09/12/2025
Temple: Shree Jagannath temple, Puri, Puri district, Odisha, Bharat.
He is the eye of all eyes, the nose of all noses, the ear of all ears. He is the Lord of ever changing cosmos. The Lord of the universe | jagat, is Jagannath.
Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, in Puri, Odisha on the eastern coast of India. The temple is an important pilgrimage destination. The present temple was rebuilt from the 10th century onwards, on the site of an earlier temple, & begun by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, 1st of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
Also famous for its annual Ratha yatra | chariot festival, in which the 3 principal deities are pulled on huge & elaborately decorated temple cars. These gave their name to the English term Juggernaut. Unlike the stone & metal icons found in most Hindu temples, the image of Jagannath is made of wood & is ceremoniously replaced every 12 | 19 years by an exact replica. It is one of the Char Dham.
Also sacred to all Hindus & especially in those of the Vaishnava traditions. Many great saints, such as Ramananda & Ramanuja, were closely Ramanuja established the Emar Mutt near the temple & the Govardhan Mutt, which is the seat of one of the 4 Shankaracharyas. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, & lived in Puri for many years.
