Prelim - Art and Culture

• The Jagannath temple dedicated to Lord Jaganath, a form of Vishnu God in Hinduism.
• It is located in Puri, Odisha.
• The temple built in the 12th Century AD
• The main temple built by King Indradyumna of Avanti.
• Other than the main temple, remaining structure inside the compound started to build by Anantavarman Chodaganga, the first king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
• The entire temple complex is enclosed within two concentric walls, the Kuruma Bheda (Inner wall) and the Meghnad Pachira (Wall). The main entrance to the temple is through Singhadwara located on the Eastern front of the temple.
• The main temple is constructed in such a way that no shadow of the temple falls on the ground at any time of the day.
• The Nilachakra – Or the Blue wheel perched on top of the temple is made of eight metals or asta dhatu.
• The Aruna stambha- the 33 ft monolith structure pillar in front of the Singhadwar or the main entrance of the temple was originally located at the Sun Temple, Konark.
• Another unique feature of the temple is that the idols of the holy trinity are carved out of wood rather than stone or metal idols.
• Temple rituals are based on Oddiyana Tantras which are the refined versions of Mahayana Tantras as well as Shabari Tantras which are evolved from Tantric Buddhism and tribal beliefs respectively.