called Chittagong.
The mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath is distributed among the devotees near Ratnavedi inside the frame of Fokriya, which is drawn by Gopal Vallabh Bhog and the puja pandas using the muruj except for the Bhog Mandap Bhog, which is distributed in the Anabsar Pindi and Bhog Mandap respectively.
8. Festival :
i) Rathyatra: -
Here is the daily worship service. Many festivals are attended by millions of people every year. The most important festival is Rath Yatra or Rath Utsav in June.The temple of Puri is famous for its annual chariot procession and chariot festival. This spectacular festival includes the procession of three huge chariots carrying idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra from Bada Danda i.e. Grand Avenue of Puri to their final destination Gundicha temple.
The Jagannath trio is usually worshiped in the sanctum sanctorum of the Puri temple, but once on the second day of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashar (the rainy season in Orissa, usually falls in June or July), they are brought to Puri on the main Danda (main road) ), In a huge chariot (chariot), allowing the public to see the Darshan (sacred scene). This festival is known as Rathyatra, meaning the journey of the chariot (rath).
Chariots are huge wheeled wooden structures, which are rebuilt every year and drawn by fans. Puri artists and painters decorate cars and draw flower petals and other designs on wheels, wooden carved chariots and horses and lotus flowers upside down on the wall behind the throne.The huge chariots of Jagannath drawn during the Rathyatra are the etymological origin of the English word Jugarnat. Rathyatra is also called Sri Gundicha Jatra. Going to this Gundicha temple is called going to Jagannath's aunt's house.
The most notable event associated with the Rath Yatra is the Chhera Pahar. During the festival, the Gajapati king wears a broomstick costume and sweeps around the gods and chariots during the Chera Pahar (broom with water) ceremony.Gajapati Raja cleaned the road before the chariot with a broom in his golden hand and sprinkled sandalwood water and powder with utmost devotion. According to tradition, although Gajapati Raja is considered to be the most respected person in the Kalinga kingdom, he still provides casual services for Jagannath.This ritual indicates that under Jagannath, there is no difference between the powerful sovereign Gajapati king and the most humble devotee.
After clearing the road with a golden broom, the rope of the chariot begins to pull. The procession of Jagannath Deva begins.The three gods have three different chariots. There are a number of rules for chariot rides, and there are also eye-catching variations in the size and color of the chariot.
The first chariot journey started with the chariot of elder brother Balabhadra. The name of the chariot is 'Taladhvaj'. The wheels of the chariot are 14, the height is 44 feet and the cover of the chariot is blue.Then the chariot of sister Subhadra started. The name of the chariot is 'Dapadalan'. The height is about 43 feet and 12 wheels. The flag of the chariot has footprints.That is why it is also called 'Padmadhbhaj'. The covered color of the chariot is red.
At the end of the procession of Jagannath Deva begins. The name of the chariot is 'Nandighosh'. The flag of the chariot has a statue of Kapiraj Hanuman painted on it, hence its other name 'Kapidhwaj'.The chariot is 45 feet high, has 16 wheels and is covered in yellow.
Although the color of the three chariots is different, the surface of each chariot is red. All three chariots travel 3 km away from the main temple to Gundicha temple.After staying there for 7 days, Ulta came back in the chariot.Then the gods again rode in chariots and went back to the temple for a long journey. On the way back, three chariots stop at the Mausi Maa temple and are given poda pitha to the gods, a kind of baked cake that is usually eaten by the people of Orissa.
At present, three chariots are used, but about 700 years ago, the journey of the chariot was divided into two parts. In these two parts, a total of 6 chariots were used, three by three.Because from there, in the middle of the way to Gundicha temple, a wide channel used to flow.When the chariots of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra reached the bank of the canal, Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra were taken down and placed on three chariots at the other end.
After Raja Keshari Narsingh took over the kingdom of Puri in 1282 AD, he closed the canal at some point during his reign.Since then, three chariots of Puri Rath Yatra. During the Rath, about 15-20 lakh Hindus came to Puri from home and abroad to take part in the Rath Yatra.
According to the scriptures, when he sees the dwarf Jagannath in the chariot, he is not reborn.That is why the pious Hindus consider pulling the rope of the chariot as a work of virtue.According to fans, Rath has some interesting and surprising facts:
1 / There is no year in Puri that it did not rain on the day of Rath.
2 / The chariots are made without any modern equipment. At present the help of such advanced technology is not taken to make the chariots.
3 / The specified sizes are taken in hand to make the chariot. Not with the help of any yard lace. No type of nail, nutbolt, metal is used.
4 / Chariot making started from the third day of Akshay. Here about 1400 workers make chariots but no one has to be hired separately. Because those who have been making chariots since ancient times are still making chariots.
5 / The three chariots have idols of Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra inside the chariot, which is made of neem wood and decorated with 208 kg of gold.
6 / The source of the wood used for making chariots is two forests named Daspalla and Ranapur near Puri. The wood is cut and floated in the river and it floats in Puri.Twice as many trees are planted here every year.
◆ Duration :
a) The procession of Jagannath is of Puran period. The festival is vividly described in the Brahma Purana, the Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana. The Kapil Sanhita also refers to the Rath Yatra.Even in the Mughal era, Raja Ramsingh of Jaipur in Rajasthan is described as the organizer of the Rath Yatra in the eighteenth century. In Orissa, the kings of Mayurbhanj and Parlakhemundi were organizing rath yatras, though the biggest festival in terms of scale and popularity was in Puri.
b) In the ancient scripture of Orissa, Brahmand Purana, it is said in the context of the history of Rath Yatra that this Rath Yatra started in Satya Yuga. At that time Orissa was known as Malab Desh.After receiving a dream order from King Indradhumna of the Malayalam Suyavanshi dynasty, Lord Vishnu made a Jagannath-like pearl and also received a dream order for a rath yatra.Later, Jagannath temple was established in Puri with his hand and the procession started.
ii) Newcomers : -
Navakalbera is a ceremony related to Jagannath which takes place every 8, 12 or 18 years, when there is one lunar month in the month of Ashar and another lunar month after Ashar.Meaning "new body", this ritual includes placing new pictures in the Jagannath temple and burying old pictures in the temple of Kaili Vaikuntha. The festival was witnessed by millions of people and its budget exceeded $ 500,000. More than three million devotees were expected to visit the temple during Navakalvera in 2015, one of the most spectacular festivals in the world.
iii) Gupta Gundicha : -
Ashwina Krishna is celebrated for 16 days from Dwitiya to Vijayadashami.According to tradition, along with the idol of Goddess Durga (known as Durgamadhaba), the idol of Madhva is also taken on a tour of the temple premises. Travel within the temple is observed for the first eight days. For the next eight days, the idols were taken in palanquins outside the temple to the nearby Narayani temple in Dolmandap alley. After their worship, they are brought back to the temple.
iv) Other festivals : -
Many festivals like Dol Jatra in spring and Jhulan Jatra in monsoon are celebrated by the temple every year. Holy festivals and Damanak festivals are celebrated according to the Panchanga or Panjika. There are special events in the months of Kartika and Poush.For the goddess Bimala, the 16-day 16-day or 16-day puja, which begins 8 days before the mahalaya of the month of Ashwin and ends on Vijayadashami, is very important, so that both the festival idols of Lord Madan Mohan and Bimala take part.Special rituals are performed in the temple on Pana Sankranti, also known as Bishu Sankranti and Mesha Sankranti.
v) Niladri seeds : -
Celebrated on the thirteenth day of the month of Ashar. Closing day of Rath Yatra at Niladri Bij. On this day the gods return to the gem altar. Lord Jagannath gave Rasgulla to Goddess Lakshmi to enter the temple.
9. Jewelry :
There are seven rooms in the secret room of the temple. Those houses are gems. Officials were able to unlock only three houses 34 years ago. What is in the rest of the house is still a mystery.Like Srijagannath's 'Brahmavastu', the mystery of Ratnabhandar remains elusive. From the rooms that were opened, 180 types of gold ornaments inlaid with pearls were recovered. In which there are pearls, very precious stones like coral. Besides, 146 kinds of silver ornaments. However, all this is about the 'inner jewel'.
Bahar Bhandar's image is a bit different. The list was compiled in 1978 under the Puri Sreejagannath Temple Act, 1952 on the right to record. According to that list, there are 150 types of gold ornaments in the Bahar collection.In which there are three gold necklaces. One of which weighs about one and a half kg. Sreejagannath and Balbhadra's gold Sribhuj and Sripair's weight is 9 and a half kg and 8 and a half kg respectively. The gold crowns of Jagannath, Balbhadra and Subhadra weigh 7 kg, 5 kg and 3 kg respectively.According to estimates made by the Puri temple administration between May 13 and 23, 1978, 120 kg 831 g gold ornaments inlaid with pearls, 220 kg 153 g silver ornaments, silver utensils and other valuables were found in the gem.
Every Vijayadashami, Kartik Purnima, Poush Purnima and Maghi Purnima, Mahaprabhu appears in royal attire in front of the devotees at Shrikshetra. The fans are very happy to see her decoration.The ornaments in which Jagannath Deva is adorned are, Sricharane Sripair, Sreebhuj in hand, Kiriti in ear, Orna, Suryachandra, Kana, Arakani, Ghagra, Mali, Kadambamali, Talikchandrika, Alkatilaka, Ghoba Kanthi, Swarnachandra, Swarnachandra, Rati.Dada Balbhadra has Sripair, Srivhuj, Srikiriti, Adhyayani Kundar, Suryachandra, Arakani, Kadambamali, Tilak Chandrika, Hall, Mushal, Bohra Mali. Subhadra includes Sripair, Srivhuj, Kiriti, Orna Mali, Ghagra Mali, Kana Mali, Suryachandra, Adakani, Sebati Mali Taragi etc.
10. Attacks and insults to the temple :
The history of the temple, Madala Panji records that the Jagannath temple in Puri was attacked and looted eighteen times. In 1692, the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ordered the temple to be closed until he wanted to reopen it otherwise it would be demolished, the local Mughal officials who came to do the work were requested by the locals and the temple was only closed. It was reopened after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707.
11. Access and visit :
Visitors are not allowed to enter, they can see the temple and the boundary from the roof of the nearby Raghunandan Library and can pay homage to the god Jagannath seen at the main entrance of the temple. The temple is open from 5 am to midnight.Unlike many other temples, devotees can walk around and behind the idol. During special darshan, or parimanik darshan, devotees pay a small fee to visit the statues. During Sahana Mela all devotees are allowed to go directly to the deities (general attendance) 7-8: 00 am without paying any fee.
12. Management :
After independence, the state government passed the Puri Sri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952, with a view to taking improved administrative measures. The Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 was later enacted to restructure the management system of the temple and its features.
13. Security :
Twelfth-century Jagannath temple security has increased before the Rath Yatra, the homecoming festival of the gods of the Jagannath temple. In response to the terror alert on June 2, 2012, the security forces were beefed up to ensure the smooth functioning of the crowded procession and the gold rush.
14. Mystery of the temple :
You may have heard of Lord Jagannath playing many leelas in different places but the mystery of Jagannath temple in Puri is one of them.
i) Neem wood for making sculptures :
As you know, the only idol of Jagannath in India and in the whole world is made of wood. The wood chosen for the construction of the idol of Jagannath Dev is neem wood. The wood is selected according to the skin color of Jagannath Dev and his grandfather Balbhadra and sister Subhadra. The wood is selected in such a perfect way that all the qualities for the construction of the statue are completed.
The neem tree that is selected for the construction of the idol of Jagannath Devi, the neem tree has to have 4 branches. The tree should have three heads at the base of the shashman.If for some reason a neem tree is not found in such a place, then instead of a combination of bell trees in a place surrounded by hills on three sides, the wood of this type of neem tree is selected for Jagannath Deva. All these rare things make the Jagannath temple in Puri mysterious.
ii) Replacement of statues every 12 years :
Another of the mysteries of the Jagannath temple in Puri is the replacement of the idol of Jagannath with a new one every 12 years. According to Hindus, the abode of Lord Krishna is at Puri Dham.After cremation of Lord Krishna's earthly body in the cremation pyre, his immortal soul vanishes in the Panchabhu. Only Lord Krishna's heart remains intact.The heart of Lord Krishna was not cremated in a cheetah, so according to mythology, the heart of Lord Krishna was replaced by a wooden idol of Jagannath.Every 12 years a new wooden idol of Jagannath Dev is replaced in the temple of Puri. The tradition of replacing this idol of Jagannath Dev has been goingon for ages.
During the installation of the idol of Jagannath Dev, the city of Puri was completely blacked out. On that day, the entire city of Puri was covered with a blanket of darkness. The entire temple precinct was cordoned off with a strict security cordon so that no one other than the priests could enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.In this way, the work of replacing the idol of Jagannath Devi is done every 12 years. The priest is blindfolded and entered the temple wearing gloves. The idol is changed every 12 years. One thing that remains unchanged is the heart of Lord Krishna inside the idol of Lord Jagannath. It has been replaced in the idol of Lord Jagannath for ages.
The heart of Lord Krishna is referred to as Brahma Padartha. According to the temple priest, when the Brahma Padartha is replaced by an old idol of Lord Jagannath in a new idol, the priest with gloves in his hand realizes something like a rabbit cub that is constantly vibrating.In fact, this vibrating object is the heart of Lord Krishna, which still carries the establishment of life in the idol of Lord Jagannath. The priest of the temple was blindfolded and could not feel anything more than this.
Although there is a lot of curiosity in the minds of people about the Brahma substance, from that time till today no person has been able to muster the courage to see the Brahma substance with the naked eye.According to the temple priest, the person who tries to address the Brahma substance with the naked eye will die instantly. The whole body of that person will explode and the body will turn into a piece of flesh.So till today he could not dare to see that Brahman matter.
iii) Rath Yatra as per rules:
The Rath Jatra of Puri is held on the full date of Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashar. Lord Jagannath accompanied his grandfather Balbhadra and sister Subhadra to the house of Rani Gundicha Devi.Rani Gundicha Devi, the wife of King Indradyumna, is an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath Dev, so according to the mythology, Jagannath Dev Rani Gundicha Devi's house means Jagannath Dev goes to visit his aunt's house.
During the chariot ride of Puri, many devotees from home and abroad gathered to pull the rope of Jagannath Dev's chariot. Some people believe that if one goes to Puri on a chariot ride and pulls the rope of Jagannath Deva's chariot, all sins are washed away.According to the traditional custom, before the Puri Rath Jatra was held, the descendants of Raja Indra Jugm, a member of the Puri royal family, were the first to sweep the streets of Puri with gold brooms. Then the chariot of Jagannath Devi was taken out on the streets of Puri, which is one of the mysteries of the Jagannath temple in Puri.
iv) Silence at the Lion Gate :
The Lion Gate of the Jagannath Temple bears the mystery of the Jagannath Temple in Puri. As the temple of Jagannath Dev of Puri is located near the beach, it is normal to hear the sound of the sea waves all the time.But those of you who have visited the Puri temple have noticed at least one thing. The sound of the sea waves could not reach the lion gate of the temple and there was silence.
On the other hand, as soon as you set foot outside the lion gate of the Puri temple, the sound of the surging waves of the sea waves came to your ears again and again. It is normal to smell the burning of dead bodies there.But surprisingly, if you put your foot inside the lion gate of Satya Puri temple, the smell of dead burning will not come to your nose. This kind of incident makes the mystery of Jagannath temple in Puri and the history of Puri temple mysterious.
v) Birds do not sit on the top of the temple :
Another mystery of the Jagannath temple in Puri is that no birds sit on the top of the Jagannath temple. Our India is a country of animals and birds. Colorful birds can be seen here and there.Birds such as sparrows, pigeons, etc. can be seen nesting in the corners of the roof of our house, nesting in electric poles and mobile towers. But you can look at the history of Jagannath Deva temple in Puri and see that till today no bird is sitting on the dome of Jagannath temple in Puri. You will not see any bird flying over the dome of the temple.For all these reasons, the government may have imposed a ban on air travel over the Puri temple. Therefore, no aircraft or helicopters are allowed to fly over the Puri temple.
vi) Do not let the shadow of the dome fall to the ground :
Another exemplary thing in the history of the Jagannath Deva temple in Puri is that the shadow of the dome of the Jagannath Deva temple in Puri never falls to the ground.Usually when an object stands in front of the light, the shadow of that object falls on the ground on its opposite side.The height of Jagannath temple in Puri is about 214 feet and the boundary of the temple premises is 04 lakh square feet. But the thing to think about is that despite being such a big temple, no one has ever seen the shadow of the dome of the Puri temple fall to the ground, which adds to the mystery of the Jagannath temple in Puri.
vii) Daily flag hoisting :
In the temple of Jagannath Deva in Puri, the Shiva Tilak Ranjit flag is hoisted on the dome of the temple every morning according to the custom and in the evening the Shiva Tilak Ranjit flag is lowered from the top of the dome as per the rules.But the secret of the Jagannath temple in Puri is that according to the local temple committee, if one day one forgets to hoist the flag on the top of the temple dome or forgets to lower the flag from the dome, the temple doors will be closed for the next 18 years.
viii) The flag flies against the wind :
Another remarkable thing in the history of the Jagannath Deva temple in Puri is that the flag at the top of the Puri temple flies against the wind.It is said that as the Puri temple is located on the beach, the Puri temple has been destroyed several times by the sea. So according to the mythology, Ramchandra gave the responsibility of protecting the temple of Puri to Hanuman, the son of Pawan. So it is believed that the wind changed its course when it came in front of the Jagannath temple in Puri.Normally the wind blows the book flag in the same direction but the flag of the Jagannath temple flies in the opposite direction of the wind forever.Such incidents have kept the mystery of Puri's Jagannath temple alive even today.
ix) Equally visible in Sudarshan Chakra:
Another mystery in the history of the Jagannath Deva temple in Puri is that the Sudarshan chakras at the top of the dome of the temple are equally visible in all four directions.You will see different types of Sudarshan Chakra on the domes of different temples in different places, but the Sudarshan Chakra installed on the top of the temple of Jagannath Devi in Puri has a different significance.
The Sudarshan Chakra at the top of the Jagannath Temple in Puri looks the same from all sides. The angle view of this handsome Chakra at the Puri Temple is the same all around.So no matter where you visit the temple, the handsome chakras in the dome of the temple, but at first glance it will seem that it is placed in front of you. The mystery of the Jagannath temple in Puri still amazes many people.
x) Kitchen secret :
One of the mysteries of the Jagannath Temple in Puri is the kitchen of Jagannath Devi in Puri. You will hear about the big temples in many places and all the big kitchens of Gurudwaras.But the specialty of Jagannath Deb's kitchen in Puri is that all the delicacies cooked in Jagannath Deb's kitchen are cooked on wood fuel.In the kitchen of Jagannath Devi of Puri, one after the other, offerings were made for Lord Jagannath in 7 earthenware pots. But surprisingly the enjoyment of the pot at the top is cooked first.
In Jagannath Dev's kitchen, there are 500 cooks and 300 assistant cooks who cook bhog for about 01.2 lakh fans every day. But the mystery of the Jagannath temple in Puri is that the kitchen of Jagannath Dev in Puri has never been less enjoyable for the devotees of Jagannath Dev.As soon as it is time to close the temple, the food in the kitchen of Jagannath Deva of Puri ends by itself.The prasad of Lord Jagannath Dev is never wasted which has glorified the history of the temple of Jagannath Dev of Puri.
15. Conclusion :
Here are a few oral theories about the mystery and history of the Jagannath Temple in Puri.The youth of the modern age is gradually abandoning devotion and adopting the path of atheism.But no matter how devoted they are, to understand Jagannath Dev with the desire to gain experience in science education, to know the secrets of Jagannath temple in Puri, their inquisitive mind of science still rushes to understand the history of Jagannath temple in Puri.Lord Jagannath may wish so, today's young men and women are worshiping Jagannath, perhaps by searching for the truth in the pursuit of science.
------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------
Comments
Post a Comment