Odyssey in Odisha

Odisha is a perfect getaway for the religious-minded, architecture lovers, connoisseurs of dance forms, shutter-bugs and nature lovers.

- R Srinivasan

The three links of Odisha’s Golden Triangle are the 12th Century Jagannath temple in Puri, Bhubaneshwar (Odisha’s capital city) and the Konark Sun Temple.

The Jagannath temple The temple, which is about 3 km from Puri bus-stop and railway station, is a part of the Char Dham (four divine sites) pilgrimage that Hindus are expected to make in their lifetime. The four sites are Badrinath Temple (Uttarakhand) in the North, Puri’s Jagannath Temple in the East, Dwarkadheesh temple (Dwarka in Gujarat) in the West and Ramnathaswamy temple (Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu) in the South. The history of Jagannath dates back to the Rig Veda, Puranas, Ramayana and it is even believed that the Pandavas of Mahabharata came here to worship lord Jagannath.

Structure: The intricately carved Jagannath temple, built as per the Kalinga style of architecture, towers 214 feet from the ground level and is one of the tallest monuments in Odisha. The temple is enclosed by an inner and an outer compound wall. The four gates for entry are the Eastern Singhadwara (Lion Gate), southern Ashwadwara (Horse Gate), western Vaghadwara (Tiger Gate) and northern Hastidwara (Elephant Gate). On entry through the Lion gate, there is a flight of 22 steps to reach the inner compound wall. While ascending the steps, on the left there is a massive kitchen since daily offerings (bhoga) are made to the Lord six times a day. In an achievement of sorts, it is said that the Puri temple can feed one lakh persons in just a few hours.