Shree Jagannath Temple is a famous Hindu Temple located in Puri, in the state of Odisha, in the eastern coast of India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of lord Vishnu. Jagannath Temple is famous for its annual Ratha yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three principal deities are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. These gave their name to the English term ‘Juggernaut’. Unlike the stone and metal icons found in most Hindu temples, the image of Jagannath is made of wood and is ceremoniously replaced every twelve or nineteen years by an exact replica. It is one of the Char Dhams of India.
Here’s a list of 10 astonishing facts about Jagannath Temple, Puri.
- THE ADAMANT CHARIOT!
The Chariot during the ‘Rath Yatra’ does not move, even if numerous people pull it, until and unless the King of puri – The Gajapati doesn’t come and perform a ritual known as ‘Chera Pahara’.
- THE UNRULY FLAG!
Generally any cloth flag should float in the direction of the wind but the flag on the top of the Sikharara of the Puri Jagannath temple always floats in the opposite direction of the wind.
- THE MYSTERIOUS KITCHEN!
The Prasadam is cooked in earthen pots on the firewood and 7 pots are kept on the top of another. Enchantingly, the topmost pot gets cooked and the rest follow the same order.
- NO BIRDS AND PLANES FLY ABOVE THE TEMPLE!
It’s a strange fact that nothing flies above the temple. Generally birds fly and sit on the top of any temple in India except the Jagannath Temple.
Some More Lesser- Known Facts
- THE SHADOW- LESS BUILDING!
It’s an unbelievable fact that Puri Jagannath temple has no shadow. The engineering structure of the temple is so unique that the shadow of the main dome cannot be observed at any time.
- THE COLOSSAL SUDARSHAN CHAKRA!
The Sudarshan Chakra standing at the top of the temple is 20 feet in height and weighs a ton. It is said to be visible from every corner of the city and it is installed in such a way that it makes you feel that it is facing towards you irrespective of the place you are in.
- THE MAGICAL PRASADAM
About 2000-20,00,000 devotees visit the temple every day but the quantity of Prasadam cooked in the temple remains exactly the same throughout the year any given day yet none of it goes insufficient or wasted.
- MUTE OCEAN WAVES!
Seconds after you put the first step inside the temple from Singha Dwara entrance, the audibility to the ocean waves near the temple is entirely lost. The sound returns again when you leave the temple.
- DEITIES DISINTEGRATION!
The old idols of the deities are buried on one another when replaced by the new ones and it is said that they disintegrate on their own.
- REVERSE GEAR OF THE SEA BREEZE!
Take any place on earth – during the daytime the breeze comes from the sea to the land and the opposite occurs in the evening. However, in Puri, it is observed to be just the reverse.
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