Jagannath Puri

Darshan and aarti timings

These approximate times are from the temple administration’s darshan facilities page. The administration itself says the rituals often cannot keep to the set times and change on festivals; it posts each day’s actual times on its "Today in the temple" page (on 5 October 2026 the doors opened at 6:15 am and the mangala arati was at 7 am).

Source: shreejagannatha.in·Checked: 5 October 2026·Times can change; check the official source before you go.

The deities

According to the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration, Jagannatha, his elder brother Balabhadra, their sister Subhadra and the Sudarshana chakra sit on the Ratnasinghasana, with images of Bhudevi, Sridevi and Madhava. The administration writes that different traditions see them in their own way: for devotees of Krishna, Jagannatha is Krishna, Balabhadra is Balarama and Subhadra Krishna’s sister; for devotees of Rama, Jagannatha is Rama, Balabhadra Lakshmana and Subhadra Sita; and in Ramanuja’s Pancharatra tradition Balabhadra is worshipped as Shiva, Subhadra as Ekanamsha Durga and Sudarshana as Nrisimha.

The story (as the Puranas tell it)

The temple administration says the story of Puri is told in the Brahma Purana, the Narada Purana and the Utkala Khanda (Purushottama Mahatmya) of the Skanda Purana. In it, King Indradyumna of Malava sent Vidyapati, who found Nilamadhava being worshipped by the Shabara Vishvavasu. At the end of the king’s sacrifice a divine log of wood (daru) came ashore, and Vishnu himself, disguised as a carpenter, carved the images from it.

In the Nabakalebara the old wooden images are replaced by new ones. According to the administration it happens at intervals of 8, 11, 12 or 19 years, using wood from four sacred neem trees, and the new images are made at Koili Baikuntha.

The temple and the mahaprasad

According to the temple administration, inscriptions establish that the present temple was built by Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva (1112-1148); one tradition links it with Anangabhima Deva. The temple stands about 214 ft 8 in above road level and is enclosed by two walls, the outer Meghanada Prachira and the inner Kurma Prachira; it has four gates, the Lion, Horse, Tiger and Elephant gates. The temple is on the Archaeological Survey of India’s list of centrally protected monuments.

The mahaprasad (dry sweets, rice, dal, curries) is available at the "Ananda Bazar" in the north-east corner of the temple compound (temple administration). The temple is managed by a committee set up under the Shree Jagannatha Temple Act, 1954, chaired by the Raja of Puri.

How to reach Jagannath Puri

• Rail: Puri is a terminus of the East Coast Railway, 3 km from the temple; Khurda Road junction is 44 km away (Puri district).
• Air: the nearest airport is Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, 60 km away (Puri district).
• Footwear, leather articles, umbrellas, cameras and mobile phones are not allowed inside; the administration provides free stands for them. A dress code has applied in the temple since 1 January 2024 (The Hindu).

Main festivals

Where the sources differ

• The builder: the temple administration, on the evidence of inscriptions, names Chodaganga Deva (1112-1148); another of its pages says Anangabhima Deva III completed the temple in 1230, and one tradition credits the whole building to Anangabhima Deva.
• The first acharya of the Govardhan Math: the temple administration names Padmapada; the Sringeri Sharada Peetham gives Hastamalaka for the Govardhan Math and Padmapada for the Dwarka math.
• How many days the deities stay at the Gundicha temple during the Rath Yatra: the administration’s festival pages say seven days, its FAQ nine. Entry: the administration’s darshan page still says the Lion Gate is the only entrance, but all four gates were reopened on 13 June 2024 (All India Radio).
• Claims such as "the temple casts no shadow" or "the flag flies against the wind" are not on any page of the temple administration or the government, so they are not given here.

Frequently asked questions