Who built Jagannath Temple?
The temple was built here byKing Indradyumna.King Indradyumnawas the king of Malwa. Whose father’s name was India and mother Sumati.
History of Establishment of Jagannath temple
Raja Indradyumana was dreaming of Jagannath’s vision. He made many huge sacrifices here and built a lake. One night Lord Vishnu appeared in his dream and said, I have a statue in a cave inNilanchal mountain.
It is called Neelmadhav. You make a temple and install this statue of mine in it. The king sent his servants in search of the Nilanchal Mountains.
One of them was Brahmin Vidyapati.
Vidyapati had listened to the people of Sabar tribe worshiping Neelmadhav. And they kept this idol of their god hidden in the cave of Nilanchal mountain. He also knew that the leader of the tribe of Sabar is the worshiper of Vishvasu Neelmadhav. And he has kept the statue hidden in the cave.
Chatur Vidyapati married the daughter of Vishvasu.
In the end, he managed to reach Neelmadhav’s cave through his wife. He stole the idol and brought it to the king.
Vishwasu was very sad to steal the idol of his idol god. God also got saddened by the suffering of his devotee Lord returned to the cave,
But at the same time, Raj Indradumaman promised that he would definitely return to him one day. Provided that they would make a huge temple for them one day.
The king made the temple and said to Lord Vishnu to sit in the temple.
God said that you bring a big piece of tree floating in the ocean to make my idol, which is coming from the Dwarka to Puri swimming in the sea.
The king’s servants found the fragment of that tree. But not everyone was able to pick up that tree too.
Then the king realized that, the devotees of Nilmadhav (Vishwasu) will have to get help.
Been shocked at that time when (Vishwaasu) brought heavy wood to the temple and brought it to the temple.
The King’s artisans tried a million, but no one could even touch a couch in the wood.
Then the skilled craftsman Lord Vishwakarma came from the form of an old man.
He told the king that he could make a statue of Neelamdhav, but he also laid down his condition that he would make idols in 21 days and build it alone. Nobody can see them making them.
Their condition was accepted. The people came to the sound of saws, cave and hammer. Queen Gundicha of Raja Indradumman could not stop herself. She went to the door so he could not hear any voice. She panicked.
He felt the old man is dead. He informed the King. If there was no sound from inside, then the king would have liked it. Bypassing all the conditions and warnings, the king ordered the opening of the room door.
As soon as the room was opened, the old man was missing and found three unfinished statues found in it. Lord Neelmadhav and his brother were small arms, but they did not have legs, while Subhadra’s hands were not ready.
Having regarded this as the will of God, the king established these incomplete idols. Since then, the three siblings are present in this form.
The present temple which was built in the 7th century.
The temple located here has broken 3 times. In 1174 AD, Odisha ruler Anang Bhimdev had restored it.
Around 30 small temples are set up around the main temple.
