The Temple of Lord Jagannath stands on an eminence near the sea at Puri, situated on the east-coast of India. For centuries Puri, Purushottama Puri, so Sri kshetra, as the place is variously known, has been an important centre of Hindu worship, famous alike for sanctity and historic associations. "Puri" is the seat of Jagannath, the Lord of Universe; the sanctity of the place exists from pre-histo
ric period where traditions cannot reach." The Origin and the antiquity of Jagannath worship at Puri is still shrounded in mystery. According to tradition, Puri, which is also known as Niladri (the Blue Mountain), was once a richly wooded hill inhabited by the Savaras, a pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian tribe of the Austric linguistic family. HISTORY
Legendary account as found in the Skanda-Purana, Brahma Purana and other Puranas and later oriya works state that Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Neela madhab by a Savar king ( tribal chief ) named Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity , king Indradyumna sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity, who was worshipped secretly in a dense forest by Viswavasu. But at last he managed to marry Viswavasu's daughter Lalita . At repeated request of Vidyapti, Viswavasu took his son-in-law blind folded to a cave where Neelamadhab was worshipped. Vidyapati was very intelligent. He dropped mustard seeds on the ground on the way. The seeds germinated after a few days, which enabled him to find out the cave later on. On hearing from him , king Indradyumna proceeded immediately to Odra desha ( Orissa ) on a pilgrimage to see and worship the Deity. But the deity had disappeared .The king was disappointed .The Deity was hidden in sand. The king was determined not to return without having a darshan of the deity and observed fast unto death at Mount Neela, Then a celestial voice cried 'thou shalt see him '. Afterwards the king performed a horse sacrifice and built a ma
