74. The Jagannatha Temple (Sri Mandira)

The Jagannatha Temple (Sri Mandira):

The temple of Jagannatha Swami, Baladeva and Subhadra is the crown jewel of all Oriyan temples and the centrepiece of the whole town of Jagannath Puri. The Jagannath Temple is the life and soul of every local resident who directly or indirectly benefits from it.

Non-Hindus absolutely cannot enter the temple and even N.R.I. (non-resident Indians) should be careful about two points. Follow the proverb of "when in Rome do as the Romans," which means dress like a local Indian not a fancy "westernized Indian." Secondly, if you only speak English then learn the name of your gotra (family lineage) so you can answer when pressured by prying pandas.

Sri Mandir:

The main temple structure is 65 meters (214 ft.) high and is built on elevated ground, which makes it look even larger than it is. The temple complex comprises an area of 10.7 acres and is enclosed by two rectangular walls. The outer enclosure is called "Meghananda Prachira" (665 x 640 feet). The walls are 6 meters (20 feet) high. The inner wall is called "Kürmabedha" (420 x 315 ft.). The walls are said to have been built during the 15 or 16th century.

The Jagannath temple consists of 4 basic components. The tall, primary structure has a soaring, conical, convex spire, crowned with a lotus-shaped part at the top. This is called the "Deula or Sri Mandir". At the Deula's core is the inner sanctum where the temple deities reside. In front of the Deula is a rectangular building, the assembly hall known as the "Jagamohana or Mukhasala". Two buildings adjoining these are the Nat Mandir (Temple of Dance), and in front of this the Bhoga Mandir (Temple of Offerings). These buildings are all situated on the same axis, extending from east to west, but were not constructed at the same time. The original temple design consisted of only the Deula and the Jagamohana. The other two halls were added sometime in the 14th or 15th century.

Cakra:

Sri Mandir or Deula is 80 feet square on the ground, rising almost 215' above road level. There is a wheel on top of the Jagannath temple called Sudarsana disc, installed by King Ramachandra deva in 1594. It is known as “Nila Cakra” (blue wheel), made of an alloy of 8 different metals (75% iron and copper). It is 11 feet 8 inches high and has a circumference of about 36ft and a diameter of almost 12 feet. On every Ekadasi a lamp is lit near the wheel.

Every afternoon, the Garuda Sevaka (a pujari flag bearer) fearlessly climbs up 214 feet to the Nila-cakra and fastens a number of flags to the mast fixed to the Nila-cakra. The flags, which are bright red, white or bright yellow in color, are embroidered with a crescent moon and a sun in the middle, signifying that Jagannatha Swami is our ever-watchful, loving guardian both in the day and night. It also means that Lord Jagannath rules the universe wherever the sun and moon shine. The Nilacakra sevaits, who begin this hereditary service from the age of 8 years, get the ability to perform it by the mercy of Garuda, whose name they chant while scaling the shikhara.

In this regard, Srila Prabhupada states that seeing the temple cakra is equal to the direct darsana of the temple deity.

mandirera cakra dekhi'

kariha praṇāma

ei thani tomara

äsibe prasädänna

One day in Jagannath Puri at Siddha Bakula, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Haridasa Thakura, "Remain here peacefully and look at the cakra (Nilacakra) on the top of the temple of Lord Jagannath and offer obeisances. As far as your prasādam is concerned, I shall arrange to have that sent here."

If one is not allowed to enter the temple, or if he thinks himself unfit to enter the temple, he can look at the cakra, wheel, from outside, and that is as good as seeing the deity. After seeing the temple of Jagannath from a distant place, Sri Chaitanya immediately became ecstatic. After offering obeisances to the temple, He began to dance in love of Godhead. He then considered the six-mile path to be many thousands of miles long.

Flags:

The flag flapping in the breeze above the Nila-cakra is known as "Patita Pavana Bana". If by chance a high wind blows the flag away, then bhoga will not be offered to Jagannatha Swami. Devotees incapable of visiting the temple feel the presence of the Lord by seeing Jagannath's flag blowing in the wind from a distance. If devotees cannot come to the temple to offer their food (bhoga), then they will offer bhoga at that place where they can see Jagannath's flag, which is called "Cakramanohi". When devotees see the beautiful flags and Nila-cakra above the Sri Mandira in Puri they felt surcharged with Jagannatha Swami's joyful presence and then immediately offer prostrated obeisances out of loving reciprocation.

Main Deities:

Lord Jagannath is sometimes described as having a seven-fold form (saptadha murti) because 7 different deities share the simhasana, including Jagannatha Swami, Baladeva, Subhadra, Sudarsana, Lakshmi-devi and Sarasvati (Jagannatha's wives), and a small wooden Jagannath representing Nila Madhava (replica of the deity worshiped by the Sabaras). From left to right on the main altar (ratna simhasana) stand Baladeva (white), Subhadra (yellow), Jagannath (black) and Sudarsana (tall square pillar). Lakshmi-devi and Sarasvati stand on Jagannath's right and left respectively. The word sudarsana means transcendental vision. The deity of Sudarsana serves to purify and spiritualize the eyes so one can actually see Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. Without his mercy you will see the Jagannath deity as a wooden murti. By the mercy of Sudarsana one receives the proper vision to understand that Jagannath is Vrajendranandana Syamasundara. 

Other Deities:

Within the boundary walls of the Jagannath temple there are about 35 temples built by various rulers. These temples and small shrines contain the murtis of 80 different forms of God and the demigods, including Radha-Krsna, Nila Madhava, Sri Krsna, Venu Madhava, Kshira-cora Gopinatha, Gurundi Gopala, Sakshi-gopala, Bala Mukunda, Arpana Gopala, Sad-bhuja Gauranga, Ananta Vasudeva, Ramachandra, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman, Sugriva, Bara Bhai Hanuman, Tapasvi Hanuman, Mahavira Hanuman, Lakshmi-Narayana, Maha-Lakshmi, Satya Narayana, Surya Narayana, Cakra Narayana, Bimala-devi, Vamanadeva, Lakshmi-Nrsimha. Yajna Nrsimha, Gaudiya Nrsimha, Purana Nrsimha, Kasivisvantha, Panca Mahadeva, Bedha Lokanatha Shiva, Isanesvara Shiva, Harisahadeva Shiva, Patalesvara Shiva, Markandesvara Shiva, Agnisvara Mahadeva, Kshetrapala Mahadeva, Muktesvara Mahadeva, Siddhesvara Mahadeva, Bhadrakali, Budhi Maa, Durga Madhava, Maha Vajresvari, Kutum Candi, Sitala-devi, Sarvamangala-devi, Bhuvanesvari-devi, Sarasvati, Savitri, Gayatri, Jhadesvari-devi, Uttara Durga, Bata Ganesa, Kanci Ganesa, Nrtya Ganapati, Indra, Navagraha, and more...