Puri Travel Guide

Puri: Overview

The present Jagannath temple construction was begin in the end of century A.D. by Ananta Varma Chodaganga Deva (10781191 A.D) of the Ganga Dynasty is credited with having ruled over the region extending from the Ganga to Godavari. The temple at Puri we; completed by Ananga Bhim Deva in the 13th century who ruled Orissa between 1198-1223 A.D. The present main temple has four sections, Two sections were built in the 12th century and other viz, Natamandira and Bhogmandap were added during the region of Raja Purusottam Deva (1461-1495 A.D.) and Raja Pratapudra Deva (1495-1532 A.D) re-spectively. Long before construction of the present temple. King Yayati had built another temple in the same place in the 9th centurt A.D.,The temple flourished under patronage of the Independent Kings of Orissa till the death of Mukundadeva the last Independent Hindu king of Orissa in 1568 A.D., He was killed in a battle with the inrading Afghan king of Bengal Sultan Sulaiman. After Afghan conquest of Cuttack, his general Kalaphad or Illahabad,captured Puri and plundered the temple treasure and demaged to some extent the temple structure. It is said that-the temple priests saved Jagannath from the ravages of Kalapahad civil removed the images, to a place called Parikud. It is stated by Mr. Kulike that during the following 180 years, more than a dozen times the priests of Puri had to hide the image of Jagannath in the inaccessible mountains of south-Orissa or some islands in the Chilka lake for more than thirty years the lord was either absent from the templaor during the regin of Aurangzeb was forcibly under took and key in the temple. The lord Jagannath temple destroyed forur times by Afghans and Mushals, between 1568 A.D., To 1698 A.D.In 1623 A.D., prince Sahajahan passed through Orissa Narasingha Deva paid homage to
him and with the help of a RajpIll officer Bhima Singha in the troop of Sahajahan, Seinstalled the image. in the Puri temple in the 1624 A.D,, The Jagannath temple was lime plastered for the first time to proteof it form saline effect. In 1692 A.D. Subedar nawad aaaikram Khan of Orissa was orderd by the Emperor Aurangazeb to destroy the Jagan nath temple. This is a third attack on the temple. Ramachandra Deva secretly carried the images of Jagannath was kept secretly at Banapuram the chilka court for 18 years till death of Aurangzed.
In 1713 A.D., Shuja-Ud-Din became the depute subedar of Orissa. He permitted reinstallation of the image of Jagannath in Puri. The ritceals and festivala were revived in 1715 A.D., New Neelac-Hakera made of "Asthadhatu" was installed at the top of the temple. In 1698 A.D. The deities were rest-orde to the temple. The fourth and the final assault on the Jagannath temple. In 1734 A.D. Murshid Quli-II, became the deputy subedar or Orissa. He ordered the temple to prevent loss of imperial revenue of rupees nine lakhs towards Pilgrim tax, caused due to absence of the Deities to the temple.
Ramachandra Deva converced to islam and after conversion was renamed as Hafiz Qudiri After his conversion to islam or association with a muslim princess became an out -caste and as such, was prohibited to entry into the temple.

There are a few main areas where there are hotels along the beach. The northeast part, near the fishing village, on or just off Chakra Tirtha Road, is where most of the budget hotels are located and is a popular area for western tourists. Another area is the main Indian tourist area, which is by the Puri Hotel, near Beach Sea Road. Most of the people staying in this area are Indians. There are also a few hotels in the southwest part of town. It is quiet there and the seawater is clean too.

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