10 Amazing Facts About Jagannath Temple That Defy Logic

One of Char Dham pilgrimage sites, Jagannath Temple is located in Puri, Odisha. The temple is dedicated to Jagannath, who is considered as a form of Lord Vishnu. One of the major attractions is Ratha Yatra, which is conducted annually. Everything about Lord Jagannath is on such a massive scale that it has been included as the term ‘juggernaut’ in English language.

Jagannath Temple is also famous for its various mysteries. These defy scientific principles and are considered to be actuated by unknown forces that are beyond human comprehension. To get a better idea, here’s a quick look at 10 amazing facts about Jagannath temple that defy scientific rationale.

Anti-wind flag – The flag hoisted atop the temple floats against the direction of the wind. What could be the reason for this? Well, no reliable explanation is available till date.

Always visible chakra – Atop the temple, there’s a Sudarshan Chakra weighing around a ton and around 20 ft. tall. The interesting part is that no matter where you are in the city, the chakra will always be visible to you. Not only that, the chakra will also appear to be directly facing you, irrespective of your location in the city.

No birds, no planes – The air space above the temple is a no-fly zone. It includes birds and planes. Interesting thing is that this no-fly zone has not been enforced by any human laws. It is considered to be the work of some unknown divine power.

No shadow – We know that our shadows disappear at around noon when the sun is directly above us. But in case of Jagannath temple, it does not create any shadow at any point of time during the day.

Sound shield – When you are outside the main door of the temple called Singhadwaram, you can hear the sound of ocean waves. However, once you have passed through the door, the sound of waves mysteriously disappears. As long as you are inside the temple, you no longer hear the sound of waves.

Opposite wind direction – Normally, wind from the sea blows inland during day time. In evening, winds blow towards the sea. But in Puri, just the opposite happens. Why is it so remains a mystery.

Everyday climb – A priest has to climb atop the temple every day to change the flag. This is being done without fail for around 1,800 years. It’s no easy climb, as the temple is around 45 storeys high. As per temple manuals, if the flag is not changed on any day, it will have to be shut for the next 18 years.

Made of wood – Unlike other statues that are usually made of stone or metal, Jagannath statue is made from wood. It is believed to disintegrate on its own after around 12 or 19 years. It is then replaced with an exact replica.

Unlimited prasadam – The quantity of prasadam cooked in the temple is same all-round the year. However, number of visitors vary, anywhere between 2,000 to 20,000 per day. But surprising thing is that the prasadam neither gets wasted nor is found to be insufficient on any given day. This is believed to be a blessing of Lord Jagannath.

Magical cooking – The prasadam is cooked using a unique technique, wherein 7 pots are placed on top of each other. The interesting thing is that food in the top pot gets cooked first, followed by pots placed at lower levels.