Experiencing the mystery of Jagannath Puri

I’ve always heard elders say that only fortunate people get to visit very old and powerful temples. I never believed in this concept, until I experienced it first hand. As a kid, I always wondered, what’s so special about a so called ‘famous’ temple anyway. I was always attracted to old and quiet temples. Those temples evoked a certain feeling of devotion and awe in me, which I liked. Now let’s get to the story.

In the year 2012 I undertook a road trip to Puri with my family and friends . I was about 11 years old then. The main purpose of the trip was to visit the beach and local sightseeing. Of course, The famous Puri temple was on our itinerary as well. At that time I wasn’t aware of the legends or the mysteries of this temple.

On the day we were supposed to visit the temple, my parents told me that we would be going to a very ancient temple, which was hundreds of years old. I’ve already mentioned of my fondness for old temples, so I was on cloud nine after hearing this piece of info. I was expecting a huge, ancient stone temple with splendid architecture near a quiet part of the beach. But to my dismay, I was led into a hustling bustling dingy street wherein lay the entrance to the magnificent temple. To my further disappointment, every corner of the ancient temple that was visible from there, had been covered in bright oil paint. Not a single portion of the old red bricks were visible. By this point, I was so heartbroken that I decided I would not enter the temple. My father who was carrying his camera stayed back with me because cameras weren’t allowed inside. My younger brother who used to imitate everything I did, followed our suit and stayed back as well. My mother went to the temple with another family (our family friends) who were accompanying us on this trip. 

The three of us went and sat in a small breakfast shop opposite to the ‘Simha dwar’ (the lion’s gate). Being a sucker for South Indian cuisine, I ordered dosa. I had a fun time in the shop. I was so silly, I even thought that, ‘Look at me enjoying my dosa while my silly mother went to that overcrowded temple for puja.’ 

Years later, towards the beginning of 2021 I had a sudden urge to visit the Jagannath Puri temple and I was reminded of this incident. I was cursing myself for being stupid and not visiting the temple when I had the chance. And I had a revelation. I understood that in 2012 it was not time for me to visit the temple, so the presiding deity, our beloved Lord Jagannath did not let me enter. I did not have the maturity or knowledge to truly appreciate the temple, had I entered it before I started my spiritual journey. It was an important lesson for me. Everything happens in its own time. 

I live in West Bengal, which is very close to Puri but I haven’t visited the place again. All of you, who have gone to some powerful, ancient temple, let me assure you, it was meant to be! You, of all the people in the world, were handpicked by the presiding deity to visit His/Her temple at that moment. You truly are fortunate. 

I would like to end my blog here. Thank you for reading this and giving me your precious time. See you soon 😊.