Puri: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) would soon decorate the boundary walls of Srigundicha temple with paintings based on various legends surrounding Lord Jagannath and his siblings.
A decision to this effect has been taken in a meeting of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee last month.
As per the decision, the boundary walls of Srigundicha temple and some other structures on the shrine precincts would be decorated with paintings based on the legends surrounding the appearance of Lord Jagannath in the Holy City. “Srigundicha temple hosts Srimandir deities during Rath Yatra. The paintings would reveal details on Lord Jagganath’s appearance in Puri to devotees and visitors. The work would start after this year’s Rath Yatra,” said an official of SJTA.
While presiding over the meeting of Srimandir managing committee, Gajapati king Dibyasingha Deb had made a suggestion to decorate the boundary walls of Srigundicha temple with paintings based on the appearance of Lord Jagannath. All members of the shrine managing panel had supported the suggestion, sources said.
According to religious texts and legends, Jara Shabar, a tribal man, mistakenly shot an arrow at Lord Krishna while hunting in forests. Lord Krishna succumbed to the injuries.
The Pandavs immersed the half-burnt mortal remains of Lord Krishna in sea.
According to religious texts, the half-burnt mortal remains of Lord Khishna washed ashore in the form of a Daru (holy log).
Acting upon a prophecy in his dream, king Indradyumna brought the holy log to Srigundicha temple to carve the idol of Lord Jagannath.
Legend has it that an old carpenter carved the idol of Lord Jagannath at Srigundicha temple. “The old carpenter had made a condition that he would carve the idol in a closed room at Srigundicha temple. However, the carpenter vanished leaving the half-built idol when the king opened the doors midway. The king had consecrated the half-built idol at Srimandir. Thus, Srigundicha temple is considered as the birthplace of Lord Jagannath,” said a religious scholar.
Customarily, Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhdra make a sojourn at Srigundicha temple once in a year, he added.