Puri (India) is located in the state of Orissa, southeast of the country. The locality is called-Nilachala, Shankha-kshetra, Nilagiri. The city is mentioned in the Vedic Padma Purana. On the ocean coast, there is a perfect abode where God is represented in the form of a tree. Hindus revere this abode, because it was here that the heavenly being was in bliss-constantly singing, dancing, awakening love and remorse in sinful people.
General information
In India, there are several sacred places for local residents:
- Badrinath – here the Lord appeared as Sri Nara-Narayana;
- Raveshmarm – The Lord took a bath in the form of Ramachandra;
- Dwarka – here the celestial being rested;
- Jagannath Temple – The Lord was offered gifts in the form of any products.
Interesting fact! The image of Lord Jagannath is indistinguishable from that of Lord Krsna.
Puri is located on the Bay of Bengal at a distance of 60 km from the village of Bhubaneswar. The city has a little more than 201 thousand inhabitants. The most sultry and uncomfortable months to visit are May and June (during the day the air warms up to +33 degrees), the coolest in winter is in December and January, the thermometer does not rise above +18 degrees. Most of the precipitation falls in August, and the driest month is December.
The main street of the city starts from the temple complex and passes through the entire settlement. Along it there are shops, souvenir shops where you can buy works of local masters.
Attractions
Since the city is popular as one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India, the main attraction has religious significance – the Jagannath Temple, which is more than 5 thousand years old.
The village also attracts tourists with the annual chariot festival-Ratha Yatra. Although the city of Puri is located on the ocean, beach holidays are not popular here for several reasons:
- the beach is dirty;
- under the open sun;
- often crowded with locals, especially at night.
However, it is the best beach in Odisha. There are very beautiful sunsets and a light hippie lifestyle.
Jagannath Temple
The city of Puri is believed to belong to Lord Jagannath. In the past, this land was very sick, went down to hell (under water), but later it was cleansed, rose up again, rebelled. This land was dominated by a demon, but when Vishnu came here, he disappeared in a shell and sank to the bottom of the sea. That is why the Puri temple is often depicted in the form of a beautiful shell. In this epic, a huge number of names of the gods are mentioned, and only a local resident can repeat them all.
According to another legend, the Jagannath temple in Puri was built on the orders of King Indradyumna on the very spot where the god Krishna ended his earthly journey about five thousand years ago, leaving a human body. This is where the cremation of Krishna’s earthly body took place. Navigators from Europe called the temple the White Pagoda. The religious landmark was surrounded by a 6-meter-high wall.
This temple in India is a structure built on a sand dune. The main tower of the attraction is a landmark for sailors who enter the city port. The Indian religious structure is radically different from the traditional cathedrals in the largest European cities. The temple at Puri is huge, with a main tower surrounded by smaller ones that are built in honor of various Indian gods.
Interesting to know! On the territory of the temple complex there are about 30 temples of different heights and sizes.
The entrance to the temple complex is possible from four sides of the world, each gate symbolizes a certain animal:
- vostok-lev;
- west-tiger;
- north-elephant;
- south – horse.
Before entering the main temple, Hindus must perform rituals and go around all the temples.
Three interesting facts about Jagannath Temple:
- the pilgrims are assisted by 20 thousand people who permanently reside on the territory of the religious shrine;
- in total, 96 Indian castes are represented on the territory of the temple complex;
- the temple can feed 50 thousand pilgrims.
The attraction is named after Jagannath, but it is not the only celestial being worshipped in the temple. His brother and sister, Balabhadra, Subhadra, are also worshipped here. Hindus revere the holy Trinity as the basis of the whole world and represent the highest laws.
Useful to know! European scholars cannot agree on whether these are different deities or a single whole.
Europeans are not allowed on the temple grounds
The religious building is a shrine for the inhabitants of India, the most revered attraction is followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism movement. Tourists-pilgrims need to spend three days and three nights in a temple in India, the founder of this direction Chitanya Mahaprabhu himself lived in the temple complex for 16 years.
Christians and representatives of other faiths are strictly prohibited from entering the territory of the shrine. This rule is related to an ancient legend that says that people from Siberia will try to steal the statue of Jagannath. It was in the Siberian lands that the peoples who were defeated during the battle of Shabara left.
Useful to know! Since Hindus are tolerant of all religions, there are places for Europeans to watch what is happening on the territory of the temple complex. This can be done from the roof area of the Raghunandan Library. The building is located opposite the temple, to get to the roof, you will have to pay a small amount.
Chariot Festival
The festival is held in the summer – in June or July. The exact date of the Ratha-Yatra organization is determined by the lunar calendar. For the celebration, three wooden chariots are built, and statues of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra are placed on top. The transport is richly decorated, and the best artists of India work on its painting. The largest chariot belongs to the deity Jagannath – it has 16 wheels, the height reaches 13.4 m. Transport of other celestial beings of smaller size – 14 wheels, 13 m, 12 wheels, 12.8 m.
On the day of the celebration, chariots are pulled by local residents, for this purpose long ropes are tied to the transport. According to legend, the person who helps drive the chariot will receive forgiveness of sins, so all local residents are eager to touch the rope.
Interesting fact! The sequence of chariots is as follows-the deity Balarama, the goddess Subhadra and then the god Jagannath.
For a European tourist, the appearance of deities riding on chariots may seem strange. They almost do not look like sculptures – they do not have legs and arms, even a head, but their bodies are dressed in expensive clothes and decorated with colorful ornaments.
Chariots can also not be called traditional from the point of view of a native of Europe. These are platforms covered with canopies. Inside is a deity. Because palanquins are wheeled, they are called chariots.
On the day of the festival, people dressed as “deities” drive through the streets of the city in the chariots described above. All residents are going to watch the performance.
Interesting fact! It is believed that if a person dies under the wheels of one of the chariots, he ends the cycle of reincarnation and is born absolutely happy.
This theatrical performance symbolizes the return of the god Krishna to his native settlement. When the chariots pass through all the streets of the city, they return to the temple.
Temple Wonders
- In all weather conditions, the flag is flown in a direction that does not coincide with the wind direction.
- Wherever you are in Puri, you will always see the top of the main temple facing you.
- In Puri, the wind blows from the land during the day and from the sea in the evening, but it should be the other way around.
- Birds and planes never fly over the temple.
- The main dome does not cast a shadow even on a sunny day.
- The temple prepares the same amount of food every day, which is enough to feed 50 thousand pilgrims. For all the years of the temple’s existence, there was never such a thing that there was not enough food or there was an extra one left.
- Food is prepared in seven pots, which are placed on top of each other, the lowest-on the fire, surprisingly, the fastest food is prepared in the upper pot, and in the lower-in the last turn.
- In Puri, you can clearly hear the ocean waves, but in the temple this sound is not present.
In addition to the Jagannath temple in Puri, there are other attractions – the tomb of the deity, as well as the house where he was born and grew up.
Puri (India) this is a center of pilgrimage, but also a fairly popular resort, but, of course, for the sake of a beach holiday, you should not go here. India has more comfortable and picturesque beaches. The city will appeal to those who are tired of problems – financial, psychological, and want to devote themselves to spiritual practices. Local residents say that no matter what purpose a person comes to Puri for – curiosity, desire to serve the deity, search for knowledge – Jagannath will not leave anyone indifferent.
