2025-07-03 Thu

The Jagannath Temple, recognized as one of the sacred sites in Hinduism known as Char Dham, is situated in Puri, Odisha, as one of the seven Moksha Dayika nagari.

During the reign of Anangabhima Deva III (1211 to 1238 CE), the principal deity of the #Temple, Purusottama, was honored with the name Jagannath, signifying "Lord of the World." The earliest documented reference to Jagannatha as the presiding deity of Puri can be found in the Kurmesvara temple inscription dated 1230 CE.

According to various written sources like Anargharaghava Natakam of Murari Misra and Sarada Devi temple inscription of #Maihar (Madhya Pradesh) indicates a temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath existed in Puri as early as 950 CE, preceding the construction of the current temple erected by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern #Ganga dynasty in the 12th century CE.

Built in the Kalinga style of architecture, it is the largest as well as the tallest surviving temple of Odisha, rising to a height of 57.28mt. The temple utilizes the REKHA Deula architectural style, characterized by a curvilinear tower that rises above the sanctum sanctorum. The structure includes four main components: the Vimana (also known as the Deula or Bada Deula is the sanctum sanctorum where the deities are housed), the Jagamohana, the Nata-mandapa, and the Bhogamandapa. Furthermore, there are subsidiary shrines located on three sides of the main temple.

During the repair work on the Garuda pillar in 2003-04 conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), it was found that the upper portion of the pillar is comprised of fossilized #wood, while the lower section is made of Chunar sandstone with Mauryan polishing, utilized in the construction of Asokan pillars.

Prior to the predominance of Vaishnavism, Puri was regarded as a Shakti Pitha, as evidenced by both literary references, including lists of Shakta Pithas in #Tantrica texts, and archaeological findings. H.V. Stietencron has highlighted that the presiding deity during that period was Vimala, whose temple was located in Puri. Significantly, some archaeological discoveries include important Shakta sculptures, such as the Sapta Matrikas, which date to the late 10th century CE.

On September 15, 2003, #India Post issued a series of four Stamps featuring notable Temples of India, including the Jagannath Temple, which bears a face value of Rs. 5. For additional insights on other temple from this series like the Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple in Srisailam, please refer to This post