Jai Jagannath : Spirituality of Puri Temple
Hello all,
What is spirituality according to you?
Why is it important to be spiritual?
It matters because it is the essence of our being.
Who are we?
What is the purpose of life?
And why does it matter?
It is the way of connecting ourselves to the higher power.
And that higher power can be anything for anyone.
For some, it can be the universe, for some, it can be nature, and for some, it can be another human being.
The way to feel spirituality might be different for different individuals.
Some can feel it while climbing the mountains, but for some, just looking at the pigeon outside the window can give them a feeling of utmost calm and peace….But the main thing is spirituality makes you accept yourself. It makes you contented. It makes you grateful.
You can read English classic books like The Alchemist, The Little Prince, The Old Man and the Sea, or Siddhartha, or our Gujarati literature like Tatvamasi and Akoopar, and you can learn about the purpose of being us…
or
You can simply go to the Himalayas…
or
You can go to Nathdwara, Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai, The Golden Temple or The Jagannath temple in Puri. Just looking at the idols, you feel all your worries are disappearing. You might feel that your worries are nothing but mere specks of dust, and a little bit of cleansing will simply wash them away. Cleansing of the soul, of the mind…It is not like all your problems will disappear in a blink, but these places have the power to make you understand that life is not a fairy tale and you will have the strength to face the problems, the strength to overcome them…
There are tons and tons of blogs, vlogs, books and videos about this temple. You might not even need it, because when He calls you, you just simply follow. Is there a small, teeny tiny intuition about going to this stupefying temple? Just go. It might be the signal. From him, because it isn’t always like this, is it? The universe tries to give us subtle signals, and in this chaotic life, we always fail to notice. We have become so ignorant fools in mundane things that we fail to notice such signs.
I recently read an amazing book, Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I won’t go into details about how extraordinary the book is and how it is a must-read, because some books can not be explained in mere words. You have to read and feel it, and as they say, there are chances that the book might come to you; the same has happened to me. After delaying reading this book for a year, my sister insisted that I read it. And I am grateful to her for it. I just want to mention one beautiful quote by Mad, who is the daughter of protagonist Elizabeth Zott. They both don’t believe in God, so when Mad said that she has faith, she was immediately told that it is funny to hear the word faith from her, as religion is based on faith. Immediately, super intelligent Mad answered: “But faith isn’t based on religion, right?”
Faith…
How powerful is this word? And when you visit this sacred temple, you can see faith in the eyes of the people. Yes, it is commercialized, very much commercialized. But that has not decreased the vibrations of the place. That has not decreased people’s faith in the place.
Why is this temple different from other temples?
Idols:
The temple is unique because here there are idols of Balabhadra and Subhadra, not only Lord Krishna. All their idols are made of sacred wood with forms which can just radiate unconditional love, positivity, compassion and vibrancy.
Another unique feature of the idols is large eyes without eyelids, which suggest that the universe is watching your every movement and your every thought too.
Why wooden idols?
Because it suggests to us that our life here, on this planet, is not permanent, we can follow the mundane things, but the only eternal part of our soul, just like the idols are replaced every 8, 12, or 19 years during the Nabakalebara ceremony. New idols are crafted from special neem trees, and their carvings are done in secrecy. And the old idols are buried near Koili Vaikuntha. This ritual suggests that though the idols are new, the soul and divinity of the temple remain the same. The divine consciousness is beyond the body and material things. But simultaneously teaching us that change is the only constant in this life.
Location:
Chardhams are four pilgrimage locations in India established by Adi Shankaracharya for awareness of Vaishnavism and Shaivism in the entire country, which are Badrinath Dham in the north, Jagannath Puri Dham in the east, Rameshwaram Dham in the south, and Dwarkadhish Dham in the west. Some people believe that Lord Vishnu takes his bath at Rameshwaram, meditates at Badrinath, dines at Puri and retires at Dwarka. Among the four main char dhams, Jagannath Puri represents the Kali Yuga.
The location of the temple also has significance. East is the direction of sunrise, of new beginning and of starting one’s spiritual journey with complete surrender to the Almighty with love, faith, devotion, and hope. The temple is located just beside the ocean, signifying the philosophy of acentance. Just as the ocean accepts each and every river and stream with wide open arms, without any judgment, Lord Jagannath also accepts all his spiritual seekers with compassion and love with boundless inclusivity. Water means no control, just trust the processes and trust the journey. Isn’t it the meaning of being a true seeker? To trust the process on the grander scheme of events. If you have missed the bus, there might be something better in that. If you have not got a job, the universe is favoring you because you are meant to do better. Such faith is what we gain when we visit this temple.
One of the most important virtues we can seek here is complete surrender, the art of letting go, and the art of just ‘to be’, which are the much-needed lessons we all need in this fast-paced, overstimulating world. Because with surrender comes peace, and with peace comes happiness.
The architecture of Jagannath Puri Temple :
There is symbolism in the unique architecture of the temple, also.
The temple is tall with a towering structure, which represents the centre of the universe. It corresponds to human anatomy pitha (pedestal/feet), bada (wall/torso), gandi (body/neck), and mastaka (head)
There are four sacred gates in the temple, each flanked by animal statues and representing profound spiritual principles:
Singhadwara (Lion’s Gate, East): The main entrance representing Dharma (righteousness).
Aswadwara (Horse’s Gate, South): Represents Jnana (knowledge and spiritual wisdom).
Hastidwara (Elephant’s Gate, North): Represents Aisvarya (material and spiritual prosperity).
Vyaghradwara (Tiger’s Gate, West): Represents Vairagya (renunciation and detachment).
The Nilchakra at the top symbolize the Sudarshan Chakra of Lord Vishnu, suggesting cosmic balance yet constant motion.
The temple has one of the largest temple kitchens in the world, signifying the concept of divine energy through food.
So, if you are a religious person or non-religious, just go to this mesmerizing temple once in your life to feel the vibrations of it. because some places speak to you, and this can be that place for you.