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Shri Jagannath Temple, Puri

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One of the Char Dham pilgrimages of Hinduism, the 12th-century temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri is the heart of Odisha’s faith and the starting point of the Rath Yatra.

TemplePuri, Puri districtBest time to visit: October to March; June–July for the Rath Yatra

Highlights

  • Rath Yatra in the month of Ashadha, when Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra ride huge wooden chariots to the Gundicha Temple
  • Mahaprasad cooked in earthen pots in one of the world’s largest temple kitchens and sold at the Ananda Bazar
  • The temple tower in the Kalinga style of architecture
  • Puri beach close by on the Bay of Bengal

Significance

The present temple was built in the 12th century under King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. Puri is one of the four dhams associated with Adi Shankaracharya, and the Jagannath tradition is central to Odia culture.

Sources