The Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, in Puri in the state of Odisha on the eastern coast of India.
The Puri temple is famous for its annual Ratha yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three principal deities are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated.The temple is sacred to all Hindus and especially in those of the Vaishnava traditions. Many great saints, such as Ramananda and Ramanuja, were closely associated with the temple.
There are 10 amazing facts about the temple that we were not aware about:
1. The Flag Story
Generally, any material at the top of any monument or temple flows the direction of the wind. However, it is observed that the flag located at the top of the temple dome always waves in the opposite direction of airflow.
2. An Older Than Many
A priest climbs the dome of the temple which stands as tall as a 45 story building and changes the flag every day For 1800 years as a part of a ritual. If it is not changed any day, the temple must be shut for the next 18 years.
3. The Colossal Chakra
The Sudarshan Chakra standing at the top of the temple is 20 feet in height and weighs a ton. It said to be visible from every corner of the city and it is installed in such a way that it makes you feel that it is facing toward you irrespective of the place you are in.
4. The Sea
Take any place on earth – during the daytime the breeze from the sea comes to land and the opposite occurs in the evening. However, in Puri, it is observed to be just the reverse.
5. Nothing Flies Above The Temple
It is very strange to see that nothing flies above the temple. No planes, not even birds. There is no scientific explanation for this yet.
6. An Engineering Marvel
The temple is constructed in such a way that the shadow of the main dome of the temple cannot be observed at any given time.
7. The Mystery Of Prasadam
There’s one saying about the prasad served in the temple. The count of devotees visiting the temple varies from 2000 to 20,00000 depending on the day but the quantity of Prasadam cooked in the temple remains exactly the same throughout the year any given day yet none of it goes insufficient or wasted.
8. The Mystery Of The Simhadwaram
There is an ocean near the temple. When you’re entering the Simhadwaram (The main door) of the temple you can clearly hear the sound of the ocean, now once you passed the Simhadwaram just take a turn and walk back in the same direction you came. You cannot hear the ocean until you come out of the temple.
9. The Idols Are Changed Every
The old idols of the deities are buried on one another and it is said that they disintegrate on their own.
10. The Annual Chariot Festival
There is an annual Chariot Festival held at Puri and it is performed with 2 sets of chariots (3 in each set). As there is a river flowing in between the Jagannatha Temple and Mausi Maa temple, the first set of chariots used to bring the deity’s to the river and then the deities will be ferried across the river using 3wooden boats and are then placed in the second set of chariots to reach the Mausi Maa temple.
