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93-580: The district is named after its capital city, Puri . In Sanskrit , the word "Puri" means town or city. The city is an important seat of Vaishnavism , and is home to the noted Jagannath Temple built by Anantavarman Chodaganga in the mid 12th century CE. Like many other parts of Odisha , the Puri district contains Pleistocene river gravels and silts. So far, no prehistoric stone tools have been found in this region, although they are found in similar formations (river gravels, secondary laterite pits and murrams) in

186-666: A distance of about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) to the northeast of the Jagannath Temple. The two temples are located at the two ends of the Bada Danda (Grand Avenue), which is the pathway for the Ratha Yatra. According to a legend, Gundicha was the wife of King Indradyumna who originally built the Jagannath temple. The temple is built using light-grey sandstone , and, architecturally, it exemplifies typical Kalinga temple architecture in

279-567: A heavy, elaborate costume including huge, highly decorated headgear and a false beard almost covering the face. Medha dances are traditional dances in which the dancers wear a huge papier-mâché mask representing a demon or other character. Medha dancers participate in processions of temple idols on festival days such as Rama Navami . Other folk dances common in the district include Ghoda nacha, Dhuduki nacha, Jatra, Pala, Daskathia, Bhalu nacha, Mankada nacha and Navrang . Excavated archeological sites in Puri district include: Annapurna Theatre

372-446: A height of 58 metres (190 ft), and a flag is unfurled above it, fixed over a wheel ( chakra ). The temple is built on an elevated platform (of about 420,000 square feet (39,000 m ) area), 20 feet (6.1 m) above the adjacent area. The temple rises to a height of 214 feet (65 m) above the road level. The temple complex covers an area of 10.7 acres (4.3 ha). There are four entry gates in four cardinal directions of

465-550: A historian, in his book A Social History of India quotes William Joseph Wilkins, author of the book Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Purānic as stating that in Puri, Buddhism was once a well established practice but later Buddhism faded and Brahmanism became the order of the religious practice in the town; the Buddha deity is now worshipped by the Hindus as Jagannatha. It is also said by Wilkinson that some relics of Buddha were placed inside

558-691: A shore line of 5 kilometres (3.1 mi). Puri is in the coastal delta of the Mahanadi River on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. In the ancient days it was near to Sisupalgarh (also known as "Ashokan Tosali"). Then the land was drained by a tributary of the Bhargavi River , a branch of the Mahanadi River. This branch underwent a meandering course creating many arteries altering the estuary , and formed many sand hills. These sand hills could be cut through by

651-516: A substantial storage quantity of over 5.4 km would be created on completion of projects under construction. Additional storage to the tune of over 11.0 km would become available on execution of projects under consideration. The hydropower potential of the basin has been assessed as 627 MW at 60% load factor. At its peak during the monsoon, the Mahanadi has a discharge rate of 2,000,000 cubic feet (57,000 m ) per second, almost as much as

744-611: A total length of 900 kilometres (560 mi). Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam which was the first major multipurpose river valley project after India's independence in 1947. The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha , before finally ending in the Bay of Bengal . The word Mahanadi is a compound of the Sanskrit words maha ("great") and nadi ("river"). In different era Like many other seasonal Indian rivers,

837-645: Is 1,337 millimetres (52.6 in) and the average annual temperature is 26.9 °C (80.4 °F). The weather data is given in the following table. Religious Demographic in Puri Municipality (2011) According to the 2011 Census of India , Puri is an urban agglomeration governed by the Municipal Corporation in Odisha state, with a population of 200,564, comprising 104,086 males, 96,478 females, and 18,471 children (under six years of age). The sex ratio

930-578: Is 927. The average literacy rate in the city is 88.03 percent (91.38 percent for males and 84.43 percent for females). The overwhelming majority of the people in the city (98%) are Hindus , with a small Christian population. Languages spoken in Puri Municipality (2011) Majority of the people speaks Odia , followed by a large minority of Telugu speakers, with substantial number of Bengali and Hindi speakers. The Puri Municipality, Puri Konark Development Authority, Public Health Engineering Organisation and Orissa Water Supply Sewerage Board are some of

1023-748: Is Charita as identified by General Alexander Cunningham of the Archaeological Survey of India , which was later spelled as Che-li-ta-lo by Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang . When the present temple was built by the Eastern Ganga king Anantavarman Chodaganga in the 11th and 12th centuries AD, it was called Purushottamkshetra. However, the Moghuls , the Marathas and early British rulers called it Purushottama-chhatar or just Chhatar. In Moghul ruler Akbar 's Ain-i-Akbari and subsequent Muslim historical records it

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1116-434: Is a coastal city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India . It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal , 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar . It is home to the 12th-century Jagannath Temple and is one of the original Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus . Puri has been known by several names since ancient times, and

1209-728: Is a monsoon fed river that drains into the Prachi River . 5) Prachi River : This river has its origin near Kantapara on Cuttack-Gop road and passes through the Kakatpur before draining into the Bay of Bengal. 6) Devi River : This is a branch of the Kathajodi River . Notable beaches include: Puri Beach; the Golden Beach; Beleswar Beach; Swargadwar Beach; Balighai Beach; and the Chandrabhaga Sea Astaranga beach. According to

1302-499: Is a pioneer in the field of theatrical performances. The District Museum at Puri is one of the branch museums of Odisha State Museum and is managed by the state government. It was established in 1997. The District Library of Puri and Panchasakha Memorial hall Library, Sakshigopal are both managed by the state government's department of culture. The Puri district Culture Office promotes cultural activities and implements government policy relating to art and culture. This office manages

1395-591: Is a stone pillar in front of the Singhadwara, called the Aruna Stambha {Solar Pillar}, 11 metres (36 ft) in height with 16 faces, made of chlorite stone; at the top of the stamba an elegant statue of Aruṇa (Sun) in a prayer mode is mounted. This pillar was shifted from the Konarak Sun Temple . The four gates are decorated with guardian statues in the form of lion, horse mounted men, tigers, and elephants in

1488-514: Is also known by the name Jagannatha . According to the chronicle Madala Panji , in 318 AD, the priests and servitors of the temple spirited away the idols to escape the wrath of the Rashtrakuta king Rakatavahu . In the temple's historical records it finds mention in the Brahma Purana and Skanda Purana stating that the temple was built by the king Indradyumna , Ujjayani . S. N. Sadasivan,

1581-710: Is an important river in the state of Odisha. This river flows slowly for about 900 kilometres (560 mi) and deposits more silt than any other river in the Indian subcontinent. The cities of Cuttack and Sambalpur were prominent trading places in the ancient world and the river itself has been referred to as the Manada in Ptolemy's works. However today the Mahanadi valley is best known for its fertile soil and flourishing agriculture. Average annual surface water potential of 66.9 km has been assessed in this basin. Out of this, 50.0 km

1674-403: Is between the littoral tract and the level alluvial tract. i) The littoral tract : This strip of the country lies between the level alluvial tract and the Bay of Bengal . Strong monsoon currents blow over the country for nearly 8 months of the year, producing sandy ridges parallel to the coast, varying from 6.5 km to a few hundred metres in width. These ridges stretch along the seashore for

1767-520: Is located in the Emara Matha complex (opposite Simhadwara or lion gate, the main entrance gate). The Jagannatha Aitihasika Gavesana Samiti (Jagannatha Historical Centre) is also located here. The library houses ancient palm leaf manuscripts on Jagannatha, His cult and the history of the city. Puri witnesses 24 festivals every year, of which 13 are major. The most important of these is the Ratha Yatra , or

1860-501: Is the popular usage. It is also known by the geographical features of its location as Shankhakshetra (the layout of the town is in the form of a conch shell), Neelāchala ("Blue mountain" a terminology used to name a very large sand lagoon over which the temple was built but this name is not in vogue), Neelāchalakshetra, Neelādri . In Sanskrit , the word "Puri" means town or city, and is cognate with polis in Greek . Another ancient name

1953-607: Is under the Jagannath Temple Administration, Puri, the governing body of the main temple. A small band of servitors maintain the temple. Swargadwar is the name given to the cremation ground or burning ghat which is located on the shores of the sea. Here thousands of dead bodies of Hindus brought from faraway places are cremated. It is a belief that the Chaitanya Mahaparabhu disappeared from this Swargadwar about 500 years back. The beach at Puri, known as

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2046-462: Is usable water. Culturable area in the basin is about 80,000 square kilometres (31,000 sq mi), which is 4% of the total culturable area of the country. Present use of surface water in the basin is 17.0 km . Live storage capacity in the basin has increased significantly since independence. From just about 0.8 km in the pre-plan period, the total live storage capacity of the completed projects has increased to 8.5 km . In addition,

2139-454: The Deula style. The complex comprises four components: vimana (tower structure containing the sanctum), jagamohana (assembly hall), nata- mandapa (festival hall) and bhoga-mandapa (hall of offerings). There is also a kitchen connected by a small passage. The temple is set within a garden, and is known as "God's Summer Garden Retreat" or garden house of Jagannatha. The entire complex, including

2232-515: The Eastern Ghats and are a source of many other streams which then go on to join the Mahanadi. For the first 100 kilometres (62 mi) of its course, the Mahanadi flows in a northerly direction and drains the Raipur district and touches eastern portions of Raipur city. It is a rather narrow river at this stage and the total width of its valley does not exceed 500–600 metres. After being joined by

2325-536: The Govardhana Matha , one of the four cardinal institutions established by Adi Shankaracharya , when he visited Puri in 810 AD, and since then it has become an important dham (divine centre) for the Hindus; the others being those at Sringeri , Dwarka and Jyotirmath . The Matha (monastery of various Hindu sects) is headed by Jagatguru Shankarachrya . It is a local belief about these dhams that Vishnu takes his dinner at Puri, has his bath at Rameshwaram , spends

2418-517: The Mahanadi river. They are largely dry or small streams in the hot season, while in the rains they receive more water than they can carry. Major rivers include: 1) Kushabhadra River : A branch of the Kuakhai River originates from Balianta and meets the Bay of Bengal at the shrine of Ramachandi, located 15 miles east of Puri . Its tributary Mugei joins with Kushabhadra. 2) Daya River : A branch of

2511-540: The Shivnath , the river flows in an easterly direction through the remaining part of its journey. It is joined by the Jonk and Hasdeo rivers here before entering into Odisha after covering about half of its total length. Near the city of Sambalpur , it is dammed by the longest earthen dam in the world, the Hirakud Dam . A composite structure of the earth, concrete and masonry, the dam measures 26 kilometres (16 mi) including

2604-461: The devadasi system , it is no longer danced at the Jagannatha Temple but continues as a cultural dance. Gotipua dance is a folk dance of Puri, danced by boys under 14 years old, clad in female dress. The boys perform acrobatic figures inspired by the life of Radha and Krishna . The village of Raghurajpur is known for its Gotipua dance troupes. Naga dances are danced by men wearing

2697-571: The "Ballighai beach, at the mouth of Nunai River", is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) away from the town and is fringed by casurina trees. It has golden yellow sand. Sunrise and sunset are pleasant scenic attractions here. Waves break in at the beach which is long and wide. The Puri district museum is located on the station road where the exhibits in display are the different types of garments worn by Jagannatha, local sculptures, patachitra (traditional, cloth-based scroll painting), ancient Palm-leaf manuscripts , and local craft work. Raghunandana Library

2790-547: The 2011 Census, Puri district had a population of 1,698,730, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau or the U.S. state of Idaho, making it the 291st most populous district in India out of 640. The district has a population density of 488 inhabitants per square kilometer (1,260/sq mi) and experienced a population growth rate of 13% over the decade from 2001 to 2011. The gender ratio stands at 963 females for every 1,000 males, with 865,380 males and 833,350 females. Approximately 15.60% of

2883-429: The 8th century AD by Rastrakuta king Govinda III (798–814 AD), and the last took place in 1881 AD by the monotheistic followers of Alekh ( Mahima Dharma ) who did not recognise the worship of Jagannatha. From 1205 AD onward there were many invasions of the city and its temple by Muslims of Afghan and Moghul descent, known as Yavanas or foreigners. In most of these invasions the idols were taken to safe places by

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2976-814: The Afghan king by Raja Mansingh , the General of Mughal emperor Akbar , the temple became part of the Mughal empire till 1751. Subsequently, it was under the control of the Marathas till 1803. During the British Raj, the Puri Raja was entrusted with its management until 1947. The triad of images in the temple are of Jagannatha, personifying Krishna, Balabhadra, His older brother, and Subhadra, His younger sister. The images are made of neem wood in an unfinished form. The stumps of wood which form

3069-540: The Bhargavi River has a shallow depth of just 5 feet (1.5 m) and the process of siltation continues. According to a 15th-century Odia writer Saraladasa , the bed of the unnamed stream that flowed at the base of the Blue Mountain or Neelachal was filled up. Katakarajavamsa , a 16th-century chronicle (c.1600), attributes filling up of the bed of the river which flowed through the present Grand Road, as done during

3162-533: The Brahmani is one of the largest in India. Prior to the construction of Hirakud Dam, the Mahanadi was navigable from its mouth up to Arrang , about 250 kilometres (160 mi) from its source. However numerous barrages apart from the Hirakud have put an end to that. Today, boats are restricted to the delta region and the Hirakud reservoir. Fresh water crocodiles, Ganges and Bull sharks frequent Mahanadi. The Mahanadi

3255-777: The District Library of Puri, Panchasakha Memorial Hall Library at Sakhigopal, and the District museum of Puri. It organises cultural programmes and offers grants to registered libraries, cultural institutions, and indigent artists. It also serves as the liaison to the Orissa Sahitya Academy and the Sangeet Natak Akademi . The Odisha Legislative Assembly constituencies of Puri district and their elected members are listed below. Puri Puri , also known as, Jagannath Puri , ( Odia: [ˈpuɾi] )

3348-916: The Dykes. It spans two hills; the Lamdungri on the left and the Chandili Dunguri on the right. It also forms the biggest artificial lake in Asia , with a reservoir holding 784 square kilometres (303 sq mi) at full capacity, with a shoreline of over 675 kilometres (419 mi). After the formation of Chhattisgarh State, the major portion of Mahanadi basin now lies in Chhattisgarh. Presently, only 169 square kilometres (65 sq mi) basin area of Hasdeo River in Anuppur District lies in Madhya Pradesh . Before

3441-625: The Eastern Ganga dynasty. It was completed by his descendant, Anangabhima Deva, in the 12th century. The wooden images of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra were then deified here. The temple was under the control of the Hindu rulers up to 1558. Then, when Orissa was occupied by the Afghan Nawab of Bengal, it was brought under the control of the Afghan General Kalapahad. Following the defeat of

3534-814: The Kanchi, the East Kania, the Naya Nadi and the South Kanchi (which drains into Sar Lake) all derive from the left bank of the Kuakhai. The first three of these interconnect through several channels and finally join the Suna Munhi river, which in turn joins the Baliharchandi and ultimately drains to the Bay of Bengal via the mouth of Chilika. The South Kania dissipates in the marshes on the western shore of Chilika. 4) Kadua River : This

3627-651: The Kuakhai river drains into the Chilika lake. Two small rivers, the Gangua and the Managuni, join with the Daya river below Kanas. The Daya river is believed to be the cause of silt build-up in Chilika Lake. 3) Bhargavi River : A branch of the Kuakhai river meets the Bay of Bengal after breaking up into numerous tributaries in the last two and a half miles of its course. Four main branches,

3720-510: The Mahanadi too is a combination of many mountain streams and thus its precise source is impossible to pinpoint. However its farthest headwaters lie 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from Pharsiya village in Nagri Sihawa 442 metres (1,450 ft) above sea level about 11 km, in a dense patch of forest, south of Sihawa town in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh . The hills here are an extension of

3813-763: The Markandeya Tank, the Swetaganga Tank, and the Bay of Bengal also called the Mahodadhi , in Sanskrit 'Mahodadhi' means a "great ocean"; all are considered sacred bathing spots in the Swargadwara area. These tanks have perennial sources of supply from rainfall and ground water. The Gundicha Temple, known as the Garden House of Jagannatha, stands in the centre of a garden, bounded by compound walls on all sides. It lies at

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3906-481: The Mauza Sipaurubilla on the west, Mauza Gopinathpur in the north and Mauza Balukhand in the east. It is within the 67 kilometres (42 mi) coastal stretch of sandy beaches that extends between Chilika Lake and the south of Puri city. However, the administrative jurisdiction of the Puri Municipality extends over an area of 16.3268 square kilometres (6.3038 sq mi) spread over 30 wards, which includes

3999-661: The car festival, held in the June–July, which is attended by more than 1 million people. The Jagannath Temple triad are normally worshipped in the sanctum of the temple at Puri, but once during the month of Asadha (rainy season of Orissa, usually in June or July), they are brought out on the Bada Danda (main street of Puri) and taken over a distance of (3 kilometres (1.9 mi)) to the Gundicha Temple in huge chariots ( ratha ), allowing

4092-490: The city and provides employment to the people of the town. Agricultural production of rice, ghee, vegetables and so forth of the region meet the large requirements of the temple. Many settlements around the town exclusively cater to the other religious requirements of the temple. The temple administration employs 6,000 men to perform the rituals. The temple also provides economic sustenance to 20,000 people. According to Colleen Taylor Sen , an author on food and travel, writing on

4185-410: The city to the Puri Municipality. This body is represented by elected representatives with a Chairperson and councilors representing the 30 wards within the municipal limits. The electricity is provided by Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited in the city and the entire district. The economy of Puri is dependent on tourism to the extent of about 80 percent. The temple is the focal point of

4278-472: The construction of the dam in 1953, the Mahanadi was about a mile wide at Sambalpur and carried massive amounts of silt, especially during the monsoon . Today, it is a rather tame river after the construction of the dam and is joined by the Ib, Ong, Tel and other minor streams. It then skirts the boundaries of the Baudh district and forces a tortuous way between ridges and ledges in a series of rapids until it reaches Dholpur, Odisha . The rapids end here and

4371-427: The country. The role of dance and music in temple rituals in Puri was important enough to set aside a separate enclosure, the Nata mandira , as a focal point. Nata mandiras are typically decorated with figures in various poses of dance and musicians playing a variety of instruments. Odissi dance is an ancient Indian classical dance form that originated in the Hindu temples of Odisha. Traditionally this dance form

4464-455: The eastern corner of the Jagannath Temple, is reported to have been built in the 16th century during the reign of kings of Suryavamsi Gajapatis . The Matha was in the news on 25 February 2011 for the large cache of 522 silver slabs unearthed from a closed chamber. The British conquered Orissa in 1803, and, recognizing the importance of the Jagannath Temple in the life of the people of the state, they initially appointed an official to look after

4557-402: The end of March 2017. Non-Hindus are not permitted to enter the shrines but are allowed to view the temple and the proceedings from the roof of the Raghunandan library, located within the precincts of the temple, for a small donation. Puri, located on the east coast of India on the Bay of Bengal , is in the centre of the Puri district . It is delimited by the Bay of Bengal on the southeast,

4650-418: The era of governors. For the people of Puri, Jagannatha , visualized as Krishna , is synonymous with their city. They believe that Jagannatha looks after the welfare of the state. However, after the partial collapse of the Jagannath Temple (in the Amalaka part of the temple) on 14 June 1990, people became apprehensive and considered it a bad omen for Odisha. The replacement of the fallen stone by another of

4743-439: The first commissioner. In October 1828, the province was divided into three districts, Balasore, Cuttack and Jagannath, which was later renamed Puri. In 1912, the new province of Bihar and Orissa was formed, including these three districts. Orissa (now Odisha) became a separate province in 1936 and was merged with the states of Nayagarh, Daspalla, Khandapara and Ranapur in 1948. A separate sub-division comprising these ex-states

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4836-399: The food culture of India, the temple kitchen has 400 cooks serving food to as many as 100,000 people. According to J Mohapatra, Director, Ind Barath Power Infra Ltd (IBPIL), the kitchen is known as "a largest and biggest kitchen of the world." The Jagannath Temple at Puri is one of the major Hindu temples built in the Kalinga style of architecture. The temple tower, with a spire, rises to

4929-448: The full length of the sea coast, approximately150 km long. The littoral tract forms the dividing line between the Chilika Lake and the ocean. ii) The level alluvial tract: The alluvial region is full of villages and rice fields , watered by a network of channels, through which the distributaries of the most southerly branch of the Mahanadi river find their way to the sea. The rivers of Puri district are generally tributaries of

5022-468: The garden, is surrounded by a wall which measures 430 by 320 feet (131 m × 98 m) with height of 20 feet (6.1 m). Except for the 9-day Ratha Yatra, when the triad images are worshipped in the Gundicha Temple, otherwise it remains unoccupied for the rest of the year. Tourists can visit the temple after paying an entry fee. Foreigners (generally prohibited entry in the main temple) are allowed inside this temple during this period. The temple

5115-428: The heirs of the House of Gajapati still perform the ritual duties of the temple. The temple town has many Hindu religious matha s or monasteries. The economy of Puri is dependent on the religious importance of the Jagannath Temple to the extent of nearly 80 percent. The 24 festivals, including 13 major ones, held every year in the temple complex contribute to the economy; Ratha Yatra and its related festivals are

5208-442: The heirs of the Puri Estate still perform the ritual duties of the temple; the king formally sweeps the road in front of the chariots before the start of the Ratha Yatra . This ritual is called Cherra Pahanra. The history of Puri is on the same lines as that of the Jagannath Temple, which was invaded 18 times during its history to plunder the treasures of the temple, rather than for religious reasons. The first invasion occurred in

5301-407: The holy land of Jagannatha , also known by the popular vernacular name Srikshetram, has many ancient names in the Hindu scriptures such as the Rigveda , Matsya purana , Brahma Purana , Narada Purana , Padma Purana , Skanda Purana , Kapila Purana and Niladrimahodaya. In the Rigveda, in particular, it is mentioned as a place called Purushamandama-grama meaning the place where the Creator deity of

5394-404: The idol of Jagannatha which the Brahmins claimed were the bones of Krishna. Even during Maurya king Ashoka 's reign in 240 BC, Kalinga was a Buddhist center and that a tribe known as Lohabahu (barbarians from outside Odisha) converted to Buddhism and built a temple with a statue of Buddha which is now worshipped as Jagannatha. Wilkinson also says that the Lohabahu deposited some Buddha relics in

5487-410: The images of the brothers have human arms, while that of Subhadra does not have any arms. The heads are large, painted and non-carved. The faces are marked with distinctive large circular eyes. Hindus consider it essential to bathe in the Pancha Tirtha or the five sacred bathing spots of Puri, to complete a pilgrimage to Puri. The five sacred water bodies are the Indradyumana Tank, the Rohini Kunda,

5580-666: The literacy rate was 84.16%, compared to 87.38% in urban areas. Languages of Puri district (2011) At the time of the 2011 census, 95.09% of the population spoke Odia , 2.36% Urdu and 1.92% Telugu as their first language. Puri's recorded history dates from the third century BCE, and the district has varied religions and cultures. Hindus are in the majority, with monuments to Shaivism , Vaishnavism , Shaktism , Ganapatya , and Mahavir . Other important communities include Muslims, Sikhs, Jains and Christians. Important monuments include: Tourist Festivals These festivals feature Odissi dance and folk dances from different parts of

5673-407: The mid-20th century. Orissi music is a genre of Indian classical music originating from Puri. It is believed to date back to the 2nd century BCE, when Kharavela , king of Odisha, acted as a patron for this form of music and dance. Mahari is a ritualistic dance form that was historically performed at the temple of Lord Jagannatha at Puri by devadasi dancers called maharis. After the abolition of

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5766-475: The most important which are attended by millions of people every year. Sand art and applique art are some of the important crafts of the city. Puri has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme of Government of India. Puri is a significant part of the "Krishna pilgrimage circuit" which also includes Mathura , Vrindavan , Barsana , Gokul , Govardhan , Kurukshetra and Dwarka . Puri,

5859-415: The much larger Ganges . However owing to its seasonal nature the river is mostly a narrow channel flanked by wide sand banks for most of the year. The Mahanadi was notorious for its devastating floods for much of recorded history. Thus it was called 'the sorrow of Orissa'. However the construction of the Hirakud Dam has greatly altered the situation. Today a network of canals, barrages and check dams keep

5952-482: The name and order of the gates. A pillar made of fossilized wood is used for placing lamps as offering. The Lion Gate (Singhadwara) is the main gate to the temple, which is guarded by two guardian deities Jaya and Vijaya . The main gate is ascended through 22 steps known as Baisi Pahaca , which are revered, as it is believed to possess "spiritual animation". Children are made to roll down these steps, from top to bottom, to bring them spiritual happiness. After entering

6045-414: The nearby districts of Dhenkanal , Mayurbhanj , Kendujhar and Sundergarh . In the dramatic poem Anargharāghava , believed to date from approximately the 9th century CE, the town of Puri was called Purusottama. The name of the town is given as Purusottama Kshetra in the records of Anangabhima Deva III from the 13th century CE. The town was given this name, or Purusottama Chhatar or simply Chhatar, in

6138-416: The night at Dwarka and does penance at Badrinath . In the 16th century, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Bengal established the Bhakti movements of India, now known by the name the Hare Krishna movement . He spent many years as a devotee of Jagannatha at Puri; he is said to have merged with the deity. There is also a matha of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu here known as Radhakanta Math . In the 17th century, for

6231-400: The pilgrims, apart from security, gets priority attention. The civic administration of Puri is the responsibility of the Puri Municipality. The municipality came into existence in 1864 in the name of the Puri Improvement Trust, which was converted into Puri Municipality in 1881. After India's independence in 1947, the Orissa Municipal Act (1950) was promulgated entrusting the administration of

6324-435: The population lives in urban areas. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes constitute 19.14% and 0.36% of the population, respectively. Among people aged 15 to 29 years, 68% were never married, 31.5% were currently married, and 0.3% were widowed. The literacy rate in Puri district was 84.67% according to the 2011 Census. The male literacy rate was recorded at 90.85%, while the female literacy rate stood at 78.28%. In rural areas,

6417-456: The precincts of the temple. Construction of the present Jagannath Temple started in 1136 AD and completed towards the latter part of the 12th century. The Eastern Ganga king Anangabhima III dedicated his kingdom to Jagannatha, then known as the Purushottama-Jagannatha, and resolved that from then on he and his descendants would rule under "divine order as Jagannatha's sons and vassals". Even though princely states do not exist in India today,

6510-399: The priests and the servitors of the temple. Destruction of the temple was prevented by timely resistance or surrender by the kings of the region. However, the treasures of the temple were repeatedly looted. The table lists all the 18 invasions along with the status of the three images of the temple, the triad of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra following each invasion. Puri is the site of

6603-483: The principal organisations that are devolved with the responsibility of providing for civic amenities such as water supply, sewerage, waste management, street lighting and infrastructure of roads. The major activity, which puts maximum pressure on these organisations, is the annual event of the Ratha Yatra held during June- July. According to the Puri Municipality more than a million people attend this event. Hence, development activities such as infrastructure and amenities to

6696-487: The public to have darśana (holy view). This festival is known as the Ratha Yatra, meaning the journey ( yatra ) of the chariots. The yatra starts every year according to the Hindu calendar on the Asadha Sukla Dwitiya day, the second day of bright fortnight of Asadha (June–July). Historically, the ruling Ganga dynasty instituted the Ratha Yatra on the completion of the Jagannath Temple around 1150 AD. This festival

6789-667: The records of the Mughal Empire , the Maratha Empire , and the early British rulers. In the Yogini Tantra and the Kalika Purana the town is referred to as Purusottam, and the Puri region was known as Utkal . Purusottama Kshetra became referred to as Purusottama Puri, then contracted into Kshetra or Chhatra, or simply Puri. In many early British records this town is known by the name Pooree. Under Mughal Rule (1592–1751), Odisha

6882-502: The reign of King Narasimha II (1278–1308) of Eastern Ganga dynasty . According to the Köppen–Geiger climate classification system the climate of Puri is classified as Aw (Tropical savanna climate). The city has moderate and tropical climate. Humidity is fairly high throughout the year. The temperature during summer touches a maximum of 36 °C (97 °F) and during winter it is 17 °C (63 °F). The average annual rainfall

6975-489: The river rolls towards the Eastern Ghats , forcing its way through them via the 64 kilometres (40 mi) long Satkosia Gorge . The Satakosia Gorge ends at Badamul of Nayagarh. Dense forests cover the hills flanking the river here. The river enters the Odisha plains at Naraj, about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Cuttack , where it pours down between two hills that are a mile apart. A barrage has been constructed here to regulate

7068-457: The river well in control. However heavy rain can still cause large-scale flooding as evidenced in September 2008 when 16 people died as the river breached its banks. In September 2011, heavy downpour caused flash flood and many mud dwellings in more than 25 villages above Hirakud Dam in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, which were never affected before, collapsed due to back water that could not pass through

7161-628: The river's flow into Cuttack . The river traverses the Cuttack district from west to east. Just before entering Cuttack, it gives off a large distributary called the Kathjori . The city of Cuttack stands on the spit separating the two channels. The Kathjori then throws off many streams like the Kuakhai , Devi and Surua which fall into the Bay of Bengal after entering the Puri district . The Kathjori itself falls into

7254-474: The sailors sailing on the east coast of India, the temple served as a landmark, being located in a plaza in the centre of the city, which they called the "White Pagoda" while the Konark Sun Temple , 60 kilometres (37 mi) away to the east of Puri, was known as the "Black Pagoda". The iconic representation of the images in the Jagannath temple is believed to be the forms derived from the worship made by

7347-561: The same size and weight (7 tonnes (7.7 tons)), that could be done only in the early morning hours after the temple gates were opened, was done on 28 February 1991. Puri has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of the Indian Government. It is chosen as one of the 12 heritage cities with "focus on holistic development" to be implemented within 27 months by

7440-565: The sea as the Jotdar. Other distributaries of Mahanadi include the Paika, Birupa River , Chitroptala river , Genguti and Lun. The Birupa then goes on to join the Brahmani River at Krushnanagar and enters the Bay of Bengal at Dhamra. The Mahanadi proper enters the sea via several channels near Paradeep at False Point , Jagatsinghpur . The combined delta of the Mahanadi's numerous distributaries and

7533-475: The streams. Because of the sand hills, the Bhargavi River, flowing to the south of Puri, moved away towards the Chilika Lake . This shift also resulted in the creation of two lagoons , known as Sar and Samang, on the eastern and northern parts of Puri respectively. Sar lagoon has a length of 5 miles (8.0 km) in an east–west direction and a width of 2 miles (3.2 km) in north–south direction. The estuary of

7626-481: The temple's affairs and later declared the temple as part of a district. In 1906, Sri Yukteswar , an exponent of Kriya Yoga and a resident of Puri, established an ashram , a spiritual training center, named "Karar Ashram" in Puri. He died on 9 March 1936 and his body is buried in the garden of the ashram. The city is the site of the former summer residence of British Raj, the Raj Bhavan , built in 1913–14 during

7719-778: The temple, each gate located at the central part of the walls. These gates are: the eastern gate called the Singhadwara (Lions Gate), the southern gate known as Ashwa Dwara (Horse Gate), the western gate called the Vyaghra Dwara (Tigers Gate) or the Khanja Gate, and the northern gate called the Hathi Dwara or (elephant gate). These four gates symbolize the four fundamental principles of Dharma (right conduct), Jnana (knowledge), Vairagya (renunciation) and Aishwarya (prosperity). The gates are crowned with pyramid shaped structures. There

7812-432: The temple, on the left side, there is a large kitchen where food is prepared in hygienic conditions in huge quantities; the kitchen is called as "the biggest hotel of the world". According to a legend King Indradyumma was directed by Jagannatha in a dream to build a temple for him which he did as directed. However, according to historical records the temple was started some time during the 12th century by King Chodaganga of

7905-497: The tribal groups of Sabaras belonging to northern Odisha. These images are replaced at regular intervals as the wood deteriorates. This replacement is a special event carried out ritualistically by special group of carpenters. The city has many other Mathas as well. The Emar Matha was founded by the Tamil Vaishnava saint Ramanujacharya in the 12th century AD. This Matha, which is now located in front of Simhadvara across

7998-570: The world – Supreme Divinity deified on an altar or mandapa was venerated near the coast and prayers offered with Vedic hymns . Over time the name got changed to Purushottama Puri and further shortened to Puri, and the Purusha came to be known as Jagannatha. Sages like Bhrigu , Atri and Markandeya had their hermitage close to this place. Its name is mentioned, conforming to the deity worshipped, as Srikshetra , Purusottama Dhāma, Purusottama Kshetra , Purusottama Puri and Jagannath Puri . Puri, however,

8091-590: Was added to Puri district, with headquarters at Nayagarh. Bhubaneswar was merged with the district in 1959. At this point the district comprised four sub-divisions: Puri Sadar, Khurdha, Bhubaneswar and Nayagarh. By 1995, the area previously known as the Puri district was divided into three new districts: The Puri district lies around the latitudes 19° and longitudes 84°29'E. It has a geographical area of 3051 km or 264988 Ha. It has varied geographical and geological divisions defined by rock types, soil, vegetation, water bodies and climate. The primary geological division

8184-585: Was divided into the Northern and Southern Divisions with the river Mahanadi forming the boundary. Robert Ker and Charles Groeme were appointed as judge, magistrate, and collector in Northern and Southern Divisions respectively. By 1805 both divisions were amalgamated; Groeme was replaced, and Ker became the judge and magistrate of the whole province. By 1818 the Office of the Commissioner was established and Robert Ker became

8277-506: Was divided into three circars for the purpose of revenue administration, Jaleswar, Bhadrak and Kataka. Current-day Puri was part of Kataka circar. After the Marathas occupied Odisha in 1751, they divided Odisha into the Pipli, Kataka, Soro and Balasore chakalas. The chakala of Pipli included major portions of the modern district of Puri. After the conquest of Odisha by the British in 1803, the province

8370-502: Was known as Purushottama. In the Sanskrit drama Anargha Raghava Nataka as well, authored by Murari Mishra, a playwright, in the 8th century AD, it is referred to as Purushottama. It was only after the 12th century AD that Puri came to be known by the shortened form of Jagannatha Puri, named after the deity or in a short form as Puri. It is the only shrine in India, where Radha , along with Lakshmi , Saraswati , Durga , Bhudevi , Sati , Parvati , and Shakti , abodes with Krishna , who

8463-555: Was locally known as "Sri Kshetra" and the Jagannath temple is known as "Badadeula". Puri and the Jagannath Temple were invaded 18 times by Muslim rulers, from the 7th century AD until the early 19th century with the objective of looting the treasures of the temple. Odisha, including Puri and its temple, were part of British India from 1803 until India attained independence in August 1947. Even though princely states do not exist in India today,

8556-653: Was one of those Hindu festivals that was reported to the Western world very early. Friar Odoric , in his account of 1321, reported how the people put the "idols" on chariots, and the King, the Queen and all the people drew them from the "church" with song and music. Mahanadi River The Mahanadi River is a major river in East Central India . It drains an area of around 132,100 square kilometres (51,000 sq mi) and has

8649-498: Was taught to the devadasi (female temple dancers). In Odissi dances, the artists play out a mythical story, a spiritual message or devotional poem from the Hindu texts , such as Jayadev 's Gita Govinda . After the abolition of the devadasi system, the traditional forms of the dance fell into disuse. Padmashri Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra was one of the gurus who revived the Odissi dance form in

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