PURI
JAGANNATH TEMPLE - ART AND CULTURE
News:
Puri’s Jagannath Temple:
Why non-Hindus and foreigners can’t enter here
What's
in the news?
●
Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal has backed the
entry of foreign nationals inside the world-famous Jagannath Temple in Puri,
wading into a debate that has lasted for decades and periodically triggered
controversy.
Key
takeaways:
●
The Temple is one of the four dhams (char dham) where Lord Jagannath, a form of
Lord Vishnu, is worshipped along with his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and
sister Devi Subhadra.
●
Only
Hindus are allowed inside the shrine to offer prayers
to the sibling deities in the sanctum sanctorum.
Jagannath
Temple:
●
The Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri is an
important Hindu temple dedicated to Lord
Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, in Puri in the state of Odisha on the eastern
coast of India.
● Built by - Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, first of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
Architecture
of Puri Temple:
●
The Temple of Jagannath at Puri is one of
the major Hindu temples in India.
●
The temple is built in the Kalinga style of architecture, with the
Pancharatha (Five chariots) type consisting of two anurathas, two konakas and
one ratha.
●
Jagannath temple is a pancharatha with well-developed pagas.
●
‘Gajasimhas’
(elephant lions) carved in recesses of the pagas, the ‘Jhampasimhas’ (Jumping lions) are also
placed properly.
●
The perfect pancharatha temple developed
into a Nagara-rekha temple.
●
The temple is built on an elevated platform, as compared to
Lingaraja temple and other temples belonging to this type.
●
This is the first temple in the history of
Kalinga temple architecture where all the chambers like Jagamohana, Bhogamandapa and Natyamandapa were built along with the
main temple.
●
There are miniature shrines on the three outer sides of the main temple.
Rath
Yatra:
●
Popularly known as the ‘Festival of Chariots’, Rath Yatra
festival in honour of Puri’s Lord Jagannath is a grand celebration.
●
The festival is dedicated to Lord
Jagannath, his sister Goddess Subhadra and elder brother Balabhadra.
●
All
the three deities of the temple - Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra
– travel in three different chariots during this festival.
●
The
chariots are called Nandighosha, Taladhwaja, and Devadalana respectively.
●
New chariots for all the three deities are
constructed every year using wood even if the architect of the chariots
remain similar.
●
Four
wooden horses are attached to each chariot.