Mythological sources, such as those contained in the Skanda Puranam, assert that the Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri was constructed by a king named Indradyumna, who ruled over the Malwa region at the time. However, the historical evidence that is currently available suggests that Chodaganga Dev, of the Ganga dynasty in southern India, was the one who constructed the current temple, or at the very least, lay the foundation for it.
However, it is possible that he was only renovating and expanding the temple at the time, as several tales, especially those connected to Adi Shankaracharya, make it abundantly obvious that there was already a great temple dedicated to the three goddesses from a far earlier period of time.
King Indradyumn discovered an iron rod floating in the river when he was performing one of the ritual baths in the river. It is thought that Lord Vishnu then whispered to him that the floating rod is his heart and that it will remain on the land for all of eternity. After that, the monarch hurried over to Lord Jagannath with the rod, and he slipped it stealthily into his possession.
He never let anyone see the rod or touch it under any circumstances. After receiving the divine teachings, he began work on the construction of the temple, which was located on a blue mountain called nilasaila. After Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri was finished being constructed, he traveled to Brahmaloka in order to ask Brahma to sanctify it.
However, as a result of Brahma’s meditation, which lasted for some nine yugas, the temple was eventually obliterated by sand and lost to history. It was later found by King Galamadhva, and the Ganga dynasty was responsible for its restoration.
The enormous walls of the revered Jagannath Temple in Puri, which is situated in the Indian state of Odisha, were bricked up over the course of three generations’ worth of time and labor. The construction of the Jagannath Temple began in the 12th century and was finished by Chodagangadev’s grandson Anangbhimadev. It is considered to be one of the oldest temples in the world.
The Kalinga-style Jagannath temple is 65 meters tall and covers an area of 400,000 square feet. It was created by Kalinga. The shikhara of this structure is elevated so that it overlooks the inner sanctuary, which is where the deities are kept. A conical dome tops the temple complex, which is enclosed on all sides by gates that face the cardinal directions.
Additionally, it is home to a massive kitchen that is responsible for providing daily sustenance to thousands of devotees. It seems as though none of the Parsadam that is produced each day goes to waste, not even a single nibble.
The Puri temple can be situated at the intersection of the Hindu and Tribal cultural traditions. At the temple, worship is performed in honor of the trinity of deities known as Jagnath, Balbhadra, and Subhadra.
It is believed that Jagannath is an incarnation, or avatar, of the god Vishnu. Balbhadra is Balram’s brother, while Subhadra is their sister. The gods are dressed in a variety of garments and jeweled with adornments that correspond to the current season. The worship of these deities stretches back to a time before the construction of the temple and may have had its beginnings in an old tribal shrine.
The priests here have ensured that the ancient method of preparing Parsadam will not be lost. In this method of cooking, exactly seven pots are used as vessels and are stacked on top of one another while being heated by firewood. Enchantingly, the pot that is at the very top of the stack is the one that is cooked first, and the remaining pots are cooked in the same order.
The Singha dwara is considered to be the most important entrance door of the Jagannath temple, which has a total of four doors. When you first enter the area through the Singhadwaram, you will be able to hear the sound of the waves very clearly.
However, once you have passed the Singhadwaram and are continuing in the same way, you will no longer be able to hear the sound of the waves if you just do a U-turn. As long as you remain within the temple, you will be unable to hear the sound of the waves.