GLORY OF LORD JAGANNATH, SUPREME DEITY OF THE UNIVERSE

Jai Jagannath means all glories to Lord Jagannath, who is the King of the Universe.

- PRANJAL JOSHI

Jai Jagannath means all glories to Lord Jagannath, who is the King of the Universe. Jagannath is a form of Shri Krishna who is worshipped at a place named Puri in Orissa, India. These deities of Lord Jagannath, Baldev, Subhadra and Sudarshan are unique and special in their appearance.

The grand temple of Lord at Puri is very highly revered and visited by many millions of pilgrims annually. This temple is one of the most important temples of the Hindus.

RATH YATRA - THE FESTIVAL OF CHARIOTS

In the Dwapar Yug, when Shri Krishna left Braj, the heart of brajwasis, Shrimati Radharani and Gopis was full of pain of separation from Shri Krishna. Though this separation was only external, as the mind of all the brajwasis was already in yoga or union with God, the divine separation made their pure love even more intense and selfless. All the inhabitants of Braj experienced the bliss of divine love for their beloved Shri Krishna all the time!

Traditionally, at the time of solar eclipse, thousands of devotees would gather at the Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra to bathe in this lake. It was believed that bathing in this holy pool accrued as much virtue as conducting an Ashwamegh Yagya. As part of His pastimes, Shri Krishna also went to Brahma Sarovar with his 16,108 queens as did the other yadus. Radha Rani and the gopis also went from Braj to the lake. When they saw Shri Krishna after a span of a hundred years, their joy was boundless! However, they did not experience the same kind of sweet, sublime and divine bliss when they saw His opulent form as the King of Dwarka. So, they requested Him to return to Braj with them so they all could experience the Braj Ras in His loving form as their beloved Shyamsunder! Shri Krishna had a similar experience, so He agreed.