Jagannath Temple Photos

Painting by James Fergusson















The Singhadwara in 1870














The Bada Danda or the Grand Avenue














Rath Yatra

Jagannath Temple, Puri

Jagannath Temple, Puri
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath (Krishna) and located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Orissa, India. The name Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat (Universe) and Nath (Lord of). The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of Krishna and Vishnu, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages that a Hindu has to be visited in one's lifetime .

The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated chariots. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervour. The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava traditions and saint Ramananda who was closely associated with the temple. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.


Origins of the temple
According to recently discovered copper plates from the Ganga dynasty(reference required), the construction of the Current Jagannath temple was initiated by the ruler of Kalinga, Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev [6]. The Jagamohana and the Vimana portions of the temple were built during his reign (1078 - 1148 CE). However it was only in the year 1174 CE that the Orissan ruler Ananga Bhima Deva rebuilt the temple to give a shape in which it stands today.

Jagannath worship in the temple continued until 1558, when Orissa was attacked by the Afghan general Kalapahad. Subsequently, when Ramachandra Deb established an independent kingdom at Khurda in Orissa, the temple was consecrated and the deities reinstalled.

Puri

Puri

Puri is also known to many as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple, which was built in the late eleventh century.

Puri is one of the oldest cities in the eastern part of the country. It is situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal and is a popular beach resort, positioned in a unique place so that both sunset and sunrise can be viewed from the beach.

Puri, the holy land of Lord Jagannath has many names. It is mentioned in Puranas as Srikshetra, Shankhakshetra, Neelachala, Neeladri, Purusottama Dhama, Purusottama Kshetra, Purusottama Puri and Jagannath Puri. The word "puri" in Sanskrit means 'town', or 'city'. May be, Puri is a shortened name for Jagannath Puri or Purusottama Puri. In some records pertaining to the British rule, the word 'Jagannath' was used for Puri. It is the only shrine in India, where Radha, also referred to as Durga, Sati, Parvati, Shakti abodes with Krishna, also known as Jagannath.

Hirakud Dam Photo Gallery

Hirakud Dam

Hirakud Dam

Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about 15 km from Sambalpur in the state of Orissa in India. Built in 1956, the dam is the world's largest earthen dam. Behind the dam extends a lake, Hirakud Reservoir, 55 km long. Hirakud Dam is one of the longest dams in the world, about 16 mi (26 km) in length. It was the first major multipurpose river valley project started after India's independence.

People affected by the dam Construction

The main purpose of the Hirakud Dam was to check the massive flood that was effecting a large part of coastal Orissa. But construction of the dam greatly affected the native of western part of Orissa. Nearly 1.5 Lakh people got affected by the Hirakud project. Nearly 22,000 family were displaced by the dam project who are yet to be rehabilitated and receive their due compensation by the Orissa government.

Orissa

Orissa or Odisha, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal.It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April 1936 as a province in British India, and consists, predominantly of Oriya speakers.

Orissa is the ninth largest state by area in India, and the eleventh largest by population.

Orissa is home to the Hirakud Dam, the longest earthen dam in the world. Orissa has several popular tourist destinations. Puri, with the Jagannath temple near the sea (famous for Rath Yatra or the Car Festival), and Konark, with the Sun Temple, are visited by thousands of tourists every year. The Jagannath Temple of Puri, The Sun Temple of Konark, The Lingaraja Temple of Bhubaneshwar and the Barabati Fort of Cuttack are important in the archaeological history of India.