Jagannatha temple

building complex, Puri, India

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July 19, 2026

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The Jagannatha temple in Puri, Odisha, India, is a significant Hindu pilgrimage site dedicated to Jagannatha, a form of Krishna. The 12th-century temple complex houses wooden images of Jagannatha, his brother Balabhadra, and his sister Subhadra.1

The most famous festival associated with the temple is the Chariot Festival, or Rathayatra, held annually in June or July. During this event, the images of the deities are placed on massive, heavy wagons and dragged through the town by thousands of devotees. This procession is the origin of the English word "juggernaut". The temple architecture follows the North Indian Nagara style, characterized by a distinctive shikhara (spire). Puri itself is a coastal city and a major market center, known for its handicrafts and fishing industries.1234

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Odisha
Festivals
… is the site of the Jagannatha temple, perhaps the most famous Hindu shrine in India, and of the temple’s annual Chariot Festival(locally known as Rath Yatra), which attracts hundreds of thousands of people; the English word juggernaut, derived from the temple’s name, was inspired by the massive, nearly unstoppable wagons…
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… is the site of the Jagannatha temple, perhaps the most famous Hindu shrine in India, and of the temple’s annual Chariot Festival(locally known as Rath Yatra), which attracts hundreds of thousands of people; the English word juggernaut, derived from the temple’s name, was inspired by the massive, nearly unstoppable wagons…
Read More