The Holy Mother in Puri

A Compilation

ord Jagannath is a Hindu deity, a form of Vishnu. The oldest and most famous Jagannath deity is in the city of Puri, Odisha, where every year the famous Ratha Yātrā festival takes place. Jagannath Temple in Puri is regarded as one of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrimage places (Chār Dhām) in India.

The Temple of Lord Jagannath is one of the major temples in India. The worship of Lord Jagannath is so ancient that there is no accurate record of how long it has been going on.

Once a year, Jagannath, along with his brother Balaram and sister Subhadra are taken out of the temple and pulled on huge chariots through the streets of Puri. Millions of devotees from a variety of different traditions attend this festival every year, including the King of Puri, who sweeps the path in front of Lord Jagannath Chariot.

Holy Mother’s First Visit to Puri: From 9 November 1888 to 8 January 1889

From Balaram Babu’s house, Holy Mother started for Puri on 5 November 1888. This pilgrimage attracted several devotees, and Swamis Brahmananda, Yogananda, and Saradananda as also Yogin-Ma, Golap-Ma, Yogin-Ma’s mother, and Laxmi Devi went with her. The coastal railroad had not yet been constructed; hence they went by steamer from Kolkata (then Calcutta) to Chandbali (7 November), from where they proceeded by a launch to Cuttack and then by cart to Puri. Arriving at Puri they visited Lord Jagannatha immediately, for an inauspicious period would commence from the next day. Then the Holy Mother and the women went to live in a house of Balaram Babu, called the Kshetrabāsir Math or a resort for the dwellers in the holy place. The monks had their own separate place. The Mother stayed here for a little more than two months.