In the minds of the millions of Indians, Orissa is the land of Jagannath. The name Jagannath literally means “Lord of the Universe.” It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots in India and it is also one of the four Dhamas of the divine that lie on the four directions of the compass. The Jagannath temple in Puri was built approximately 1135-1150 by King Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga dynasty and finished by his descendant, Anangabhima Deva, during the 12th century. This was during the classical period of temple building in Orissa (approximately the eighth through thirteenth centuries). One of the most revered of all temples of Lord Vishnu is the Lord Jagannath Temple in eastern India.
It was built in its present form in 1198 and is protected by two surrounding walls. The conical tower of the temple is 58 mt high on which the flag and the wheel of Lord Vishnu can be seen.
The temple is dedicated to Jagannath, who is identified by his devotees with Krishna. It is also dedicated to Balabhadra and Subhadra, the brother and sister, respectively, of Jagannath. These three together are the principal deities of the temple, whose images reside in the temple's sanctuary. Like the Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneshwar, this temple too is not open for Non-Hindus who contend themselves by viewing it from outside it's precincts.
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