Overview
The Jagannath Temple at Puri is a Hindu temple in Odisha, on the eastern coast of India, dedicated to Jagannath, a form of Vishnu. According to temple records, the original shrine is attributed to King Indradyumna of Avanti. The present temple complex was rebuilt from the eleventh century onwards on the site of earlier shrines, with construction begun by Anantavarman Chodaganga, the first ruler of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
The temple is enshrined in tradition as one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites and is counted among the 108 Abhimana Kshethram of the Sri Vaishnavite tradition. Many of its rituals draw from the Shabari Tantras, which evolved from tribal beliefs. Local legends link the temple deities with Nilamadhaba, worshipped by tribal communities, and the daitapatis (servitors) claim descent from these tribes. Worship in the temple is performed by Bhil Sabar tribal priests as well as priests from other communities.
Unlike the stone or metal icons found in most Hindu temples, the image of Jagannath is carved from margosa (neem) wood. It is ceremoniously replaced with an identical replica through an elaborate month-long ceremony called Nabakalebar, held every twelve or nineteen years. The temple is renowned for its annual Ratha Yatra, the chariot festival that honours the three deities — Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra — who are drawn through the city on large, elaborately decorated raths or temple cars.
The temple holds particular significance for the followers of Vaishnava traditions, and is especially revered in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Several Vaishnava saints, including Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Vallabhacharya and Ramananda, are closely associated with the shrine. Ramanuja is said to have established the Emar Matha in the south-eastern corner of the temple complex. Adi Shankaracharya established the Govardhan Math at Puri, which is the seat of one of the four Shankarac