Puri Dham - The abode of Lord Vishnu(Legend,Stories,saints,disciples)s

On 12 of Jan I went to this holy abode of Lord Jaggannath with my parents. The place is quite amazing and so amazing are the stories related to it.

Nestling  on  the eastern coast along the  blue waters of the Bay of Bengal,the unique State of Orissa offers to her guests a ‘tourism capsule’ containing magnificient  temples, sunny   beaches,colourful  wild life, traditional  tribal  culture and a rich  heritage. To her credit,  it has housed the important pilgrimage centre for the  Hindus - Puri, the 13^th century magic carved on  sand  stone - Konark, the  largest brackishwater lake of the continent - Chilika, the wonder green land of the  white tigers - Nandankanan, and many  more caves, Chaityas,   Stupas.temples,forts   and  palaces. Statistics  says  most  of the visitors  frequent  this place for Lord Jagannath and the blue bay.

While  several  temples have vanished  or  have declined  in  importance,  the  great  temple  of  Lord Jagannath at Puri is still a living and vivrant temple. Over the  centuries it has attracted kings, conquerers, religious  teachers,  devotees and piligrims.   In  the minds of the millions of Indians, Orissa is the land of Jagannath. A synonym of Purusottam is Jagannath  and his abode  Puri is known as Purusottam Khetra, which is one of the  four  most sacred places in India  for  the Hindus.

Well there are hundreds of sites available on the net about this great place, but there were a few intresting that i came to know about when i went to this place. I would like to share them with you all.

My father told me that according to hindu mythology there are four dhams in INDIA, but it is believed that even if you cant visit the rest its enough if you have visited PURI Dham.  I searched a little as to why it is considered so and this is what i found.

According to hindu mythology there are four dhams and four yugs or ages:-

Each dham is associated with one yug or age.

To start with we have the 

Badrinath in the Satyug,

Rameshwar in the Tretayug,

Dwarika in the Dwaparyug,

Jagannath Puri in the Kaliyug.

And the present time is believed to be the kaliyug or the age of lies and deception.

All these Dhams are the abode of Lord Vishnu,the lord of life or living.

Since Lord Vishnu is belived to be residing in Puri now hence it said that it is sufficient to visit Puri among all Dhams.

There are in total 119 servitors of the Lord who perform the various puja rituals or holy practices of Lord Jagannath. The servitors are given a share of the mahaprasad, that is the sacred food that is offered to the Lord. 56 different kinds of dishes are offered to the lord which cooked in 794 ovens.

There are various mathas in PURI established by the various saints of different religion and sects who have till date visited Puri. The servitors and the people of the mathas celebrate various festivals in the name of lord Jagannath all year round. Visitors keep flocking this place to just have a glimpse of the Lord and make their birth a blessing.

• Architecture of Jagannath Temple
  
• Legend of Jagannath Temple
  
• Puri Beach
  

Lord Shiva Temple in coimbatore..-tours,maps,pictures,information guide

Just sitting silently for a few minutes within the sphere of Dhyanalinga is enough to make even those unaware of meditation experience a state of deep meditativeness" - Sadhguru.

24th of June 1999, the Dhyanalinga was consecrated, blessing the world by its Presence. And on the 23rd of November 1999, Dhyanalinga was offered to the world.No other Dhyanalinga is known to exist in the world.

Dhyanalinga Temple is situated 30 kms west of Coimbatore at the foothills of Velliangiri Mountains, part of the Nilgiris Biosphere. Coimbatore, a major industrial city in South India, is well connected by air, rail and road. All major airlines operate regular flights to Coimbatore from Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Train services are available from all the major cities in India. Regular bus and taxi services are also available from Coimbatore to Dhyanalinga Temple.

Thousands of temples with lofty towers dot the skyline of the southernmost state of Tamilnadu in India. These temples are torchbearers of the glorious heritage of the Tamil speaking region, and are repositories of the magnificient art forms that evolved over several centuries. Several of these temples have been glorified by the ancient tamil hymns of the 1st millennium CE...

Dhyanalinga was consecrated by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, a realized master, mystic and yogi, after three years of intense process of prana prathista. Measuring 13' 9", Dhyanalinga is the largest mercury based live linga in the world. In the metaphysical sense, Dhyanalinga is a guru, an energy center of tremendous proportions. All the aspects of life are enshrined in the form of seven chakras energized to the very peak and locked. A doorway to enlightenment and spiritual liberation, Dhyanalinga offers a sadhaka ² the opportunity to perform sadhana ³ in utmost intimacy with a live guru, - an opportunity which is traditionally available to a select few.

Situated at the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains, Dhyanalinga is a colossal entity of eternal vibrations. The earth colors, the natural granite, and the fusion of irregular surfaces and shapes that form the Temple creates an ethereal ambience and an apt atmosphere to receive the grace of the Dhyanalinga

For any query contact

Address

Dhyanalinga Temple, Isha Yoga Center, Semmedu (P.O), Coimbatore 641 114, India Telephone 091-422-2515345 Email:info@dhyanalinga.org

shree lord Venkateswara...BALAJI (TIRUPATI) - tours,pictures,information guide,road map

I have never been to this holy place although most of my family has been. The best place to start this trip as i was told is either chennai or bangalore. hope one day i can make it too.





"There is a wonderful uniqueness associated with Lord Venkateshwara, and His abode, Venkatadri".



The name Tirupati, meaning the ‘the Lord of Lakshmi’ should have been appropriately applied to the village on the Venkata Hill, the abode of the Lord.The town of Tirupati is one of the most ancient and spectacular places of pilgrimage in India. It is situated in the Chittoor district in southern Andhra Pradesh. The town owes its existence to the sacred temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara situated on the Tirumala Hill adjoining it.The Tirumala Hill is 3200 ft above sea level, and is about 10.33 sq miles in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven hoods of Adisesha, thus earning the name, Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrishabhadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.






Story of temple:- According one legend, as Saint Ramanuja born in 11th Century AD climbed the seven hills of Tirupati, Lord Srinivas- another name for Lord Venkateswara- appeared before him and gave him his blessings. And after that he is believed to have been blessed to live till the ripe age of 120 years to spread the gospel of Sri Venkateswara.







side seens:-Temples located in and around Tirupati include: 1. Sri Padmavathi Devi temple at Tiruchanooru (Alamelu Mangapuram) 2. Kalyana Venkateswara Swamy Temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram. According to legend, Lord Venkateswara stayed here after his marriage with Sri Padmavathi Devi, before proceeding to Tirumala. 3. Govindaraja Swamy Temple in Tirupati adjacent to the railway station (Lord Vishnu in Anantasayanam pose). Saint Ramanujacharya consecrated this temple in 1130 AD. 4. Kapila Teertham in Tirupati town at the base of Tirumala Hills dedicated to Lord Siva 5. Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple, Tirupati built by Chola kings during the tenth century AD 6. Sri Kalahasteeswara Temple at Srikalahasti 7. Sri Kalyana Venkateswaraswami temple at Narayanavanam (40 km from Tirupati). Lord Sri Venkateswaraswami and Sri Padmavathi Ammavaru, daughter of Akasa Maharaja were married here.

Darshnam:-
There are two categories of special darshan, with tickets costing Rs. 40.00 and Rs. 50.00 per head.Sarvadarsanam, which means 'darshan for all', of Lord Sri Venkateswara begins from 07.30 hrs in the morning till the entrance queue is closed on certain days other than Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On lean days 18 hours are allotted for Sarvadarsanam and on peak days, it goes on for 20 hours. The entrance for Sarvadarsanam is through the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. There is now a computerized system in place which allows the pilgrims to book tickets and they are given a specified time slot. In addition, there are free darshans, and special darshans, which cost a bit more. There is a special darshan for the physically disabled and the aged through a separate gate at the Maha Dwaram - the main temple entrance. These pilgrims can ask for an escort.
The entrance for Special Darshan is through the PPC (Queue Complex). The queue merges with the Sarvadarsanam queue at Bangaruvakili. Pilgrims who use this queue will have a shorter waiting time. 

TOKEN SYSTEM:-The tokens are available free of cost at the First Choultry (opposite the TiruRailway Station), Second Choultry (behind the Railway Station), Alipiri Bus Stand, Tirupati, Vaikuntam Queue Complex, Pilgrim Amenities Centre (Near CRO) and near the Rambagicha Guest House in Tirumala.

• The time of darshan is indicated on the tokens.
• Pilgrims can enter the Vaikuntam Queue Complex at Tirumala at the time indicated on the tokens
• They can have darshan within two hours of entering the Queue Complex.
• As this system saves on waiting time, it provides pilgrims with enough time to visit temples in the vicinity like Sri Govindarajaswami Temple and Kapila Teertham at Tirupati, Sri Padmavathi Ammavari Temple at Tiruchanur and Sri Kalyana Venkateswara Swami Temple at Srinivasa Mangapuram.
• To help TTD keep a track of the number of pilgrims and ensure their smooth flow, one token is issued per head. Collective tokens for groups are not issued

How to reach there:

Hyderabad:-Tirupati is 562 km from Hyderabad (via Kurnool, Cuddapah and Kodur).APSRTC runs daily buses between Hyderabad and Tirupati. The types of buses are: Express/ Luxury/ Hi-tech/ AC Sleeper Coach.The AC Sleeper Coach is comfortable as the bus is fitted with Air Suspension for effective shock absorption. Magazines and bedding are provided free of cost. Snacks, soft drinks and mineral water are provided against payment. There is an attendant to serve passengers. The fare is INR 450.00 per head.

Mumbai:-Tirupati is 1261 km from Mumbai (via Pune, Belgaum, Dharwar, Harihara,Tumkur and Bangalore).
APSRTC provides connecting bus services from the Renigunta Railway Station to Tirumala for all passengers arriving by train. Buses start from the Railway Station. The Renigunta-Tirumala bus fare is Rs 18.00. Bus frequency: every 30 minutes, from 03.00 hrs to 23.00 hrs every day.

Delhi:-Tirupati is 1800 km from New Delhi.
APSRTC provides connecting bus services from the Gudur Railway Sation to Tirumala, every day. The distance is 122 km. Journey time is 4 hours and the fare is Rs.43.00. The bus frequency is almost every half hour.

sources:-

http://www.sudarshana.org/balaji.jpg

The Legend Of HOli - Holi PPT,Holi sms,greetings,wallpapers,quotes,videos and more

Holi - Legends and Myths

Download PPT to better understand the meaning of holi:

Or

Watch the PPT online

Interesting legends of Holi that are most commonly cited revolve around the soul bond of Lord Krishna and Radha, Prahlad, the child-devotee of Lord Vishnu, Kamdeva, the Indian Cupid-God and Dhundhi, the immortal ogress. All these legends focus on different aspects of Holi that can be attributed to them. The romantic fervor of Holi festival is derived from the love pranks of Radha and Krishna while the story of Kamdeva gives a clue to celebrate this festival to welcome the Spring. The story of Prahlad encompasses the religious nature of the festival and the origin of Holi while the tale of Dhundhi gives a reason to use rude words and play pranks to the young boys of the village. 

• Bhakt Prahlad Holika
  

There was a mighty demon king named Hirnakashyipu who had won all the three worlds of heaven, earth and hell and had thus, become very proud. He assumed that he could defeat even Lord Vishnu with his valor. He went to the extent that he had enforced a law that everybody would worship him instead of gods and deities. However, his little son Prahlad refused to accept his commands and continued to worship Lord Vishnu with complete devotion. Infuriated by this defiance of his son, he ordered his soldiers to throw him down a hill. Praying fervently and having full faith in Lord Vishnu, Prahlad did not retract from his word. True to his faith, Lord Vishnu rescued him at the last moment.

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• Invincible Dhundhi
  

During the reign of Prithu, there was a terrible ogress called Dhundhi, who loved to devour innocent children. She had performed severe penances and had won several boons from the deities that made her almost invincible. However, due to a curse of Lord Shiva, she was not so immune to the pranks and abuses of young boys as she was to weapons and arrows. One day, the courageous boys of the village decided to get rid of her forever and chase her away from the village forever. They got intoxicated on bhaang and drunk and then followed Dhundi to the limits of the village, beating drums, making loud noise, shouting obscenities and hurling insults at her and continued doing this until she left the village for good. This is the reason that even today young boys are allowed to indulge themselves in rowdiness, using rude words and intoxication on Holi.

more »

• Love Play of Radha Krishna
  

Lord Krishna has often been portrayed as a naughty prankster in his childhood and a lover-boy in his youth. His beloved Radha and the cowherd girls 'Gopis' in general loved him even more for his pranks and eve teasing. The Holi of Braj is famous all over India for its intimate connection with the divine deities and their love plays. It is said that when Krishna was a young boy, he asked the reason for his dark color while Radha was so fair. His mother Yashoda playfully suggested that he should smear color on Radha's face too and change her complexion to any color he wanted. Captivated by the idea, Krishna proceeded to do so and thus, introduced the play of colors on Holi.

more »

• Sacrifice of Kamadeva
  

According to Hindu mythology, the world is looked after the Trinity of Gods - Lord Brahma, the creator; Lord Vishnu, the nurturer; and Lord Shiva, the destroyer. According to a legend, Goddess Sati, the daughter of Daksha Prajapati, one of the first sons of Lord Brahma, married Lord Shiva against the wishes of her father. Thus, Daksha did not invite her and her husband to a grand yagya arranged by him. When Sati came to know about the event in her father's house, she thought it to be a slip of mind and proceeded to participate in the event despite the warnings of her husband. But once she reached there, she realized her fault and was infuriated by the insult of her husband. As a penance for her disobedience, she entered the fire. When Lord Shiva came to know of her sudden demise, he was furious. Even after he controlled his anger, he started a severe meditation and renounced all work.

more »

Holi wallpapers

Holi Songs

Holi Videos

Holi  Sms

Holi Quotes

Holi wishes

The Legend of Holi : (related mythological stories)

Why not to use atificial Colors in Holi

How to make Natural colors from day to day items

Kedarnath

It is always said that that The Destroyer is always there with The preserver. Hence a post regarding Lord shiva;s abode near badrinath i.e Kedarnath is absolutely necessary.

The Celestial Jyotirlingam

Amidst the dramatic mountainscapes of the majestic Kedarnath range stands one of the twelve 'Jyotirlingas' of Kedar or Lord Shiva. Lying at an altitude of 3584 mts. on the head of river Mandakini, the shrine of Kedarnath is amongst the holiest pilgrimages for the Hindus. 

Kedarnath is a majestic sight, standing in the middle of a wide plateau surrounded by lofty snow covered peaks. The present temple, built in the 8th century by Adi Shankaracharya, stands adjacent to the site of an earlier temple built by the Pandavas. The inner walls of the assembly hall are decorated with figures of various deities and scenes from mythology. Outside the temple door a large statue of the Nandi Bull stands as guard. 

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the exquisitely architectured Kedarnath temple is said to be more than a 1000 years old. Built of extremely large, heavy and evenly cut gray slabs of stones, it evokes wonder as to how these heavy slabs were handled in the earlier days. The temple has a " Garbha Griha" for worship and a Mandap apt for assemblies of pilgrims and visitors. A conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Lord Shiva in his Sadashiva form.

Location 

Kedarnath is situated in the Uttar Kashi district of the northern state of Uttaranchal. Very close to the Indo-Chinese border, it is the source of the Mandakini River. It is couched in the scenic locales of the Garhwal Himalayas at 3583 meters above sea level. It is very cold in the winters with the ground being covered with snow. In the summers, the mercury barely crosses the 20°C mark. The place experiences about 150 cm of rainfall during the monsoons and so the best time to visit is between May and October. Kedarnath is near to Rishikesh (234 km) and Dehradun (250 km). 

There are Four Other Kedars

Madhyamaheshwar

Tunganath

Kalpeshwar

Rudranath

Three of these (barring Kalpeshwar) are in mountain meadows at higher altitudes than Kedarnath. The climb to Rudranath is the most strenuous though worth the trouble, as this meadow is one of the finest in Garhwal. 

These five Kedars are worshipped as Panch Kedars

Tungnath 

Shiva's arms came out at Tungnath. The Tungnath temple is at an altitude of 3,680 m and is the highest Shiva shrine among the Panch Kedars. However it is the easiest to reach from Chopta, the nearest road head.

Rudranath

Shiva's face is worshipped at the Rudranath temple. It is about 2,286 m above sea level and is 23 km from Gopeshwar. 5 km of the distance is motor able and 18 km is on foot. The trek passes through wild orchards and picturesque bugyals (meadows) and involves trekking over high ridges (sometimes 4,000 m). The temple site provides magnificent views of Hathi Parvat, Nanda Devi, Nanda Ghungti, Trishuli and many other peaks. There are a number of holy kunds or ponds near the Rudranath temple like Suryakund, Chandrakund, Tarakund. The entire area is utterly enchanting and unmatched in scenic beauty. Anusuya Devi temple is located on the trek to Rudranath involving an additional trek of 3km.

Puja rituals of shri Jagannath

Rituals of Lord Jagannath

(The timings are subject to change depending upon the rituals of the day)

1. "DWARPHITA & MANGAL ALATI " AT 5 A.M. (Opening of the door and morning prayer)

The door opens early in the morning in the presence of the five specific sevayats after verification of the "seal" given by a particular sevayat in the last night. Soon after the opening of the door, sacred lamps is offered to the deities which is called "Mangal Alati". 

2. "MAILAM" AT 6 A.M.

"Mailam" is a word used in Shri Jagannath Temple,which means change or removal of dresses and flowers etc. At this time some specific sevaks change the clothes, flowers, Tulasi leaves of the deities worn on the previous night. After removal of colthes,the clothes known as "Tadap"and "Uttariya"are worn by the deities.

3. "ABAKASH" - 6 A.M. TO 6.30 A.M.

Purificatory rites like brushing of teeth and bath is known as "Abakash ". At this time Temple Jyotisha ( Astrologer ) reads out the tithi and other astrological details of the day and according to that, that very days rituals are performed.

4. " MAILAM" 6.45 A.M.

 At this time deities change their clothes ( Tadap & Uttariya ) and wear another set of clothes. A sevak known as "Akhanda Mekap " keeps in the sanctum Akhanda Baitha i.e. one lamp which burns till " Pahuda " or the time of the retirement of the deities to bed.

5. "SAHANAMELA " - 7A.M. TO 8 A.M.

Though this is not a part of the rituals,but about one hour is spent to facilitate pilgrims to go up to "Ratnavedi " or inner sanctums to have a Darshan, without paying fees for it. On certain festive days, Sahanamela is held after " Sandhya dhupa " (Evening Puja or Sandhya Alati in the month of Kartik) and after Sakaldhupa ( in the month of Pausha ). Some times this darshan is not allowed for some special rituals of the deities.

6. " BESHALAGI " - 8 A.M.

After Sahanamela the deities are again dressed up which can be witnessed from a little distance i.e." Bhitara Katha ". At this time, Deities are also adorned with gold and precious stones to suit diffeerent festive occasions.

7. ROSHA HOMA, SURYA PUJA, AND DWARAPAL PUJA- 8 A.M. to 8.30 A.M.

While some sevayats are busy with vesha lagi of the Deities, Pujapandas at that time perform " Rosha Homa "( Fire Sacrifice ) at the kitchen and " Surya puja " at the surya temple near "Mukti Mandap ". Then the images of two gate keepers named Jaya and Vijaya on the entrance of the Jagamohan of the Temple are worshipped.

8. GOPALA BALLAVA PUJA - 9 A.M. (Breakfast of the God)

 The prescribed time is 9 A.M. This is the time for breakfast of the deities. At this time sweet popcorn (Khei ), Khualadus, Coconuts sweets (Kora), Ripe banana, Curd, and chipped coconuts etc. are offered as bhogas. Puja is performed in a brief manner with pancha upachar only.

9. SAKALA DHUPA (MORNING FOOD OFFERING) 10 A.M.

At this time puja is performed by three Pujapandas with 16 Upachars or Sodasha Upachars. Three Pujapandas used to sit on Ratnasinhasana to worship three deities Shri Balabhadra,Subhadra, and Lord Jagannath. The Pujapanda who worships Lord Jagannath also worships Sri Devi, Bhudevi,and Sudarshan. The morning bhoga or food offered to the deities contains Rice, Kanika, Khechudi, Green leaves, Cakes etc.. The local names of the Bhog are Pitha Puli,Hansakeli, Kanti, Enduri ,Matha Puli, Kakatua Jhili, Bundia, Kadali Bhaja, Ada Pachedi (ginger tonic ) etc.. The cost of the dhoop Pujas and Ballavs are borne by the Temple Administration.Previously Raja-Superintendent of the temple born the cost of materials for preparation of Bhoga. So these Bhogas are also called "Raja Bhoga "or "Kotha Bhoga".

10. MAILAM & BHOGA MANDAP : 11 A.M.

After Morning Dhupa or Puja the Deities changed their Clothes " and again Puja takes places in "Bhoga Mandap ",a place behind the Garuda pillar of Jagamohan. Huge quantity of Bhogas such as Rice ,Dal,Curries,Saga and Cakes of different kinds etc.are offered to the Deities. Pujapandas worship this bhog with Pancha Upachars. The cost of Bhoga Mandap offerings are not borne by the state or Temple Administration. This bhoga is mainly prepared to meet the need of different Mathas ( Monasteries ) and for sale to the general public. According to the demand, Bhogamandap Puja is made twice or thrice a day i.e. after " Madhyanha Dhoop" and "Sandhya Dhup " also.

11. MADHYANHA DHUPA (Afternoon food offering ) 11A.M. to 1 P.M.

Like Sakal Dhupa, this puja is also performed with Sodasa Upachar in the afternoon.The Bhoga items are more in number than that of Morning Dhupa. One can go near to the " Ratna Singhasan" for darshan by paying special Darshan fee @ Rs 25 /- after Madhynha Dhupa & Sakal Dhupa.

12. MADHYANHA PAHUDHA 1 P.M. to 1.30 P.M.

If rituals have been performed in time and if time permits, the Deities retire for the afternoon.

13. SANDHYA ALATI

In the evening again sacred lamps are offered to the deities after Madhyana Dhupa Mailam. On Ekadasi day,the deities change their clothes and wear another sets after "Alati" is over.

14. SANDHYA DHUPA - 7 P.M. to 8 P.M.

After "Sandhya Alati" again Bhogas are offered to the deities in the same manner like Sakala and Madhyan Dhupa but this time Bhoga amount is less in quantity and number. After Puja again lamp offering is made which is called as "Jaya Mangala Alati".

15. MAILAM AND CHANDANA LAGI

After "Sandhya Dhoopa" deities changed their clothes and are annointed with Sandal paste mixed with champhor, keshar and Kasturi. One can witness this ritual by paying special Darsan fees.

16. BADASINGHAR VESHA

After Chandan lagi, deities are dressed with Baralagi Patta (silken robes on which some portions of Geeta Govinda of Jayadev are woven in to the texture of these robes) and flower ornaments.

17. BADASINGHARA BHOGA

This is the last bhoga of the day. Puja is offered With Pancha Upachar by the Puja Pandas with Pakhal(watered rice),Kadali bada,Kshiri ,Kanji etc.

18. KHATA SEJA LAGI AND PAHUDA 12.00

The bedsteads of the deities are arranged. The Deity of "Sayan Thakura" is carried from Bhandarghar to Ratnavedi or Ratnasinghashana and place the deity near Lord Jagannath. Then follows offering of green cocoanut, betels and camphor alati and then deities retire to their beds. After sealing the doors by the Sevayat (Talichha Mohapatra). Temple is closed and no visitors or outsiders are allowed to remain inside. This is in brief the daily rituals observed in the Temple. It is generally not possible to follow the time prescribed for each ritual on account of various practical difficulties. On the specific festive day,additional rituals are performed. As a result, charges in timings and alterations in the routine rituals are made.

 DARSHAN

As indicated above during Sahanamela, the devotees can go up to the "Ratna Singhasana" and pray to Lords, free of cost. Besides the pilgrims can go up to "Ratna Singhasana" at certain times paying a nominal fee Rs.25/- ,which is known as "Parimanik Darshana". At other times the pilgrims can have their darshan from a little distance that is in "Jagamohan" and "Vitarakatha".

BHOGA

 Every day 5 bhogas are offered to the Lords, these are "Gopala-Ballava"(Break fast), "Sakal Dhupa" "Madhyana Dhupa" "Sandhya Dhupa" and "Badasinghar Dhupa". The details of these Dhupas are given above in the rituals.  

Download Rituals(Pdf)

Mathas at Puri

The Role of Mathas at Puri in the Culture of Lord Jagannath

The establishment of Mathas at Puri dates back to the 9th century. The great Sankaracharya,

who in course of his spiritual conquest of whole India visited Puri (820 AD) and brought many

reforms in the Jagannath temple. He also established a Matha at Puri which is known as Govardhan Matha. The Bhoga Mandap, where large quantity of Bhoga are generally offered to

Lord to cater the need of devotees was introduced by him in the temple.

After Sankar, the great Vaisnav saint from South India Acharya Ramanuja came to Puri during the reign of Chodaganga Deva. He established a Matha which is known as Emar Matha in front of the Lion's Gate, Puri.

It is also said that Visnuswami established Jaganath Ballav Matha at Puri which is known as playing garden of Lord Jagannath. Many rituals of the temple are performed in this Matha

throughout the year.

Sri Ramananda, another saint also visited Puri in the 14th century. He also established some training centers known as Akhadas, the main purpose of which was to protect the temple from the attack of Muslims. These Akhadas are known as Bagha Akhada, Khaki Akhada, Nirmohi Akhada and Bada Akhada.Lord Mahavira Hanuman is the symbol of hero worship (god) of these Akhadas. Ballavacharya who belonged to Vishnuswami sect, also established a Prabhuji Baithak at Puri to preach the glory of Sri Gopal Krishna.

During the reign of King Prataparudra Deva, Sri Chaitanya from Bengal came to Puri to see the Lord. He stayed at Puri for a period of 24 years. His place of stay is presently known as Radhakanta Matha. During his period the Vaisnavism reached the climax point in the religious life of people.

Kabir Das, a great saint came to Puri and could witness Allah in Jagannath. According to him there is no difference between Allah and Jagannath. He stayed at a place near the sea shore which is commonly known as Kabir Ghat.

Nanak, the Guru of Sikh religion also visited Puri. The Matha established by him is known as Mangu Matha.

Tulsi Dasa, a great saint of north India, who composed the famous Ramacharita Manas came to Puri and realized that he could not see his devoted Lord Ram in Jagannath. He returned back to a place near Puri and sat in meditation. In the night he could see Lord Jagannath in a dream, who directed him to see the Lord in the temple. Tulsi Das came back to the temple and could see Lord Ram in Jagannath. He became overwhelmed with joy. This place where saint meditated is known as Tulasi Chaura (about 8 km away from the temple).

Ganapati Bhatta a great devotee of lord Ganesh could see Ganapati in Jagannath on the day of Snana Purnima on Snana Mandap. He established a Matha which is known as Raghab Das Matha. The saints and seers of different sects of Hinduism had come to Puri being attracted by Lord Jagannath and accepted Jagannath as their Lord of Worship. They felt the assimilation of their religious faith in the Jagannath culture. Accordingly large number of monasteries of different sects of Hinduism have developed at Puri by their religious leaders.

Generally Mathas are divided in two kinds. Those Mathas administered by Sanyasis are known as Nihangi Matha and those administered by Gruhi are known Gruhi Matha. In Puri, Mathas are developed with the following main objectives:

(a) To preach and spread the Jagannath culture and the essence of Hinduism.

(b) To give shelter to the pilgrims of different sects and saints,

(c) To donate food to the distresse, beggars, poor people and to help poor students in their studies in different schools and colleges,

(d) To involve and support in different rituals and Nitis of the temple.

Presently about thirty Mathas are closely involved in different rituals and Nitis of Lord Jagannath. The functions of Mathas in the temple are detailed below:

Matha Services:

1. Emar Matha : Provides Chamara and Canopy Seva.Chandrika made of flower are supplied daily.

2. Uttar Parswa Matha : Offers daily Mohan Bhoga (made of coarse flour and sugar) to distribute among the devotees. (77 Orissa Review July - 2008)

3. Trimali Matha : Offers Bhoga during Chandan Yatra.

4. Raghabadas Matha : Offers Bhoga at the time of Ballav (Morning Tiffin), Chamar and Alata seva. Hativesa on the day of Snana Purnima.

5. Jaganath Ballav Matha : Associates with many rituals of Lord, such as Ramanabami, Dola

Yatra, Dayanachori, Lakha Vindha, Dussahara. Provides lotus flower for decoration of Lord and ornaments made of flower.

6. Govardhan Matha : Chief of Muktimandap Pandit Sabha and gives final opinion on Niti and

rituals of Sri Jagannath temple. 

7. Badachhata Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva, Kirtan at the time of daily Puja, and Chandan

Yatra, to recite some traditional songs at the time of Mangal arati and Bada singhar.

8. Radhakanta Matha : Cleaning of Gundicha temple before Car Festival. 

9. Jhanjapita Matha : Offers seva and puja at  lotus feet of Lord inside the compound wall the temple.

10. Bada Odia Matha : Provides Ballav Bhoga (Morning Tiffin) of Lord. Alata and Chamar Seva.

11. Dakhinaparswa Matha : Canopy Seva and Chamar Seva.

12. Revasa Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

13. Gangamata Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

14. Radhavallav Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

15. Ramji Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

16. Sana Chhata Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

17. Goswami Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

18. Venkatachari Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

19. Nua Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

20. Mangu Matha : Alata and Chamar Seva.

21. Labanikhia Matha : Sports of Lord during Krishna Janma.

22. Kapadia Matha : Provides dress materials.

23. Dasavatar Matha : Cultural function

24. Sunagoswami Matha : Flower garlands for decoration.

25. Sivatirtha Matha : Provides tooth brush for Lord.

26. Mahiprakash Matha : Provides tooth brush.

27. Darpanarayan Matha : Offers flower garlands.

28. Gopaltirtha Matha : Hati Vesha for Lord Balabhadra.

29. Rani Matha : Provides decorated Tahia

30. Nandimata Matha : To stick jari in patta 

At present some Mathas are not performing their duties with the pretext of paucity of funds. Although Mathas are in possession of huge landed property in papers, but actually they do not get any income from these properties. This has been due to the implementation of land reform act. To revive the glory of the past, all efforts should be made at all levels so that all Mathas can perform their Sevas for Lord properly.