Puri is an ancient shrine, enshrining Krishna - Jagannath in the form of a wooden image. There is a legend about the construction of the Jagannath temple and installation of three deities therein. According to this legend in the Satya Yuga there was a king "Indradyumna", in Malava . He was a great devotee of Vishnu. Once he had vision of "Nilamadhava Vishnu" in his dream. Next day he sent emissaries in four direction to find out where the image, he dreamt of, was being worshipped. Brahmin Vidyapati was sent to the east. He came to "Utkala(ODISHA)" and entered a Savara village.He took shelter in the house of the Savara King "Visvavasu".His daughter Lalita fell in love with Vidyapati who had to marry her so that he might get information about Nilamadhava through his wife. Savara king Visvavasu used to go to the forest every morning to worship Nilamadhava installed in "Niakandara" (Blue cave)
. Vidyapati preesed his wife to request her father to allow him to see Nilamadhava. Visvavasu agreed on the condition that Vidyapati will be taken to the shrine and brought back therefrom with a blindfold.When Vidyapati heard this proposal he requested his wife to arrange something so that he may subsequently know the path. Lalitha gave him some sesame seeds to be scarred on the side of the road he followed so that he might know the path when sesame plants grew up during the rains.
Accordingly Vidyapati was taken to Nilakandara where he had the luck of witnessing Nilamadhava. But when Vasu Savara offered the food to the deity, he did not take it as usual. At this Vasu Savara was much dismayed. At this time he heard someone saying from the air, “we would no longer continued to be worshipped by you. Vasu, we will change the present Nilamadhava form and assume Daru form. We shall be worshipped in the temple by Raja "Indradyumna. Hearing this voice of God, Vasu Savara came back with Vidyapati with a heavy heart.Then Vidyapati bade farewell to his wife and father-in-law and started to convey the news to Raja Indradyumna. On hearing the news, Raja Indradyumna at once started with his retinue for Utkal tosee Nilamadhava. On reaching Nilakandara he found it vacant. But a voice from the air told him to construct atemple on Nilasaila (Blue mountain)(Now known as PURI).Accordingly Raja started construction of a big temple. When it was completed he went to Brahmaloka to invite Brahma to consecrate the temple. He had to wait for nine yugas till Brahma finished his meditation. The temple became buried in sand in his absence.
In the mean time a new dynasty ruled in Utkala. "Galamadhva", a king of that dynasty, detected the presence of the temple buried under the sand. When he got the sand removed a beautiful temple was revealed. He was considering to install images in the temple when Indradyumna with Lord Brahma appeared before him. There was a tussle between Galamadhava and Indradyumna over the ownership of the temple. However, Lord Brahma decided in favour of Indradyumna and asked Raja to install deities in the temple.
The raja was at loss where to find the deities. At night God told him in dream that He would be floating in the sea in form of log of wood. Then he employed thousands carpenters to make deities but they failed ,as their instrument did not work against the wood. At last an old carpenter came and said he would make images in 21 days on the condition that he would remain completely shut up inside the temple for the period Raja consented, But on the expiry of two weeks the Queen became anxious since no sound came out of the temple. She thought that the carpenter was dead. She pressed the king to open the door. The king yielded and opened the door. He found three images in unfinished state. The Raja was sorry but the God told him that he wanted to assume that Bauddha form in Kali age. The King did discover the log of wood. Vishnu and Vishwakarma appeared in the form of artistes and prepared images of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra from the tree. The wooden images being worshipped are renewed during special occasions.Interestingly, the Rig Veda refers to Purushottama in the form of a wooden image, prepared from a log of wood floating on the ocean. Puri is also referred to in the Bhrama purana.
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