Thread by @mishra9_supriya

Little known facts about Jagannath temple architecture, Puri.
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1. The first instance of repairing of temple at Puri is assigned to Jajati I of Somabamsi dynasty in around 950CE.
He repaired the existing dilapidated temple meant for Nrusimha & Bimala.

2. Both the Nrusimha & Bimala temple bear the architectural elements of Somabamsi period & also predates the main Deula.

The present main temple(deula) was constructed after 200yrs of renovation by Jajati I. i.e. during early 12th CE by Anantabarman Chodagangadeba.

3.The Jagamohana was built few years after completion of the Bimana during the same Ganga rule as evident from Bada portion of the porch which is artistically similar to the deula.
Whereas Madalapanji mentions that it was built in 16th CE by Mukunda Harichandan.

4. The entrance of Jagamohana is called as Jaya-Bijaya dwara but conspicuously their images are absent.However later their images are painted on both sides.

5. The roof of the Porch was initially supported on four huge square pillars.

On the doorway of jaya bijaya gate of Mukhasala there are some old inscriptions, one among which reads "Jagannath is not a master or power loving God. He is the God of his devotees".

6.The Jagamohana originally stood on a platform like the Bimana but due to the encroachments not visible today. Fully hidden behind new constructions.

It is also believed that the Jaya Bijaya gate of Jagamohana was reconstructed during the construction of Natamandapa.

7.The Natamandapa or dancing hall was erected much later after construction of the main temple.

Some believe tht it was built by Purusottama Deba as the inner wall depicts Kanchi Abhijan of the king.

But it is actually an infill, truncated between Jagamohana & Bhogamandapa..

8.The Garuda Stambha present inside NataMandapa is not purely a stone column but actually remnant of plant of past geological era! It's actually shaft of a Sal tree shorn of its bark.

& the column is made of Salagrama which is the longest ammonoid fossil of its kind.

9. Behind the Garuda pillar a panel of ten incarnation exists in which at the place of 9th incarnation there is juxtaposed image of Jagannath and Buddha.

The Natamandapa is a hypostyle hall with 16 pillars divided into three aisles, like the north Indian temples..

10. The Bhogamandapa was originally a part of Sun Temple konark & bodily transferred to Puri by Ramachandra deba.
For quite a long period it was called Natamandapa.

The above is quite evident from the outer wall of bhogamandap which is exactly similar to architecture of konark.

11.The inner side of Bhogamandapa is conspicuously plain & simple with the pattachitra murals added later.

Here the raised platform provides the base for the superstructure on which it is standing, unlike the other halls which are supported by a secondary projecting platform..

12. The Bimana or main temple rises in a sheer perpendicular up to a height of 35' above the plinth and afterwards curves inward.

As per Silpasastra it belongs to the 'Mahameru' type of shrines standing on a SamaKshetra Padmapitha(Square lotus plinth).

13. The 16'×8'×5' high Ratnasimhasana is made of black granite stone on which the deities are placed..There is a stone wall behind it to which the deities are tied to make them stable..This stone wall was built by Maratha rulers in 18th CE..

14. On the jewelled throne there are two separate pedestal (pindi) existing for Jagannath and Subhadra where as there is no pindi for balabhadra and sudarsana chakra who are placed directly on the alter.

15. There is a Durga Madhava temple situated on the Southeast corner of Jagannath temple is unique in its style..It is truncated into the meghanada prakara and there is no entrance to it from inside the temple..One has to use a ladder from outside..Here Jagannath is worshipped in

the form of Madhava whereas goddess bimala as mahisamarddini on a stone platform. Both images are made of stone.

16. In 1628 the image of sun drawn by seven horses & a Buddha image was brought from konark temple and installed inside Surya temple during the rule of Narasimhadeba.

17. This is the only temple in Odisha which has four entrances unlike the other Jagannath temples.

Meghanada wall has four entrances & Kurma wall has six entrances.
The four inner gates is not exactly placed opposite to four outer gates but placed slightly to one side.

17. Madalapanji tells that the temple, bimana and Jagamohana was completely white washed during the rule of Prataprudra deb for the first time & subsequently by others.

One reason may be the fall of Konarka. To save the temple from salinity & erosion the kings plastered it.

18. The outer wall Meghanada prachira was constructed by Kapilendra deb in 15th CE, i.e. 300yrs after construction of main temple.
Thereafter Purusottama deb caused the construction of inner wall, the Kurma prachira.

19. Interestingly the Kurma wall is a double walled parallel structure having a gap of 11feets! in between.

There are three step wells inside the campus of Sri mandira.

The temples Agniswara, Pataleswara& Isaneswara situated below ground level connecting to ground water level

20.Noteworthy is Pataleswara temple exists below 20ft of the ground level.
It is believed that Chodaganga deba built seven underground Sudangas to different sides of his city.The details are also there.
The kitchen was built during 18th CE by a private person named Rajendra Ray

21.Inside Koili Baikuntha exists a Shiva temple named Baikuntheswara,the entrance of which is closed now.This temple has gone through a lot of restorations ws originally a beautiful structure bespeaking art style of Somavamsis.The linga of this temple is covered with matted hair.

22. The 22 steps or Baisi Pahacha is not exactly 22 in number. R L Mitra found 18 steps when he visited.

The inner enclosure resembles the back of a tortoise or a small hill for which it's called KurmaPitha or Kurmabedha.

The Nilachakra is 11mtrs or 36' in circumference!

23. As the temple was plastered & white washed the early visitors termed it as White Pagoda & assigned it with less architectural importance. But the deplastering resulted in another marvel of kalinga architecture in the form of Jagannath temple. End
#JaiJagannath ⚫❗⚫

Source: Books by
R L Mitra
O M Starza
Early British writers & other research papers.
P.S. max pics from Google & assigned to the copyright holders.
Not belong to exactly the place described in some tweets.
To be continued...
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