Pancha Tirtha, Puri

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The Sea at Swargadwar of Puri Swargadwar, Puri 2.JPG
The Sea at Swargadwar of Puri
Samudra arati or worship of the sea at Swargadwar by disciples of the Govardhana matha Samudra arati.jpg
Samudra arati or worship of the sea at Swargadwar by disciples of the Govardhana matha

Hindus consider it essential to bathe in the Pancha Tirtha or the five sacred bathing spots of Puri, India, to complete a pilgrimage to Puri. [1] [2] [3] The five sacred water bodies are:

Puri City in Odisha, India

Puri is a city and a Municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is also known as Sri Jagannatha Dhama after the 12th-century Jagannatha Temple located in the city. It is one of the original Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus.

India Country in South Asia

India, also known as the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh largest country by area and with more than 1.3 billion people, it is the second most populous country as well as the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, while its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.

Indradyumna tank Indradyumna tank.jpg
Indradyumna tank
  1. Indradyumana Tank is located near the Gundicha Temple. The Mahabharat describes King Indradyumna's Ashvamedh Yagna and the advent of the four deities of the Jagannath cult. [4] It describes how the holy Indradyumna tank was formed by the trodding of ground by thousands of cows donated by Indradyumna to Brahmins. To this day the Indradyumna tank is considered holy by pilgrims.
  2. Rohini Kunda is a sacred well located within the Jagannath Temple premises, near the Vimala Temple. [2] The Rohini Kunda is considered the abode of Narayan. The holy banyan tree called the Akshaya Kalpavat located here is also worshipped. As per the Puranas, [5] the hunter Jara Savara accidentally killed Krishna and cremated him. Krishna appeared in Jara's dreams and told him that his remains would transform into a log that would float from the sea to the Rohini Kunda. Indradyumna with Jara's help located the holy log from which the idol of Jagannath was carved.
  3. Markandeya Tank is considered the starting point of pilgrimage, for pilgrims to Puri. [2] The water body is around 4 acres in size with the Markandeshwar Temple dedicated to Shiva situated beside it.
    The Swetaganga Tank Swetaganga Pushkarani, Puri, Odisha.JPG
    The Swetaganga Tank
  4. Swetaganga Tank is located to the south of Nilachal. [2] Temples dedicated to the Matsya Avatar of Vishnu and King Sweta are located on the banks of the tank.
  5. The Sea also called the Mahodadhi is considered a sacred bathing spot in the Swargadwar area. The Samudra arati is a daily tradition started by the present Shankaracharya 9 years ago. [6] The daily practise includes prayer and fire offering to the sea at Swargadwar in Puri by disciples of the matha. On Paush Purnima of every year the Shankaracharya himself comes out to offer prayers to the sea.

According to another version the 5 tirthas of Puri are the 5 important places all Pilgrims coming to Puri must visit: [7]

  1. Balarama
  2. The Akshay Vata
  3. Markandeya tank
  4. Indradyumna tank
  5. The Sea

Related Research Articles

Jagannath Hindu god, abstract form of Krishna

Jagannath literally means "Lord of the Universe" and is a deity worshipped in regional traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism in India and Bangladesh. Jagannath is considered a form of Vishnu. He is a part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. To most Vaishnava Hindus, Jagannath is an abstract representation of Krishna; to some Shaiva and Shakta Hindus, he is a symmetry-filled tantric representation of Bhairava; to some Buddhists, he is symbolism for Buddha in the Buddha-Sangha-Dhamma triad; to some Jains, his name and his festive rituals are derived from Jeenanath of Jainism tradition.

Ratha Yatra (Puri) festival held at Puri

Ratha Jatra is a Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Odisha, India. It is the oldest Ratha Jatra taking place in India and the World, whose descriptions can be found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana and Kapila Samhita.

Tirtha is a Sanskrit word that means "crossing place, ford", and refers to any place, text or person that is holy. It particularly refers to pilgrimage sites and holy places in Hinduism as well as Jainism.

Prabhas Patan, also known as Somnath Patan or Prabhas Ksheta, historically named Dev Patan, is a town situated near Veraval, Gir Somnath district in Saurashtra region of Gujarat, India. It is located about 7 km. from Veraval. Somnath temple, a place of pilgrimage due to its importance as Jyotirlinga site dedicated to Shiva, is located here.

Govardhana matha

The Govardhana matha is a monastery located in the city of Puri in Odisha state (India). It is associated with the Jagannath temple and is one of the four cardinal mathas founded by Adi Shankara in the 8th century CE.

Jagannath Temple, Puri Temple at Puri, Odisha, India

The Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri is an important Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of lord Maha Vishnu, located on the eastern coast of India, at Puri in the state of Odisha. The temple is an important pilgrimage destination The present temple was rebuilt from the 10th century onwards, on the site of an earlier temple, and begun by King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, first of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.

The Samavedis are an Indian community, originating from a group of classical musicians and dancers. They are Nayaks and Gayakas, believed to have been originated from Odisha, who live in 12 villages around the Nirmal Sarovar Vasai, earlier called Shurparak.

Yatra

Yātrā, in Hinduism and other Indian religions, generally means a pilgrimage to holy places such as confluences of sacred rivers, places associated with Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and other sacred pilgrimage sites. Tīrtha-yātrā refers to a pilgrimage to a holy site and is generally undertaken in groups. One who goes on a yatra is known as a yatri. As per Vedic Hindu Dharma Shastras, a Yatri is supposed to do Yatra barefoot. He/she should travel without umbrellas, vehicles etc., to get the benefit of the Yatra. At present these rules are not followed by many pilgrims.

Chandan Yatra

Chandana Yatra also known as Gandhalepana yatra is the longest festival observed at Jagannatha temple at Puri, India. Chandana Yatra meaning Sandalwood Voyage in Sanskrit, which continues for 42 days is observed in two parts: Bahara Chandana and Bhitara Chandana

Snana Yatra

The Snana Yatra is a bathing festival celebrated on the Purnima of the Hindu month of Jyeshtha. It is an important festival of the Jagannath devotees. It is the birth day of lord Jagannath.This is the first occasion in the year as per the Hindu calendar, when the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, Sudarshan, and Madanmohan are brought out from the Jagannath Temple (Puri) and taken in a procession to the Snana Bedi. There they are ceremonially bathed and decorated for a public audience with the devotees.

Char Dham Four major Hindu pilgrimage sites in India

The Char Dham is a set of four pilgrimage sites in India. Vaishnavite Hindus believe that visiting these sites helps achieve "Moksha" (salvation). It comprises Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri and Rameswaram. It is considered by Hindus that every Hindu must visit the char dhams during one's lifetime. The Char Dham as defined by Adi Shankaracharya consists of four Vaishnavite pilgrimage sites.

Sapta Puri Wikimedia list article

The Sapta Puri are seven holy pilgrimage centres in India. The tirthas are: Ayodhya, Mathura, Haridwar, Varanasi, Kanchipuram, Ujjain and Dwarka.

Markandeshwar Temple building in India

Markandeshwar Temple is a place where sage Markandeya meditated on lord Shiva. He saw a small child on a banyan leaf floating on the sea and wondered upon. Finally lord Vishnu assured him from the doubt. The ancient Markandeswar Shiva Temple is situated in the Markandeswar street by the side of the Markandeswar tank, to the north of the Jagannath temple, Puri. This place can be approached on the right side of Markandeswar road leading from Markandeswar chowk to Puri-Brahmagiri road. Markandeya tank is an open structure and it enclosed within a stone wall made of dressed laterite blocks. Bathing ghats are provided for the tourists in southern side of the tank. The tank is used for rituals as well as for normal bathing. Rituals like Pinda Dana, Mundan Kriya etc. are observed on the steps of the tank. Both Markandeswar temple and Markandeswar tank can be dated back to the 12th century AD. Puri became an important center of pilgrimage by the 12th century. The history in Puri also proves that Sri Ramanuja visited Puri during 1107 and 1117.

Chakrateertha or Chakra Nrusimha Deula ,(Sanskrit:चक्रतीर्थ, चक्र नृसिंह देवालय) is an important pilgrimage site near the sea shore of Puri.

Indradyumna

Indradyumna, son of Bharata and Sunanda, was a Malava king, according to the Mahabharata and the Puranas. Noted Indologist John Dowson has opined that there have been several kings of this name and the most prominent one being the Indradyumna who ruled over Avanti region and set up the icon of Lord Jagannath in Puri.

Sankha Khsetra is the religio-geographic name of the most sacred section of the holy city of Puri, the seat of Hindu deity, Shri Jagannath. The Samkha Khsetra derives its name from the typical dakshinavarti Shankha(conch)-shaped, outer locational pattern of various temples, sacred places and secondary and tertiary deities in Puri, with the Jagannath Temple at the centre.

Nilachal

The abode of Hindu deity Jagannath at Puri is known as the Nilachala or Niladri, [Nila (Blue) + Achala (Mountain)] meaning, The Blue Mountain.

Vimala Temple temple

The Vimala Temple or Bimala Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Vimala (Bimala), located within the Jagannath Temple complex in Puri in the Indian state of Odisha. It is generally regarded as a Shakti Pitha, among the holiest temples dedicated to the Hindu Goddess.

Nila Madhava is the name of the idol that was in the possession of a tribal king name Viswavasu. Scriptures says that, after Lord Krishna wound up his manifested pastimes, he took a shape of Lord Vishnu. Viswavasu found this stone and felt its divinity. So he started worshiping it and name it Lord Nila Madhava. This brahma was later fetched by King Indradyumna by Brahmin Vidyapati for the creation of Lord Jagannath's idol. It has been kept inside a small chamber inside the Lords idol. It is believed that it is still present inside the Lord's idol and is transferred to the new idol after every 12 years.

References

Markandeshwar Tank Markandeshwar Tank.jpg
Markandeshwar Tank
  1. "Panch Tirtha of Puri". Shreekhetra. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Starza, O.M (1993). The Jagannatha Temple at Puri: Its Architecture, Art, and Cult. BRILL. p. 10.
  3. Madan, T.N (1988). Way of Life: King, Householder, Renouncer. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 161.
  4. Das, Suryanarayan (2010). Lord Jagannath. Sanbun. p. 13. ISBN   978-93-80213-22-4.
  5. Panda, S.M (2006). Lord Jagannātha in Sanskrit literature. Sree. pp. 88, 93.
  6. Sahu, Monideepa (6 March 2016). "The great fire". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  7. Saraswati, Baidyanath (1984). The Spectrum of the Sacred: Essays on the Religious Traditions of India. Concept Publishing Company. p. 41.