The temple complex
comprises an area of 10.7 acres and is enclosed
by two rectangular walls. The outer enclosure
is called Meghanada Prachira (665x640 feet). The
walls are 6 meters high. The inner wall is called
Kurmabedha (420x315 feet). The walls were built
during the 15th or 16th century.
This temple is said to have the largest kitchen
in the world and feeds thousands of devotees every
day. The kitchen can prepare food for 100000 people
on a festival day and 25000 is not unusual for
a normal day. There are 36 traditional communities
who render a specific hereditary service to the
Deities. The temple has as many as 6000 priests.
There is a wheel
on top of the Jagannatha Temple made of an alloy
of eight different metals known as asta-dhatu.
It is known as the Nila Chakra. On every Ekadasi
day a lamp is lit on top of the temple near the
wheel.
The main temple
is surrounded by 30 different smaller temples.
The Narasimha temple adjacent to the western side
of the Mukti-mandapa is said to have been constructed
before the present temple.
In front of the
main gate is an 11m pillar, called Aruna stambha,
which used to be in front of the Sun Temple in
Konark. It was brought to Puri during the 18th
century. The figure on top of the pillar is Aruna,
the charioteer of the sun god. In the passage
room of this gate is a Deity of Lord Jagannatha
called Patita Pavana (Savior of the most fallen).
There are four
gates the Eastern Singhadwara (Lion Gate), the
southern Ashwadwara (horse gate), the western
Vyagharadwara (tigers gate) & the northern
Hastidwara (elephants gate). There is a carving
of each form by the entrance of each gate, is
located on Grand Road.
The Temple consists
of four main part viz., the Viman or the great
temple, Jagmohan or the hall of audience, Natamandapa
the Dancing Hall and Bhogmandap. The Images of
Lord Balabhadra, Subhadra & Jagganath are
installed in the inner part of the temple called
as Ratnavedi or the jeweled platform.
