Jagannath Temple is an iconic and important place of worship located in: Puri, Orissa
This ancient and sacred Hindu shrine is renowned for its annual Ratha Yatra or Chariot Festival, attracting millions of devotees from around the world. The city of Puri, along with its religious significance, holds cultural and historical importance, making it one of the holiest places in India.
Location | Significance |
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Puri, Orissa | Site of Jagannath Temple |
The famous Jagannath Temple is located in Puri, Orissa (now Odisha), and is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in India. Dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu, the temple is a significant part of the Char Dham Yatra, attracting millions of devotees every year.
The temple is renowned for its grand annual festival, the Rath Yatra, where the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are taken in a procession through the streets of Puri in massive chariots. This event is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, symbolizing devotion and the victory of good over evil.
The Jagannath Temple's architectural beauty and historical significance make it a revered cultural heritage site, and it holds immense spiritual importance for Hindus. The temple is also famous for the "Mahaprasad"—a unique offering of food to the deities, which is distributed among the pilgrims.
Declining a Royal Gift
This excerpt from a sufi text describes the proceedings at Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s hospice in 1313 : I (the author, Amir Hasan Sijzi) had the good fortune of kissing his (Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s) feet ... At this time a local ruler had sent him the deed of ownership to two gardens and much land, along with the provisions and tools for their maintenance. The ruler had also made it clear that he was relinquishing all his rights to both the gardens and land. The master ... had not accepted that gift. Instead, he had lamented: “What have I to do with gardens and fields and lands ? ... None of our ... spiritual masters had engaged in such activity.”
Then he told an appropriate story: “... Sultan Ghiyasuddin, who at that time was still known as Ulugh Khan, came to visit Shaikh Fariduddin (and) offered some money and ownership deeds for four villages to the Shaikh, the money being for the benefit of the dervishes (sufis), and the land for his use. Smiling, Shaikh al Islam (Fariduddin) said: ‘Give me the money. I will dispense it to the dervishes. But as for those land deeds, keep them. There are many who long for them. Give them away to such persons.’”