JAGANNATH TEMPLE

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Context

• Many injured during Rath Yatra in Puri due to overcrowding.

About Jagannath Temple:

Location:

• The Shree Jagannath Temple is a prominent Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, located in Puri, Odisha.
• Puri is revered as one of the four Dhams or most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus in India.

Founder:

• Built in the 12th century CE by the Ganga dynasty king Anantavarman Chodaganga, as evidenced by the Kendupatna copper-plate inscription of his descendant Narasimhadeva II.

Festival:

• The temple is renowned for its annual Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, during which the three principal deities are paraded on huge, elaborately decorated temple cars.

Saints Associated:

• Sacred to Hindus, particularly those of the Vaishnava tradition.
• Saints like Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Vallabhacharya, and Ramananda have deep associations with the temple.

• Ramanuja established the Emar Mutt nearby.
• Adi Shankaracharya founded the Govardhana Mutt, one of the four seats of Shankaracharyas.
• It holds special significance for followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, influenced by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who resided in Puri for an extended period.

Temple Architecture:

• The temple exemplifies the Odisha or Kalinga Nagara style of architecture, also known as White Pagoda.

• The Kalinga Nagara style includes three architectural forms: Rekha Deula, Pidha Deula, and Khakhra Deula.
• Notable examples include the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneshwar, both grand instances of Rekha Deula architecture.

SOURCE: THE HINDU