PURI – THE ENIGMATIC ABODE OF LORD JAGANATH
I had heard of Orissa ever since I was a kid because my elder brothers first posting with the Indian Navy was at Chilka. The name was so much etched in my memory that when we planned a trip to Bhuvaneshwar my sole intent was to visit Puri and have a Darshan of the divine Lord Jaganath
We (my husband and me) set off the Puri trip during a long week end as a pilgrim cation to see Konark, view the Chilka lake and also have a Darshan of Lord Jaganath
The reception staff welcomed us with a Jai Jaganath much to our happiness and pleasure. They guided us with the local food availability and instructed us about the temple procedures. Each person on the street or every vendor you meet greets you with a Jai Jaganath
Puri temple is an enigma by itself. It is deeply believed that when Lord Krishna died and was cremated his heart was still alive and beating and that it was placed inside the idol of Lord Jaganath. This is one reason why the temple remains so enigmatic and powerful till date. The idol of Lord Jaganath is made of wood and once in every twelve years it gets replaced by another new one. The Priest who performs the pooja of transferring the heart (in energy form) (by chanting Manthras) from the old idol to the new one stays blindfolded during the entire ritual. This temple was built by a Choza king who was a shaivate and later turned into a Vaishanavite
We visited Puri temple on an Ekadashi day unknowing of the crowd and vibrancy that it would behold. There are four huge entrances to the temple and you would be asked to handover your mobiles and so if you visit the temple you make sure of which entrance you are in. Luckily we had a Pandit who served as a guide and who took us around the temple explaining us of the smaller shrines too. The sight of Lord Jaganath with his brother Balarama and his sister Subadra was a miracle sight to be cherished. After the Darshans we walked out to view the flag changing ceremony which is done every day.
The flag which flies atop the temple defies all laws of nature flying exactly the opposite to the direction of the wind. It is still unanswered scientifically. It is changed every evening and the old flags are auctioned to devotees. It is a rare sight to see the men (three of them) climb up the temple gopurams (which is so steep and does not have any safety measures). It would give goosebumps to any one witnessing this event. Slow and steady the three men climb up to the top of the gopurams (about 215 feet) carrying the flags bundled on their backs. On reaching the top, they raise their hands and the entire crowd cheers for them with joy and chants in one reverberating voice – Jai Jaganath. It is pure bliss and an wholesome experience to see the men climb up their way to the top of the temple gopuram change the flag and climb down unscathed. This has been a ritual going on every single day for a many hundred years and there is only one family of priests who are entitled this privilege. The architecture of the Puri temple tower bears a strong resemblance to the south Indian temples yet very unique in its construction
Then our priest took us for the prasadams. They were very delicious, a few resembling the cuisines of Kerala with a deep coconut flavour and toppings. There is one mystery here too. The prasadams or offerings of Lord Jaganath are cooked in earthen pots while being arranged one over the other. The Prasad which is in the top most smallest pot gets cooked first in contrast to the one which is closer to fire and in the bottom. These are mysteries that defies the scientific laws. We simply need to accept that the Devotion is above science and its explanation
We visited Konark the next day. The best way to enjoy the sculptures at Konark is to first view the museum which is located before the archaeological site, since it gives a detailed description of the sculptures. The Sun Temple of Konark is dilapidated (thanks to our invaders) and only an ancient site now though it is an UNESCO site. This 13th century architecture is both symbolic and scientific. It depicts of the finer intelligence of our ancestors. Each and every sculpture has cultural and symbolic story to tell. I am not dwelling into that part and I am concluding by saying that it depicts the life and culture of the people in that century
The Chandrabaga beach near Konark is a very calm silent, beautiful and peaceful bliss if you there during winter. The Chilka lake is also another unique travel spot if you are interested in water bodies
We concluded our trip by visiting Bhuvaneshwar staying there for another 3 days visiting temples of that vicinity
