Odia Culture and Heritage

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Jagannatha means The “Lord of The Universe”

The city of Puri also called Jagannatha Puri, Nilacala and Sri Ksetra is considered to be equal to Vrindavana and Navadvipa, a sacred Vaisnava holy place. For thousands of years, great sages and other exalted persons have traveled to Puri on pilgrimage. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chose to reside here for the last eighteen years of his life.

Konark Temple is the most popular and major attraction of Konark in Odisha. Konark is located at an approximate distance of 65 km from Bhubaneshwar and 35 km from Puri. The term 'Konark' has been derived from 'Kona' and 'Arka' which means 'Corner' and 'Sun' respectively. Konark is actually positioned on the north-east corner of Puri, so this is how it came to be known as Konark. In 1250 AD, Konark temple was built by King Narasimha Deva. The temple is basically dedicated to Lord Surya or Sun God. Due to this fact, it is also popular as Sun Temple. The intricate carvings and rich sculpture make this temple truly a sight to behold. 

In the city of Puri, during the month of Āshādha (June-July), amidst a sea of hundreds of thousands of people, three chariots — decorated by brightly colored canopies of yellow, red, green, and black silk— towered three stories high.

On one chariot was Lord Jagannātha, black in complexion and known as “the lord of the universe.” On another was Jagannātha’s brother, Lord Baladeva, with the white hue of a cloud. And on the third was their sister, Lady Subhadra, colored yellow. All three had large round eyes, a wide smile, and no hand or legs.