Temples in Puri

Jagannath Puri Temple is located in Puri, Odisha. Jagannath is a form of Lord Vishnu. In this temple, the flag hosted at the top flows in the opposite direction of air. The temple is situated near the sea and the sound of waves is also there but when you enter the temple premises you cannot hear the sound waves. When you come out of the temple waves sound can be heard. The best time to visit the temple is from June to March.

The Loknath Temple is located at a distance of 1.5 Km from Jagannath Temple, Puri, Odisha. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and has been for a long time. The existence of this temple has been made in the old tales of Indian mythology and has often been linked to Lord Ram who had made a stop in Puri and wished to meet Lord Shiva. This temple has a huge crowd during the festival of Maha Shivratri.

Gundicha Temple is one of the important temples in Puri, Odisha. The deity of Jagannath used to take rest during the Rath Yatra. It is called the Garden house of Lord Jagannath. The Legend of Gundicha Temple is the King Indradyumna built the Jagannath temple during his rule. Gundicha, the queen of Indradyumna, requested him to build a same temple. It is believed that the King started the Rath Yatra festival at her request, and the deities stayed here for seven days. Rath Yatra is the main festival of this temple.

Shri Vimala Shakti Peetha Temple was built in the 6th century by Yayati Keshari, who was a ruler of the Somavanshi Dynasty. Vimala Temple also spelled as Bimala Shaktipeeth is one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas located in Puri, Odissa. This temple is also known by other names such as Puri Shakti Pitha, Sri Vimala Shakti Pitha and Sri Bimala Temple. Festivals are also celebrated like Sri Ram Navami, Jagannath Rathyatra, Guru Purnima, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Diwali.

Sakshi Gopal Temple is a holy place that was built in the 11th century. It is dedicated to Lord Krishna and is located on the Puri-Bhubaneswar Highway, about 20 km away from the Jagannath Temple of Puri. Also known as Satyabadi Gopinatha Temple, a unique thing about this temple is that the food offered to the devotees is made up of wheat instead of rice. This is one of the exceptional offerings among the worshipping processes of Vishnu temples all over the world. Festivals like Holi, Radha Ashtami, and Janmashtami are also celebrated in this temple with lots of enthusiasm.

The Lakshmi Temple is situated behind the Shri Jagannath Temple. All devotees who visit Jagannath Temple also visit this temple. It is believed that the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati took place, and Goddess Lakshmi invites them to this holy place. Lakshmi Temple plays a very important role during the Rath Yatra and the rituals of the Gundicha temple during Hera Panchami. Hera Panchami is celebrated on the 5th day of the famous Ratha Yatra of Sri Jagannath.

Alarnatha Temple or Alvarnaath, is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and located in Brahmagiri at a distance of 25 Km from Puri, Odisha. The temple is associated with the visit of the Alwar saint Ramanujacharya to Orissa. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu during his stay in Puri used to see Shri Jagannatha daily. During Anavasara when Lord and his siblings were taken to the secret place for 15 days, he was unable to see his dear Lord. So as per legend Lord directed him to go to Brahmagiri and visit his other temple called Alarnatha.

The Bedi Hanuman Temple is located in the city of Puri, Odisha, India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Hanuman. Bedi Hanuman’ literally means ‘Chained Hanuman’. It is believed that Lord Hanuman was given the charge of guarding Puri against the fury of the sea, day and night, by Lord Jagannath. However, once he left for Ayodhya to eat ladoos (sweet) without informing Lord Jagannath. Meanwhile, the sea water entered Puri and considerably damaged the Jagannath Temple. Lord Jagannath found out about Lord Hanuman’s unscheduled visit to Ayodhya. When Hanuman returned to Puri, Lord Jagannath tied his hands and feet with a rope and instructed him to vigil the seashore. It is a popular belief that since that time sea water has never entered Puri and reached till the Jagannath Temple. The temple is also known as Daria Mahavir. Where ‘Daria’ means Sea and ‘Mahavir’ meaning Lord Hanuman.

The Maa Bata Mangala Temple is located in the city of Puri, Odisha, India. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Mangala. Before visiting the Jagannath Temple, devotees pay their respects at this temple. This temple is highly esteemed by the devotees and they follow this tradition of praying there first.