Shree Jagannath Sharnam


	India is famous in the world for its religious culture and holy pilgrimage. The four directions of India are blessed with four holy dhaams which are believed to be the abodes of Hindu Gods and the holiest places of pilgrimage. The people of India call it “Chaar Dhaam” means “Four Abodes”. The “Chaar Dhaam” at the four corners of India symbolizes and emphasizes the essential unity of India’s spiritual traditions and values. To the north is Badrinath, to the west Dwarka, to the south Rameswaram and to the east is Shree Jagannath Dhaam. Shree Jagannath Dhaam is situated in Puri, a small coastal town of Orissa. It is on the shoreline of the Mahodadhi-the Bay of Bengal. Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath, is one of the most important and believed centre of Hindu pilgrimage in India. According to Hindu mythology, we have four eras (Yuga) where Lord Vishnu incarnated on earth to destroy the evil and establish universal love. The four abodes of Hindu God are the symbol of four eras as Lord Badrinath (Nara-Narayan) in Satya Yuga, Lord Krishna in Dwapar Yuga and Lord Rama in Treteya Yuga. Now, we are in the fourth Yuga i.e. Kali Yuga and Lord Shree Jagannath is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Kali Yuga. As the Sun rises in the east, Lord Shree Jagannath spreads his blessings to the world in every ray of rising sun symbolizing eternal love and devotion.
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	The temple of Shree Jagannath is the most sacred shrine of India. While several temples have vanished or have declined in importance, the temple of Lord Shree Jagannath in Puri is still a living and vibrant temple spreading spiritualism to the world. It has carved a niche in the religious and cultural history of Orissa and India. Over the centuries, it has attracted kings, conquerors, religious teachers, devotees and pilgrims across all religions. In the minds of millions of people in India and the world, Orissa is the Land of Shree Jagannath and the culture is Shree Jagannath Culture. Here, Shree Jagannath forms a part and parcel of the religious, social and cultural ethos of the people. The influence of Shree Jagannath consciousness not only permeated the religious life of Orissa and India, but also embraced its socio-cultural aspects. The worship of Shree Jagannath became so popular and influential that in different parts of Orissa, temple of Shree Jagannath were constructed and wooden images of Shree Jagannath, Shree Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Shree Sudarsana were installed therein, in the same form as they are found in Puri and the daily rituals and various festivals in these temples are also being observed in the same manner.


	In Orissa, Shree Jagannath has almost become a family deity. In most of the house-holds of Orissa, a wooden image of Shree Jagannath or even a picture of the image is installed in the worship-chamber and worshipped along with other family Gods and Goddesses. In almost all the functions like marriages, sacred-thread ceremonies, observance of birth days and anniversaries and ceremonies connected with construction of a house etc., the image of Shree Jagannath or a picture of the lord is also being worshipped. In the words of W.W. Hunter, a British Scholar and Government Officer- “the true source of Jagannath’s undying hold upon the Hindu race consists in the fact that he is the God of people. As long as his towers rise upon the Puri stands, so long will there be in India a perpetual and visible protest of the equality to the popular instinct, the worship of Jagannath aims at a Catholicism which embraces every form of Indian belief, and every Indian conception of the deity. Nothing is too high and nothing is too low, to find admission into the temple.” The Mahaprasad (nectar food) of Shree Jagannath or the left over Tulsi leaf, the Chandana, the camphor, the flower garland, the clothes like Shirkapada etc. are treated with great honour and devotion in Orissa. Shree Jagannath is the source of inscription for all cultural activities of Orissa. In the words of Dr. B. Panda, “the cult of Jagannath, which has assimilated the religious and philosophical aspects of all the religions and faiths and has survived and sustained throughout the course of history is the quintessence of Orissan life and Culture.”

Vision of the Foundation

The foundation is founded with a pious vision to spread Shree Jagannath Culture and his divine blessings to every human being around the world.

Values of the Foundation

The foundation is based on the values of Shree Jagannath Culture which are;

Unselfishness ( Niswarth )
Devotion ( Bhakti )
Service ( Seva )

Foundation at a Glance

Chief of the Foundation
Lord Shree Jagannath
Chief Servitor & Devotee
Mrs. Pushpalata Mishra
Mr. Sadashiba Mishra
Chief Editor & Devotee
Dr. Bhaskar Mishra
Managing Editor & Devotee
Mr.Tapan Kumar Mishra

Contact Us

Shree Jagannath Foundation
Madhusudan Nagar,
Mangalaghat Road
Puri, Orissa
752001