JAGANNATH TEMPLE

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Context

• Many injured during Rath Yatra in Puri due to overcrowding.

About Jagannath Temple:

Location:

• The Shree Jagannath Temple is a prominent Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu, located in Puri, Odisha.
• Puri is revered as one of the four Dhams or most sacred pilgrimage sites for Hindus in India.

Founder:

• Built in the 12th century CE by the Ganga dynasty king Anantavarman Chodaganga, as evidenced by the Kendupatna copper-plate inscription of his descendant Narasimhadeva II.

Festival:

• The temple is renowned for its annual Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, during which the three principal deities are paraded on huge, elaborately decorated temple cars.

Saints Associated:

• Sacred to Hindus, particularly those of the Vaishnava tradition.
• Saints like Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Vallabhacharya, and Ramananda have deep associations with the temple.

• Ramanuja established the Emar Mutt nearby.
• Adi Shankaracharya founded the Govardhana Mutt, one of the four seats of Shankaracharyas.
• It holds special significance for followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, influenced by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who resided in Puri for an extended period.

Temple Architecture:

• The temple exemplifies the Odisha or Kalinga Nagara style of architecture, also known as White Pagoda.

• The Kalinga Nagara style includes three architectural forms: Rekha Deula, Pidha Deula, and Khakhra Deula.
• Notable examples include the Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneshwar, both grand instances of Rekha Deula architecture.

PRACTICE QUESTION Q. What historical evidence suggests the founder of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri? An inscription found in the temple premises dating back to the 12th century CE. The Kendupatna copper-plate inscription. The Hathigumpha inscription. Accounts by medieval historians documenting the temple's construction. Answer: 2. The Kendupatna copper-plate inscription of Narasimhadeva II.

SOURCE: THE HINDU