Informative

Mysterious Lord Jagannatha of Puri

The English word juggernaut means an unstoppable force. But do you know the origin of the word? The word juggernaut has been adapted from the Sanskrit word Jagannath, a title given to Lord Krishna by his loving devotees, which means the Lord of the World.

Char Dham Yatra is a set of four pilgrimage sites in India, and it’s noted in countless religious texts that whoever completes this pilgrimage shall attain salvation. Jagannath Temple is located on the shore of the Bay of Bengal in the state of Odisha and is considered one of the most important pilgrimage sites, being part of the Char Dham Yatra.

Home of the celestials Lord Krishna, Lord Balarama, and their Sister Divine Mother Subhadra, this temple of Lord Jagannath is famous for its Rath (chariot) Yatra, where the Vigrahas of these three deities are kept on massive and heavily ornate wooden chariots, which are pulled by hands of thousands of devotees.    

This chariot pulling is a miracle itself, but this temple of Puri has many more unexplained secrets contained in its walls. Today, in the blog series of mysterious temples of India, we will visit the mysterious temple of Lord Jagannath, located in the city of Puri, Odisha.

Mysteries of Lord Jagannath Temple

A symbol of a Resistance.
For his whole life, Lord Krishna fought against Adharma. He motivated and persuaded others to join the side of Dharma and resist the injustice, helping the weak and oppressed. This temple reflects the same ideals taught by the Lord.

Everyone knows that the temple used to be an ancient site for pilgrimage. But do you know that it has been destroyed sixteen times by the invaders and was erected for the seventeenth time? Many Sultans, from Ilas Shah, and Feroz Shah Tughlak to Aurangzeb and Taqi Khan, destroyed it for over eight hundred years, and devotees kept rebuilding it again. The result is the temple is still standing tall after resisting the invasion.

Against the wind.
It’s said that a spiritual practitioner should learn to go with the flow. But does this apply to the flag of the Gods? Everyone knows that the flag flatters as per the direction of the wind. But not the flag on the top of the Jagannath temple tower.

Yellow-colored flag, mounted on the Shikhara (tower of the sanctum sanctorum), flatters in the opposite direction to the course of the winds. Till now, no scientific explanation has been found for this strange phenomenon.

Tower Climbing.
Every day, the flag on the top of the tower has to be changed, and this ritual has been going on for thousands of years. The tower on which the strange flag is mounted is about 45 stories tall. Every day, while holding a flag in his hand, a priest does the 45 storied climbs without a ladder or safety harness. People believe that if the flag is not changed, the temple has to be shut down for 18 years. To avoid that, priests climb this dangerous tower in the dark, under the protection of Lord Jagannath, to keep his abode open so that the Lord can meet His beloved devotees.

Temple devoid of any darkness.
Even though the temple has a tall and broad structure, it has been constructed at such a latitude and longitude that the temple’s shadow does not fall on earth. In other terms, the temple has no shadow at any given time of any day of the year. Call it a divine force, the energy of the place, or an architectural marvel, Lord Jagganath temple of Puri doesn’t cast a shadow under the sun. It’s said that the temple is full of such pure divine light that it does not have the slightest taint of darkness, even in the form of the shadow.

Sudarshana.
Lord Krishna’s favourite weapon is Sudarshan Chakra (disk). He had decimated many demons with the help of this mighty weapon. Apart from the flag, which flatters in the opposite direction of the wind, the temple Shikhara has another marvel, Sudarshan Chakra, mounted on it.

It’s a vast disk, made out of five metals, which have been mounted on a 45 storied tall temple tower, which is the architectural marvel itself. Another unexplained mystery is that Chakra always faces you, no matter from which direction you take a look at the Shikhara. It has been designed in such a way that it looks the same from every direction, reminding the devotees that Sudarshan Chakra, the almighty weapon of Lord Jagannath, always will be protecting them from the darkness.

No-fly zone.
There is a very famous story in ancient scriptures that when Ravana was flying in his Pushpak aeroplane, he could not pass over the Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva. Similarly, you will see no birds or planes flying over the temple of Lord Jagannath.

Being a busy city and hub for industries, Puri has multiple storied buildings around the temple premise. Every building has given shelter to birds like pigeons, sparrows, crows, etc. The roof of these buildings shall be filled with bird droppings. But not this temple. No one has ever seen a bird or flock of birds flying over the temple tower.

Prasadam.
Anna He Purna Brahma! Which means the food is the Divinity itself. In Sanatana tradition, wasting food is considered a grave sin. In Lord Jagannath temple, there is a precise way of preparing Prasadam. For thousands of years, this Prasadam has been cooked in a group of seven earthen pots.

Daily, two to twenty thousand devotees visit and have food here. The food preparations begin early, even before dawn. Call it the effective management, unexplained phenomenon, or my Lord’s will, food never goes to waste here, nor does anyone leave the temple with an empty stomach.

Every day, 811 million people sleep hungry, and more than 2 billion people suffer from malnutrition. On the other hand, roughly one-third of the world’s food production gets wasted every year. In such contrasting conditions, Lord Jagannath is setting an example to the rest of the world concerning food management.

Devotional Silence.
In this high pressure lifestyle, we all have forgotten to have an honest discussion with ourselves. Self-talk is crucial. One of the essential aspects of spirituality is self discourse. One prerequisite for it is total silence in the outer as well as in the inner world. When we go to the temples, we often get overwhelmed by the different sounds from the devotees, prayers, and the other elements outside the temple.

But, being just a few hundred feet away from the roaring sea, located amidst the busy streets of Puri, Lord Jagannath temple is engulfed in tranquil silence. When you step outside the temple premises, you can hear the sea waves breaking on the shores, but all noises are dialled down as soon as you enter the temple. Call it an engineering marvel or the holy peace; when you reach the steps of Lord Jagannath temple, you get that opportunity to have that much-needed self-dialogue.

Unusual air breeze.
So many unexplained things occur in the Jagannath temple, so why must the natural elements be an exception? At any given place on earth, a breeze comes from the sea towards the land in the morning, and it flows towards the sea from the ground in the evening. But in Jagannath Puri, the wind behaves precisely the opposite. During the daytime, the breeze flows from the land towards the sea, and in the evenings, the breeze blows from the sea towards the ground. Devotees have faith that Lord Vayu Deva (Lord of the winds) pays tribute to Lord Jagannath, making it a strange exception.  

History, culture, and traditions keep the civilizations thriving, and Lord Jagannath temple, packed with enigmas, is an essential aspect of those Sanatana traditions. So next time when you find yourself in the Odisha state, do not forget to visit this miraculous temple. Check the facts mentioned above by yourself, and do not forget to share your experience with us.  

We hope you enjoyed reading about the mystical temple of Lord Jagannatha, located in the holy city of Puri. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay connected and receive information about spirituality. In case of any queries, please write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com. You can check out our YouTube channel Chamunda Swamiji where you can learn Tantra, Mantra, Yantra, and Meditation from His Holiness Shri Chamunda Swamiji.