Jagannath Temple

Location: Puri, Orissa 
Built in: 12th century  
Dedicated to: Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra, Lord Balabhadra

Jagannath Temple is a world-renowned shrine, carrying religious significance. Positioned in the coastal town of Puri in Orissa, Jagannath Mandir is one of the four major pilgrimage sites of the Hindus. The temple is easily accessible through regular buses or taxis that are available throughout Orissa. The term Jagannath is derived from two words, "Jagat" and "Nath", where the former means "the Universe" and the later means "Lord". Consequently, Jagannath means "Lord of the Universe".

Lord Jagannath is considered as the form of Lord Krishna. The temple is significant for upkeeping many traditions of the Hindus. Jagannath Temple is predominantly considerable to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism as the cult was founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The legend was fascinated by the Lord Jagannath and lived in Puri for several years. Even Saint Ramananda was attracted by the deity and made a kind of bondage with the temple.

Lord Jagannath is the symbol of universal love and ecstasy. In the shrine, main attention is gathered by Lord Jagannath along with Balabhadra (Balrama) and Subhadra (Sister of Lord Krishna). The images of deities are carved out of margosa wood. These images are placed on the "Ratnabedi" (bejeweled platform) in the sanctum sanctorum. The offering to the Lord is known as Maha Prasada and it consists of 56 varieties of food.