Initiated by King Chodagangadeva and completed by his grandson Anangabhimadeva in the late 12th century, Jagannath Temple in Puri comes in the list of India’s oldest temples. It does not only have fame for being ancient but also for being the most religious spot in India. Its spiritual value is at par as it is among one of the destinations of the Chaar Dham Yatra. It is a gift of Historical Times, hence, there are some interesting facts about the temple such as:
1. Going against The Law of Nature
According to the Laws of Nature, anything light flows in the direction of the wind. But, the flag atop the temple flows in a completely opposite direction of the wind. Another thing is that anytime during a day, the breeze from sea comes to the land and the reverse happens in the evening. But, it seems Puri has its own rules of nature as the opposite of it happens in the city.
2. The Unending Ritual
A priest climbs the dome of the temple which stands as high as a 45 storey building to change the flag on daily basis. This ritual is older even than a hundred of civilizations for it has been continuously followed for 1800 years now. A day skipping the change of flag will result in shutting down of the temple for 18 years.
3. No Shadow to Chase
It is an unbelievable fact until spotted by own eyes that no one in the temple is able to see the shadow of the dome during any time of the day.
4. The Amazement of Sudarshan Chakra
The Sudarshan Chakra weighs a ton and is said to be visible from any corner of the city, Puri.The fact of amusement is that you will feel that it faces towards you irrespective of your different positions. Also, its installation is a mystery till date.
5. The Vacant Skies Above the Temple
No plane and no birds are spotted above the temple. Also, there are no scientific reasons behind the empty skies above the temple.
6. The Sufficiency of Prasadam
The same quantity of Prasadam is prepared every day and the number of devotees visiting the temple on any day varies between 2,000-2,00,00. The mysterious fact is that no one ever gets an insufficient amount of it nor a single part of it gets wasted.
7. 2 Sets (3 in each) Of Chariots During Rath Yatra
The Rath Yatra is the biggest festival in Puri which takes place between Jagannath Temple and Mausi Maa Temple. During it, the first set of the chariot is used to bring Lord Jagannath near the river and it becomes impossible to push it ahead afterward. Then comes the second set of chariots as the rescuer over which the deity is carried to Mausi Maa Temple.
8. The Unheard Sound of Ocean
Once you enter the Simhadwaram, the main door of the temple the sound of the ocean waves disappear completely which are heard while entering. These sounds remain unreachable to your ears until you come out of the temple again.
9. Disintegration of Deities by Themselves
The old idols are buried on one another in every 14 to 18 years in an elaborate ceremony called “Nabakalabera” that takes over 3 months to complete.
10. The Unique Way of Cooking Prasadam.
Exactly 7 pots are kept one above another for preparing the prasadam. To your surprise, the pot at the top gets cooked at first following the others in their placed sequence.
Ancient Structures have always left the new generation mesmerized and Jagannath temple of Puri is no less.
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