What makes Jagannath Puri more than just a temple town? Discover why Jagannath Puri, the Shankha Kshetra, is considered the eternal home of Vishnu. From Skanda Purana’s verses to ancient temples, this sacred city is the home of liberation. In this article, we take a pilgrimage through the sacred geography of Jagannath Puri and immerse ourselves in the ancient temple legends behind Purushottam Tirtha Puri, where divinity resides on earth.
“Just as Vishnu is the supreme god among all, similarly among all Tirtha (pilgrimage spots), Purushottama (Puri) is the greatest.” In the sacred Hindu texts, Puri is hailed as the home of “Purusha”- the supreme being, who manifests as Jagannatha.
The Puranas, especially the Skanda Purana, sing the glories of Puri in great detail. In a section dedicated to Odisha, called “Utkala Khanda” (Utkala is an ancient name for the region), Vishnu himself said-
सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं, सत्यं एतद् ब्रवीमि ते।पराशाद्भङ्गे तत् स्थानं न त्यजामि कदाचन॥“It is the truth that I am telling you, the highest of all truths, that I never abandon this (Puri) even if the temple is destroyed.”
Puri is called Shankha Kshetra because the sacred geography of the city is believed to be shaped like a conch shell (shankha). Odisha (ancient Utkala Desha) is mentioned in the ancient texts as a place whose four parts represent the 4 weapons of Vishnu. These parts are divided into sacred regions or Chakra Kshetras.
1. Shankha Kshetra (Puri) — shaped like a conch shell
2. Padma Kshetra (Konark) — shaped like a lotus
3. Chakra Kshetra (Bhubaneswar) — shaped like Vishnu’s discus
4. Gada Kshetra (Jajpur) — shaped like a mace
Among these, Puri, the Shankha Kshetra, is believed to be Vishnu’s eternal home. Together they form the divine Kshetra mandala, underlining the importance of the entire Odisha state and surrounding areas in Hindu worship traditions.
Among the many pilgrimage spots and temples located in Odisha, Jagannath holds a special place, alive through its traditions of Rath yatra and many rituals and legends connected with Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, which make the devotees feel they are a part of their divine family.
In the Vaishnava Tantra, it is mentioned that any Lila (divine plays) that Krishna performed in Mathura, Goloka, or Dwarka, he also performs in the Nilachala (blue mountain) Dhama or Puri.
Devi Lakshmi herself narrates the glory of Jagannath Puri in the Skanda Purana, in a conversation with Yamaraja, god of death. The goddess tells the Yama and retribution that in the Puri kshetra, he has no control over the people. “Anyone who comes to this sacred place is already liberated. Purushottama Tirtha is the most divine among all, the “Tirtharaja” (king of pilgrimage spots). Those who come here gain Sayuja mukti (सायुज्य मुक्ति)- the complete liberation in which they are united with Parambrahman.”
Even before the civilisations and temples reached Puri, it was the home to the divine. The eternal and ancient sacredness of the temple town is visible in the many names associated with this region. Each name has a story of a deity, devotee, and devotion associated with it, underlining the idea that Puri was always the home of the gods.
🔶Puri Dhama - Puri means “home”. He who lives in Puri is Purusha, the supreme being according to Vedanta philosophy. Jagannath is thus the Parama-Purusha, the primordial being, the most essential form of Brahman.
🔶Shankha-kshetra - Puri is geographically formed like the Shankha or conch, one of the 4 attributes of Vishnu, and thus called the Shankha-kshetra.
🔶Dashavatara kshetra - According to temple legends, Vishnu, in his Dashavatara or ten incarnations, first comes to the Jagannath temple in Puri and then goes to different parts of Bharatavarsha to perform his divine tasks. Once his work his done, he comes back to Puri.
🔶Bhauma Vaikuntha - “Earth’s Vaikuntha” is another name for Puri kshetra. In the temple, Vishnu resides, blessing Puri and the rest of the earth with his eternal presence. A similar meaning is suggested by the name “Martya Vaikuntha”- Vaikuntha on Mrityu Loka or earth.
🔶Nilachala Dhama - Nilachala or blue mountain is the name for the Puri.
🔶Sri Kshetra - This name associates Puri with Sri or Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, who stays with him in the sacred temple, and empowers all his actions.
🔶Narasimha Kshetra - A lesser-known tale of Jagannath temple from the Skanda Purana tells us that when Indradyumna, the king who built the Jagannath temple, performed a Yajna with Lord Brahma, Narasimha appeared from the fire, along with goddess Lakshmi. When a sacred Indradymna prayed to Narasimha to be gentler in his appearance, accepting his request, the Lord took a calm and pacified form of Vishnu.
The foremost among Puri’s sacred spots is the Jagannath temple, whose construction started under Chodaganga Deva and was finished during Anangabhima Deva. 36 communities or chatisha niyaga are currently in the service of the temple and the deity, with 6000 priests serving Jagannath and his dear siblings with devotion that they have inherited from their ancestors.
In addition to the home of Jagannath, there are a number of ancient temples and sites all over Puri and its vicinity, that form a part of a complete Tirtha Yatra to Jagannath Mandir.
A number of Hindu and regional deities are given the divine responsibility of protecting the sacred Puri Sri Kshetra. Some of the popular protectors of Jagannath Puri are-
🔶Ashta Mahashakti - The ashta or 8 great goddesses are the protectors of the Puri temple town. Mangla Devi, Vimla Devi, Sarvamangala Devi, Ardhasini, Marichika, and Chandarupa are the 8 goddesses who guard the temple from the eight directions.
🔶Alam Chandi - The goddess appears in this temple as 4-armed Durga. It is also the place where the daru (wood) for Jagannath’s Nava kalevara was received by the Gajapati ruler and his priests.
🔶Ashta Mahavira - 1. Siddha Mahavira, 2. Daria Mahavira, 3. Kanapata Mahavira, 4. Vargi Mahavira, 5. Masani Mahavira, 6. Panchamukhi Mahavira, 7. Phate Mahavira, and 8. Siruli Mahavira are the 8 Mahavira or Hanuman, who protect Puri.
🔶Ashta Shambhu - 8 aspects of Lord Shiva- 1. Kapala Mochana, 2. Kamaeshvara, 3. Kshetrapala, 4. Yamaeshvara, 5. Markandeshvara, 6. Ishaneshvara, 7. Vishveshvar, and 8. Nilakanthaeshvara also guard the Puri town.
🔶Bata Mangala - The great goddess, Vaishnavai (Shakti of Lord Vishnu), resides as the goddess of Bata or path in this temple. According to legends, when Brahma was coming to Puri to install Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra icons, he lost his way and was helped by the goddess Bata Mangala. Since then, she has been the guardian of the pilgrims, showing them the right path and ensuring their safety in the journey.
In the Skanda Purana, goddess Lakshmi tells Yama, the god of death, that Puri lies beyond his power — anyone who enters Purushottama Tirtha attains liberation. A number of sacred spots around Puri are ancient and powerful places, known as givers of liberation- Moksha.
🔶Pancha-tirtha - Five sacred reservoirs in Puri are Markandeya Sarovara, Shveta Ganga, Rohini Kunda, Samudra, and Indradyumna Sarovara. A person who bathes in all five of them is freed from the world and the cycle of life and death.
🔶Chakra Tirtha - The spot where Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra’s wooden logs first floated in Puri is marked by a Chakra or discus mark. On the sacred spot, there is also a temple of Varun Deva, the Lord of the ocean and the father-in-law of Jagannath (since the ocean is considered the father of goddess Lakshmi).
🔶Maha-sagara or the Great Ocean - The ocean itself is a sacred spot in Puri, known as the Nilasagara, the companion of the Nilanchala mountain. Since the ocean brought Jagannath to the shore of Puri, it is worshipped as a divine entity by pilgrims and locals.
🔶Markandeya Sarovara - This is the spot where Rishi Markandeya stayed and worshipped Shiva. At the end of the Kalpa, when Pralaya (annihilation) began, Markandeya witnessed the childhood form of Krishna and entered his mouth. Inside, he was able to see the complete cosmos and then saw Purshottama, the great Vishnu. Lord told him that Puri is the place that will not be destroyed even during a Pralaya, and thus Markandeya remained in Puri, worshipping Lord Shiva.
🔶Akshaya Vata or Kalpa Vriksha - In the inner area of the temple, near Rohini Kunda, is the Kalpa Vriksha or Akshaya Vata (wish-fulfilling tree). It is the spot where Marakandeya muni witnessed Krishna in his childhood form, suckling his toe, lying on the leaf of the vata or peepal tree, in the middle of a great deluge or Pralaya.
🔶Pancha Shiva - Five Shiva lingams in Puri act as the Dvarapala, the guardians of the town. These aspects of Shiva are also associated with the Pandavas, the 5 sons of Kunti, who won the Mahabharata war.
1. Yameshwara (Yudhishthira), 2. Lokanath (Bhima), 3. Markandeshvara (Arjuna), 4. Kapala Mochan (Nakula), and 5. Nilakantheshvara (Sahadeva) are the Pancha Shivas.
🔶Svargadvara - The doorway (dvara) to heaven (svarga) is a gate in Puri, from where heavenly beings visit the town to perform worship at the Jagannath temple. There is a shmashan (crematorium) near the structure, and it is believed that anyone whose body is cremated here will attain heaven.
Several gods and goddesses are associated with Lord Jagannath. Temples around the Sri Mandir are worshipped as homes of ancient deities like Narasimha or family members of Jagannath, such as Ardhashini Devi, while others, such as Yameshvara Mahadeva, highlight the unity of Shiva and Vishnu as per the philosophy of Advaita Brahman.
🔶Yajna Narasimha - This temple of Lord Narasimha, the man-lion aspect of Vishnu, is older than the Jagannath temple, since Vishnu first manifested as Narasimha and then transformed himself when Indradyumna pleaded with him. The sanctum idol has two faces, one on the front is shanta (peaceful) and the reverse is Ugra-Narasimha, the wrathful aspect.
🔶Charchika - The home of goddess Charchika is on the Bada Danda, Grand Road, near the Jagannath temple. She is the one who looks after the construction of Jagannath’s chariot, called Nandighosha. In ancient times, kings worshipped Charchika before entering the battlefield for victory and glory.
🔶Mausi Ma Mandir - Mausi, or the maternal aunt of Lord Jagannath, the goddess Ardhasini, is one of the Ashta-Shaktis who protects the Puri temple. Local legends tell that during the Pralaya, the goddess drank or sipped (shoshani), half (ardha) of the water to protect the people.
When Lakshmi left Jagannath and he had to roam the land with Balabhadra in the absence of wealth or food, Subhadra stayed with their Mausi in this temple. During the Ratha Yatra, the three deities in their chariots visit Mausi Ma Temple and are given poda-pitha, a special sweet.
🔶Yamaeshvara Mahadeva Temple - Also known as the Yamaeshvara Mahadeva temple, this Mandir houses Hari-Hara (half Vishnu and half Shiva) murti as its vijaya-vigraha. This union of Vishnu and Shiva underlines their inherent oneness, both as a manifestation and complete representation of Param Brahman, and hence, inseparable.
Anyone who reaches Puri happens to be there due to the Punya (merit) of their past and current lives. This is the belief of the devotees of Jagannath. This home of Vishnu is also the abode of eternal devotion, which is collected in folktales, devotional verses, and the Pattachitra paintings and other local crafts.
From the Sri Mandir to the marketplaces, the glories of Jagannath are not just chanted and sung, but remembered in stories, anecdotes, and memories of the people who live around and visit this divine land. Ask a devotee who has visited and lived in the vicinity of the temple, and they will tell you, the pilgrimage to Puri never ends.
If you have been in the temple complex, breathed in the camphor, flowers, and the nourishing Mahaprasad of the Lord, Puri becomes a part of your heart, and thus your heart becomes the home of the Lord of Puri, the supreme Purusha, the Lord of the Universe, Jagannath.
🔹 Jagannath Puri is considered Earth’s Vaikuntha — Vishnu never leaves.
🔹 Skanda Purana and Vaishnava texts uphold its unmatched sanctity.
🔹 Odisha’s four Kshetras reflect Vishnu’s divine attributes.
🔹 Unique protectors like Ashta Mahashakti and Ashta Mahavira guard the town.
🔹 Sacred tanks and temples grant pilgrims moksha and peace.
🔹 Local art and festivals keep devotion alive for centuries.
Puri is geographically shaped like a conch (Shankha), one of Lord Vishnu’s four symbols, making it a sacred zone of protection and divine presence.
Ancient scriptures state that Vishnu never abandons Puri, even if temples are destroyed — his energy eternally resides here.
They are Markandeya Sarovara, Shveta Ganga, Rohini Kunda, Samudra, and Indradyumna Sarovara — bathing in them cleanses sins and grants moksha.
Powerful guardians include Ashta Mahashakti (eight goddesses), Ashta Mahavira (eight Hanuman forms), and Ashta Shambhu (eight Shiva aspects).
It re-enacts Jagannath’s divine play, uniting devotees as family. It symbolizes Vishnu’s journey to bless all beings.
Vaishnava Tantra mentions Krishna’s divine pastimes are mirrored in Puri, continuing eternally on the Nilachala mountain.
It’s believed to be heaven’s gate — cremation here ensures the soul’s journey to celestial realms.
✨ Plan your spiritual journey to Puri and feel the divine presence where Vishnu never departs. Share your experience and let Jagannath’s grace guide you!
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