Are You planning to go Puri Jagannath Temple which is in Orissa.? But still cannot go there.? Then here is the exact replica for this temple. Again are you thinking where it is.? No need to worry and you know the exact replica of it is located in Banjara Hills, Road No 12, Hyderabad. Today we visited this temple. And its really awesome.
The Jagannath Temple at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad with 70 feet high Gopuram / Shikhara is built on a vast land of 3000 sq. yards which will give the exact replica of the Jagannath Temple in Orissa. The sanctum sanctorum of the temple, which was constructed in 2009, houses the idols of Lord Jagannath along with his siblings, Balabhadra and Subhadra.To build Puri Jagannath Temple in Hyderabad, an approximate of 600 ton of sandstone was brought from Orissa.
The main deities at the Temple are of Sri Jagannath and his brother Sri Balabhadra and his sister Ma Subhadra. The deities are made of wood from a divine and fragrant tree. This Jagannath Temple in Orissa was built in the 11th century.Coming to the Puri Jagannath Temple in Hyderabad, it is a modern one, built by the Oriya community – Kalinga Cultural Trust of Hyderabad, and was opened to devotees on 8th March 2009. The Kalinga Cultural Trust has worked for more than a decade to obtain the land and build the Temple. It is a replica of the Temple at Puri but a smaller one. Yet it looks very imposing and with a 70 feet high Gopuram the gopuram is the most attractive one.
The main deities at this Temple are also sculpted out of wood from Orissa, as at the Puri Temple. Apart from the huge and beautiful Temple of Sri Jagannath at the center , the Temple Complex has Shrines of Sri Lakshmi, Sri Vimala (Sri Parvathi Devi), Lord Shiv, Lord Ganesha, Sri Anjaneya and Navagrahas. The innermost gate of the temple has carvings of Lord Vishnu’s nine incarnations on it. The exterior of the temple also has carvings of men and women on its walls. These carvings are in some way similar to those of Khajuraho Temples.
The entire Temple Complex appears brick red as it is built / carved out of Sand Stone from Orissa. It is said that 600 tonnes of Sand Stone has been used for building the Temple. All rituals at this temple are carried out just as in Puri, including the annual Rath Yatra that is Chariot Festival. Obviously, the Temple has become very popular and is attracting many devotees and tourists. This temple is famous for the annual Rathyatra festival.
The temple is open in the morning and evening. If you cannot go Orissa just try to visit the replica of Puri Jagannath Temple in Hyderabad and get the Blessings of Jagannath Swamy.
The taxis, buses and auto rickshaws are available from Hyderabad center to the Jagannath Temple. As one of the devotee said that, the best period for a visit to the temple would be the months stretching from October to February.
Sri Jagannath is Lord of the Universe; he is Sri Krishna that is Sri Maha Vishnu. Jagan means Universe and Nath means Lord and hence Jagannath means Lord of the Universe. Sri Jagannath is considered as the supreme solace and savior of countless devotees around the world, since ancient times. His most important, monumental and magnificent Temple is at Sri Purushotham Kshetra, at the coastal town of Puri, in the State of Orissa. The Temple is a very sacred place of pilgrimage, it is a part of Char Dham, four pilgrimages that a Hindu is expected to visit during his lifetime and worship.
So just try to visit this temple and get blessings of Lord Jagannath Swamy!!!
