10 Amazing Facts About Puri Jagannath Temple

Puri Jagannath Temple: Jagannath Temple is one of the most revered Temples in India. Lakhs of devotees visit Jagannath temple every year. Lord Krishna is worshipped as Lord Jagannath in Jagannath Temple. The temple is situated in Puri, Odisha. Lord Jagannath is present in this temple along with elder brother Lord Balbhadra and younger sister Goddess Subhadra.
There are several unexplained science, mysteries and miracles are connected with this temple, which has no scientific reason. The historians, scientists, even priests and common people have been trying hard to solve these mysteries for so many years but it remains a mystery till now. Let's know what are those mysteries :-
1. Direction of Flag - The flag at the top of the Jagannath Temple flutters in an opposite to the direction in which the wind blows. 1800 years old tradition, a priest climbs atop the Shikhara of the Jagannath Temple every day in order to change the flag. It is said that if this ritual is skipped even for a day then the temple will remain closed for 18 long years. The temple is as tall as a 45 story building. No protective gears are used for the same and it is performed with bare hands.
2. Wooden Idols - The idols are made of wood and are replaced with new idols during Nabakalebara. This ritual is done once after every 8, 12, or 19 years. Sacred neem trees with rigid specifications are selected and used for the purpose. The carving is done in secrecy by selected carpenters within a period of 21 days. The old idols are buried near the Koili Vaikuntha. The last Nabakalebara took place in 2015 and millions of devotees witnessed the event.
3. No Shadow - No matter what time of the day it is, no matter where the sun is shining through in the sky, the temple doesn't have a shadow. Now if that is an architectural wonder or simply a miracle, that’s still unknown.
4. Abadha Mahaprasadam - The Mahaprasad is served to Lord Jagannath in 5 phases and consists of 56 delectable delicacies. It is of two types, the sukhila and the shankhudi. The sukhila consists of all the dry confectionaries and the shankhudi consists of rice, dal, and other items. It is available for the devotees in a market in Ananda Bazaar, which is located in the temple premises itself and it tastes divine.
5. Preparation of Mahaprasadam - The Mahaprasad is prepared by thousands of priests and 7 earthen pots are placed one above the other and the food is cooked over firewood and the food in the topmost pot gets cooked first followed by the rest. This is another riddle to solve.
6. Sound of Waves - Once you step inside the temple, you stop hearing the sound of the sea. According to myth, Goddess Subhadra wished that the temple would be a place of serenity, and in order to please her, the temple mutes the sound of the sea.
7. Nothing Flies Above The Temple - As you look up in the sky, you will find birds flying high, or resting on the tree tops. In the case of Puri’s Jagannath Temple, not even a single bird can be seen atop the temple dome. Nothing hovers above, no planes, not even any bird. There is no logical clarification for this yet.
8. Direction of Chakra - There is a wheel of fortune or chakra on the top of the temple which weighs about a ton. The most amazing fact is that any viewer who views the chakra from a height at any point in Puri always sees that the chakra faces towards itself. What’s even more mysterious is how the people of the 12th Century put a chakra that heavy at top of the temple that high.
9. The Mystery of Prasadam - Every year lakhs and lakhs of pilgrims visit this holy temple. The Rathyatra or Jagannath worship days draw more pilgrims than normal days. But every day the same amount of food (Jagannath Prasadam) is cooked. None of the days, the food gets wasted, and none of the devotees remain unfed.
10. Reverse Sea Breeze- It is a natural phenomena that usually happens in coastal areas during the day-time, the breeze blows from the sea towards the land and during evening hours it blows from the land towards the sea. But in Puri, it happens in the reverse form.