Jai Jagannath (part-2)

Bidyapati agreed instantly but he also knew that his king would also want to come.

Next day while going, he kept dropping mustard seeds all his way, which will grow into seedlings when he comes next. He took a bath in Rohini kund and then when he saw Neela Madhav he couldn't contain his happiness. Crying and laughing he fell on the ground, praising the lord.

When Bidyapati returned back and told all this to his king, he ordered to prepare for the journey instantly.

In Utkal, he met the king, who informed that Neela Madhav had disappeared yesterday. Heart broken he sat sobbing. When for days he didn't eat anything, Narad muni decided to pay a visit.

“Indradyumna, your wish to build a temple is pure so i will help you.”

Hearing this, our kind was relieved.

Next day he went to Purushottam kshetra, present day Puri.

According to Skanda Purana, he stayed near Nilakantheswar temple to make arrangements for 100 Ashwamedha yajna for 1000 years. Ashwamedh yajna is basically a horse sacrifice ritual in Vedic religion. There on advice of Narad muni he made a Narasimha image out of a black stone and prayed to him. This idol form of Narashima is famously known as Ashwamedha Narashima because Ashwamedha yagna was performed in front of this temple.

Then one day, our king had a dream, it was early in the morning hours, evn the sun was still hiding behind the horizon. And from far he saw a log floating towards him. Suddenly from there appeared Narayan himself. His blue color was the most beautiful blue he had ever seen, his eyes were like lotus and his smile was healing. Our king just kept looking like a child mesmerised. Tears rolled down his eyes like rain. Govind said,

“Indradyumna, I am well aware of your immense desire to build my temple, and I am also aware of your journey. I was always listening to you. In a few days a sculptor will come to build my Idol.”

Saying this he disappeared into thin air.

Indradyumna woke up and ran to the sea barefoot. When he saw a log floating towards him, he understood the sign. He fell on his feet crying ecstatically.

Some people believe that after Krishna died and was cremated, one of those woods floated towards the king.

Soon, an old man walking with a stick almost limping in ragged clothes appeared. You can imagine how shocked our king would have been. And as if testing him the sculptor said

“Listen kind, till i finish my idol nobody will enter my room”

The king saw he had no choice and agreed. It is believed that the sculptor is none other than the God of architecture, Vishwakarma himself.

The sculptor locked himself inside the room. Days became weeks and weeks became months. King was growing impatient. He would go near the door, and try to listen but nothing. Dejected he would come back but his Queen knew better.

One day she reached her height of patience and went in front of the door and buried her ears on the wall. No sound. She knocked. No response. She told herself what if he is dead, afterall he was such an old man. Next thing she knew was that she had pushed open the door and the sculptor disappeared as if he was never there, leaving behind 3 incomplete idols. Those 3 idols were of Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and his sister Subhadra. This is established now in Jagannath temple, Puri.

The temple is built in Kalinga architecture surrounded by a 20ft tall boundary wall also known as Meghanada pacheri. Inside there is another wall surrounding the main temple. It contains 120 more temples and shrines inside the premises. The main temple resided by Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra, is crowned by Srichakra also called Nila chakra.

Every year a festival called Rath Yatra also called Chariot festival or Ghosha yatra is held in June or July month.

I will tell you more about it some other time.