In the south of India, 500 kilometers from Calcutta, there is the city of Puri, the pearl of which is the incredibly ancient, unusually large and beautiful Jagannath Temple. However, you can hardly wander through its halls and admire the interior decoration, because white people are not allowed through the threshold of the temple. But we will try to compensate for this injustice with a detailed story.
The sadhu walked quickly. He was in a hurry to get to the temple, because the gates for visitors are opened strictly at a certain time, and to reach them, you need to stand in a huge queue. His naked torso was strewn with ash, his long matted hair was gathered in a bun, and a cobra dangled around him like a ribbon. Two more hung around the neck. The snakes, raising their heads, swayed in time with the steps of the ascetic. And everyone around with admiration and horror looked after him. Suddenly one of the cobras bit the man, he fell to the ground, and the snakes crawled towards the temple, to guard the treasures of Jagannatai … Pujari (priest), who was standing nearby, explained that someone in the crowd was jealous of the hermit. The envious man knew the mantras that made the cobra kill its master …
Steps to purification
Jagannath Temple was built in the XII century and is surrounded by two rows of high stone walls. Between the outer Lion Gate and the gate of the inner wall there is a wide staircase consisting of 22 steps. They are considered especially sacred, because hundreds of millions of believers have entered and left the temple over them for many centuries. But the main thing is that they carry Jagannath himself to the city for a holiday. These 22 steps also symbolize 22 human vices. It is believed that by overcoming step by step, a person is freed from these vices.
You can get to the temple every day from 08:30 to 09:30, if, of course, you are allowed there. The fact is that access to the temple is closed for whites, because, according to the existing prediction, at the turn of the millennium, representatives of the white-skinned people, presumably living in the territory of the modern Urals or Siberia, will try to steal the sculpture of Jagannath. By some unknown means, they will lull the guard's vigilance and make their way into the temple … It is a pity that the Indians have no idea that the abduction has already taken place, since Jagannatha in his countless forms has been walking around the cities and capitals of the world for more than 30 years.
So, in the inner temple you will have to move only clockwise, taking turns entering other small temples, of which there are about 30 outside the walls of the Jagannatha temple. If you have no time or can not wait to get to the main temple, you do not need to look into others. But in no case should you miss the temples of the god Ganesha, the goddess Vimala and the goddess Lakshmi.
Keep in mind: if you say 108 times a mantra dedicated to him before Ganesha, then any of your wishes will be fulfilled. Don't miss the opportunity! Next to the Ganesha temple is a banyan tree, which, as the guide will tell you without batting an eye, has been growing here since the 12th century. You can also entrust your request to this banyan tree, especially if you are a woman and really want to have a child, but are sterile.
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If you are in business, then in no case can you pass the temple of the goddess Lakshmi. After all, she patronizes wealth. When Lakshmi arranges a good deal for you at your request, do not forget to bring her gifts.
After completing the required program, you can enter the main temple, which consists of four rooms.
Do not even try to enter Bhogmandir. There is a hall for offerings, there they bless and prepare food in the temple kitchen. In Natmandir, the dancer's hall, you will be greeted by a three-meter stone column with the Garuda bird at the top. If you hug this column and cuddle up to it with your whole body, health and happiness are guaranteed to you. Ask those, from whose touch for many centuries the stone at the level of the human chest has worn off and the column has become concave. To get to the sanctuary, you have to go through another hall - Jagamokhan - with an area of 24 by 24 meters. Don't overlook - there is a large wooden chest on the right, which graciously accepts donations for the maintenance of the temple. The path to the sanctuary is now open.
Snakes guard the treasure
Here, on a throne of jewels, given five meters and four meters wide, stand the black-faced Jagvnnatha and his yellow-faced sister Subhadra in the campaign of a small retinue of gods and goddesses. The main gods of the sanctuary - Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balabhadra are roughly hewn from the trunks of thick trees. They have no arms or legs, only a head and a torso. These gods are unlike any of the celestials of the Hindu pantheon.
You will be allowed to walk around the platform from left to right three to seven times. Each time you will try to peer through the gap in the door behind the platform. Curiosity is kindled by the fact that Behind this door is the treasury of the temple. The treasury is dark. Perhaps because it leads into a dungeon, where innumerable treasures of Jagannath are stored in several long tunnels. Only snakes guard these treasures of God - including those that were bitten by the ascetic. And there are very, very many of them.
The famous Kohinoor diamond could adorn this treasury. But, alas, it is not here and never was. The diamond was bequeathed to the temple of Jagannath by the maharajas of the Sikh state, nicknamed the Punjabi Lion for luck and courage. But after the death of the brave Maharaja, the Kohinoor was captured by officials of the East India Company and presented to Queen Victoria. So now he is in London. But that's a completely different story.
In the sanctuary, you can offer flowers to the gods or light oil lamps in front of them. But this is all with the help of the priest - only he has the right to touch the gods.
The largest restaurant
If you can get to the temple only virtually, then no one is forbidden to look at the Bazaar of Joy and buy a mahaprasad (a tray with a variety of dishes), consecrated by Jagannatha himself. Mahaprasadam can be taken home and enjoyed by the whole family. On the tray you will find boiled rice, pea chowder, stewed vegetables, rice cakes, coconut sweets and more. But potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, garlic and spices will not be there, do not look. To prepare the mahaprasad, about 600 cooks work behind 300 stoves. They can feed up to 10 thousand people a day. And on big holidays, up to 200 thousand pilgrims feed on the fruits of their labor. It is no coincidence that the people of Puri jokingly call their Jagannath Temple the largest restaurant in the world.
Schedule of the gods
But the most interesting thing happens in the temple behind closed doors.
A typical day here starts at 5 am. The priests approach the door of the sanctuary and loudly ask the gods to wake up. The doors open, the servants enter, carry away the beds on which the gods slept, cleans the room. Other ministers begin to wash the gods. The front mirrors are polished bronze. Those responsible for the morning toilet pretend to brush their teeth, rinse their mouths, pour water on the reflection in the mirror with the addition of camphor, sandalwood paste, and yogurt.
While washing is going on, the astrologer in a loud voice reports on the location of the stars in the sky. At 06:30, fresh clothes are put on the gods. Their toilet is finished. The doors open. Reception of visitors begins.
At 9 o'clock, visitors are asked to leave. The gods start their first breakfast. These are curdled milk, butter, sweets and bananas.
The gods are often fed. And at 2:30 pm, in the afternoon, wooden beds decorated with ivory and large diamonds are brought into the sanctuary. The doors are closed. It's time for the gods to rest.
At 6 pm they are woken up and fed with rice flour cakes.
The last time you can visit the gods is about 22 hours. This is the time when the Gitagovinda poem, written in Sanskrit in the 12th century, is sung. It glorifies the ardent sensual love of God Krishna for the cowherd girl Radha. For the coming sleep, the temple dancer performs a passionate dance - the inhabitants of heaven also love art. Good night, gods. Sweet Dreams. Try to wake up in a good mood tomorrow.
Sergey Borodin