Jagannath Temple, Chennai Explained

Jagannath Temple
Map Type:India Chennai
Coordinates:12.8502°N 80.2435°W
Country:India
State:Tamil Nadu
District:Chennai
Location:Reddy Kuppam Road, Kannathur, off East Coast Road, Chennai
Deity:Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra
Festivals:Ratha Yatra
Architecture:Kalinga architecture
Year Completed:2001
Website:jagannathshrinechennai.com

Jagannath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is dedicated to the divine trinity Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. It is located in Kannathur off the East Coast Road on the Bay of Bengal coast. The temple is built in Kalinga architecture and the annual Rathyatra is the main festival celebrated in the temple.

Architecture

The temple is built in Kalinga architecture similar to the Jagannath temple at Puri. There are 22 marble steps leading up to the main sanctum.[1] The temple was consecrated on 26 January 2001. The temple is built of black granite sourced from Kancheepuram and marble from Rajasthan with landscaping around the temple complex. There is a large Dhvajastambha (flag pole) at the main entrance to the temple. The walls and ceilings are painted with frescoes including the depictions of the ten incarnations of Vishnu. Various flowers are grown in the garden which are used for the pooja, which is conducted by priests from Odisha.[2]

Deities

The temple is dedicated to the divine trinity Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra. The idols of the main deities are made of neem wood, similar to those at the Puri shrine. There are other smaller shrines dedicated to Hindu gods Yoganarasimha, Shiva, Ganesha, Gajalakshmi, Bimala, and Navagraha.[2]

Festivals

The most important festival at the shrine is the rath yatra, which is celebrated on the same day as in Puri. The primary deities are taken around the village during the occasion on a steel ratha, decorated with wood, cloth and flowers.[2]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Muthiah, S.. Madras, Chennai: A 400-year Record of the First City of Modern India, Volume 1. Palaniappa Brothers. 2008. 106. 978-81-8379-468-8.
  2. Web site: Chennai's lord Jagannath temple. https://web.archive.org/web/20110319233512/http://chennaionline.com/Religion/Temples/20100810120819/Chennais-lord-Jagannath-temple.col. dead. 19 March 2011. Chennai Online. 18 October 2012.