Jagannath Temple
Puri, Odisha
Significance
One of the 4 Char Dhams. Famous for the annual Rath Yatra (chariot festival) — the origin of the English word 'Juggernaut'. The temple kitchen (Mahaprasad) feeds up to 100,000 people daily. The temple flag always flies in the opposite direction of the wind — a mystery that has never been explained.
Legend & Story
The current temple was built by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva in the 12th century. The wooden deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are replaced every 12-19 years in a secret ceremony called Nabakalebara. The temple has many architectural mysteries — no shadow of the temple falls on the ground at any time of the day.
Architecture
Darshan Timings
5:00 AM to 10:00 PM
How to Reach
Air: Biju Patnaik Airport Bhubaneswar (BBI), 60 km.
Rail: Puri Railway Station, 2 km from temple.
Road: Bhubaneswar 60 km (1.5 hrs). Kolkata 500 km. Regular buses.