Jagannath Puri

The Jagannath temple in Puri is one of the larger temples in the country and well known for being one of the four 'Char Dham' pilgrimage sites located at the four cardinal points. It dates back to the 11th century, making it even older than the Konark temple.

The picture is courtesy Google (we weren't allowed cell phones into the premises)

It's said to be a really powerful temple, and that to me reads as 'sthanabalam' (intense energy center), and I guess that it was. You just feel it there, and this despite the crowds and the disorderliness of the place.

Surekha and I are both morning people, so we chose to do an early morning darshan. Actually up at 4.30 and out by 5.30 (it gets dawn at 4.30 at puri this time of year). I can't even imagine what the crowd at a later hour would have been like. Even this early we struggled with the push and shove mentality that seems commonplace in temples.

While it is called the Jagannath temple, it is actually dedicated to three principal deities, the trimurti it is called;  Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, who represent the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent nature of the supreme power. The deities are very different from the idols we are used to. These are made of wood, have no hands and have such huge eyes...in fact, that's all you see when you look into the sanctum sanctorium, those big big eyes staring back at you........they are literally mesmerizing.

For all my non believing, I went and bought myself a small wooden replica. Guess that's what mesmerizing does. Different story that Diksha gets up the next morning to see them in the hall shelf and says "what are those creepy looking things you got ma?" (couldn't help but smile)

The Jagannath Rath Yatra is the most important and well known cart festival of India.  It's quite often that we read about people getting crushed under it's wheels, as thousands vie to even touch the ropes that pull the chariots, and yet it draws millions of pilgrims each year.

These were the wheels parked outside

One of the chariots used. The three deities are taken out in procession on three such chariots.

A cow enjoying getting stroked by this guy, you can tell from the expression right, the cow's I mean :)

Footpath markets near the temple entrance

Surekha buying some rudraksha mala's

The temples in Orissa have this custom of people lighting little clay diyas which are sold in varying sizes, ranging from Rs.2 to Rs.20 each depending on size.

Outside the main temple is a four level stand which can accommodate around two to three hundred lamps, and at any point in time there are so many lit lamps there. Since we're not allowed cameras in the temple, no picture. And what's surprising is that search as I did, I didn't find even one picture of this anywhere on Google images. The only picture I found is of these unlit diyas.

I found it to be a really pretty sight and an endearing custom. (I love diyas so I guess :)