There is a distinct smell of sea as you approach the temple. Puri becomes increasingly narrow on the streets approaching Jagannath Temple as you come closer, and it feels as though the entire city comes together around this single structure and the festival that takes place here annually.jagannath puri temple timings
Darshan Timings
The temple opens up around 5:00 AM with the Mangala Aarti ceremony and closes around 12:00 AM (midnight) after the various rituals, with brief breaks after some rituals. Free darshan (Sarva Darshan) is possible anytime in between except during special rituals like Rosha Homa or Sahana Mela which provide closer darshans during particular times of the day.
Chariot Festival at jagannath puri temple timings
Rath Yatra is generally held in June/July, and is the festival which gives its fame to the temple – huge wooden chariots carrying Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are carried from the temple to the Gundicha Temple, 3 km away, on the Grand Road of Puri by thousands of pilgrims for nine days.
The Kitchen Cooking for Thousands
This Mahaprasad kitchen of the temple is claimed to be one of the largest kitchens in the world and it cooks food for tens of thousands of devotees using clay pots which are placed in tower structures above wood fires. Jagannath puri temple timings are very perfect that The locals claim that such a cooking process makes the food taste differently from any modern kitchen.
A Few Dos and Don’ts
- Entry into the main temple is restricted only for Hindus
- Photography is not allowed within the complex
- The guides posted at the entrance provide a “VIP” entrance to the place at extra prices which are negotiable and are normally higher than official prices
- The flag of the temple is replaced every day by climbers climbing 214 feet high tower
Where to Stay and How to Reach?
There is a railway station nearby Puri which is just few minutes away from the temple while the nearest airport is located at Bhubaneswar, around 60 km away from the temple.
The best time for visiting this temple would be from October to February when there would be pleasant weather conditions along the coastline, although if witnessing the Rath Yatra is your objective, you should plan accordingly in advance.
Puri is not the kind of temple which one visits silently. There is always something in Puri that engages you – be it its tower, Rath Yatra, or the fragrance of Mahaprasad.
