Puri
is washed by the sea, and embraced by causarina - fringed beaches. It is
said that one obtains 'moksha' from the cycle of birth and rebirth, if one
stays here for three days and nights. Puri is the hallowed seat of Lord
Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), Subhadra and Balabhadra. One of the four
holy dhams of Hinduism, Puri is possibly one of the very few religious sites
which combines the outdoor pleasures of sea and divine beaches with the
religious sentiments of 'darshan'. A place, known by many names over the centuries - Nilgiri, Niladri, Nilachal, Purushottam, Sankhakshetra, Srikshetra, Jagannath Dham, Jagannath Puri - Puri is dominated by two great forces, one created by God, and the other by man.
Location
Puri has the Bay of Bengal and the rice-growing alluvial plain on its east, Khurda district on its west, Sambalpur on its south and the state capital Bhubaneshwar on its northern side. The forest area lying to the west of Puri provides bamboo and sal. The district of Puri encompasses most of the Chilka Lake, Asia's largest freshwater lake. Bhubaneshwar is also located in Puri district.
History
The holy city of Puri is located 60-km from Bhubaneswar on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. It is one of the four holy dhamas of India - Puri, Dwarka, Rameswaram and Badrinath Sri Ramanuja visited Puri between 1107 and 1117 century AD and stayed for some time. Vishnu Swami visited Puri in the second half of the 12th century and established a 'Matha' near 'Markandeswar' Tank, called "Vishnuswami Matha". Nimbarka Acharya also made a pilgrimage to Puri, and Srila Prabhupada visited in January 1977. The present temple structure was built in the 12th century by the 'Ganga' King 'Choda Ganga Deva', replacing an earlier structure, which probably dated to the 10th century.
Until recently, almost the entire temple was covered in white plaster, so much so that European sailors in previous centuries used it as a navigation point, referring to it as the "White Pagoda"
Symbolically,
the Rath Yatra (chariot festival) is a journey to light from the
dark and begins on the second day of the bright fortnight in the
month of Asad (June-July). It commemorates the journey of Krishna
from Gokul to Mtahura. This festival is celebrated at Puri with
great pomp and ceremony. In this religious journey, Jagannath,
Subhadra and Balbhadra are taken out in procession in three raths
(chariots). The main rath is 43 ft high, 33 ft wide and has 16
wheels. The ropes of the chariots are pulled by millions of
devotees.
