1. Direction of Flag
It is found that the flag hoisted at the top of the temple dome always flows in the opposite direction of the airflow. There is no scientific explanation for this nature-defying fact.
2. A Tradition Older Than Many Civilizations
Did you know that the flag of the temple in Puri is changed every day? Accomplishing this is no mean feat. Every day, a saint scrambles up the dome of the temple, which is approximately a 45-stories building, and changes the banner regularly for 1800 years as a piece of a ritual. If this ritual is not followed even for a day, the temple must be closed for the following 18 years.
3. The Colossal Chakra
The colossal chakra which is more than 20 feet in height at the top of the temple was installed ages ago. It is said to be visible from every side of the city and the Chakra seems to be looking back with the same appearance. This is an architectural riddle that no one has been able to solve to date.
4. Installation of the Chakra
The eight-spoke chakra was brought all way up and introduced on the gopuram 2000 years earlier. The designing procedures utilized at that time still stay a puzzle today. The Chakra upright at the highest point of the temple is 20 feet in height and weighs a ton. How this wheel was taken at the top and installed is another mystery that is still unsolved.
5. The Sea
Whenever we visit the seaside, the first thing that our senses catch is the crashing of waves on the shore. In the case of Jagannath Temple, the sea waves seem to go on mute as soon as one steps inside the premises from the Singha Dwara entrance. There is no sound of the waves at all. As soon as one comes out of the temple, the waves can be heard. Again, there is no scientific explanation for this mysterious fact.
6. Nothing Flies Above The Temple. Literally Nothing!
As you look up in the sky, you will find birds flying high, or resting on the tree tops. In the case of Puri’s Jagannath Temple, not even a single bird can be seen atop the temple dome. Nothing hovers above, no planes, not even any bird. There is no logical clarification for this yet.
7. An Engineering Marvel
When stepping out in the sun, our shadow is always with us. In the case of Jagannath Temple, the architectural prowess of our ancestral engineers is worth saluting. This temple has absolutely no shadow at all, irrespective of any direction.
8. No Wastage of Prasadam
There’s one saying about the prasadam served in the temple. The number of devotees visiting the temple is 2000 to 20,00000 depending on a major event or ritual. However, the amount of Prasadam cooked in the temple is always enough for the devotees with not even a bite getting wasted. Thus, the prasadam is neither inadequate nor wasted.
9. Magical Cooking Method
The prasadam is cooked in pots over firewood. Precisely 7 pots are put one over another. These pots are mounted one above the other, and surprisingly, the pot at the top gets cooked first followed by the second, and so on.
10. The Idols Are Changed Every Year
The old idols of the deities are disintegrated every 14-18 years and replaced by new deities made up of neem wood. The old idols are buried one over the other.
India is known for its rich culture and spiritual heritage. Puri Jagannath Temple is one of the most visited temples in Odisha and all over the country, and is also known for its annual Rath Yatra. The whole city comes alive with religious revelry, drum beats, and the devotees gathering to get a glimpse of the Lord as he comes out from the sanctum with his brother and sister to mingle with the common people.
