Temples in Puri

The Jagannath Temple is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu - one of the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism. Puri is in the state of Odisha, on the eastern coast of India. One of the char dham temples for hindus it has a really big significance for the religion. The Puri temple is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three principal deities are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. Unlike the stone and metal icons found in most Hindu temples, the image of Jagannath (which gave its name to the English term 'juggernaut') is made of wood and is ceremoniously replaced every twelve or 19 years by an exact replica.

Loknath Temple (locally called Shri Lokanatha Mandira) lies only about 2 km from the sacred Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri. It is one of the holiest shrines in Odisha that is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Odisha since time immemorial has been a place, where Shaivism has always flourished.An interesting aspect of this shrine is that its innermost sanctum houses a Shivalinga, which is visible only once in a year. The reason being is that the entire sanctum including the Shivalinga gets filled with water by a natural fountain, all through the year. According to history, the lingam in this temple was established by Lord Rama. While Lord Rama on his way to Sri Lanka for searching Sita reached Puri and sat with a vow to see Shiva here. At that time, there was a village named Sabarapalli nearby presented him a Lau or Lauka (Pumpkin) looking like a Shiva linga.

Gundicha Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the temple town of Puri in Orrisa. It is the most important destinations for the annual Rath Yatra celebrated in puri. The temple is occupied with the images of the deities of Jagannath Temple for seven compilate days total of 9 days concluding day of Ratha Yatra. This temple is also known as the garden house if Jagannath, the temple stands in the centre of a beautiful garden, surrounded by compound walls on all sides. Except for the 9-day Rath Yatra when Jagannath is worshipped in Gundicha temple, the temple remains empty the rest of the year. Tourists can visit the temple after paying an entry fee. Foreigners (prohibited entry in the main temple) are allowed inside this temple during this period.

The Shri Vimala Shakti Peetha Temple is Located in city of Puri, Orissa, India. The Temple is dedicated to Goddess Vimala, Maa Sati. This is the form of Maa Durga. The architecture of the Vimala temple suggests that it dates back to the 9th century and was built during the Eastern Ganga dynasty.