Lokanath Temple, Puri – The Temple

Lokanath Temple, Puri – The Temple

This Temple is facing towards west. This temple is built in sand stones. The Temple is Pancharatha on plan.  The main temple is about 30 feet from the ground level. The Lokanatha Temple has four parts such as Vimana (Main Temple), Jagamohana (Entrance Hall), Natamandapa (Dancing Hall) and Bhogamandapa (Offering Hall). The sanctum follows rekha deula type and jagamohana follows pidha deula type of Kalingan order. The Vimana is square in plan. The Natamandapa and Bhogamandapa are of later construction.

Presiding Deity is called as Lokanath. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam. This Linga is visible to the devotees once in every year. The sanctum including the Linga is filled with water throughout the year by a natural fountain. In the night of Pankoddhar Ekadashi (3 days before the famous Shivaratri festival) all the water is pumped out and the Shiva Linga becomes visible and thousands of devotees worship the Lord. There are Udyota Simhas flanked the Kalasa.

The Parsvadevta niches houses Uma Mahesvara, Kartikeya and Ganesa respectively. The exterior walls of the vimana have been cover with marble casing concealing the decorative programme of exterior wall. Except the Ravana Anugraha Murti, Kartikeya image at the center of the raha paga. There is a small shrine housing Surya Narayana and Chandra Narayana to the left side of the inner courtyard.  The Satya Narayan Shrine houses the idols of Lord Vishnu, Lakshmi and several brass idols.

There is an idol of Lord Hanuman on the right side of the entrance to the inner courtyard. There is a big pond called Parvati Sagara on the right side of the entrance. Devotees wash their hands and feets in this pond before entering into the temple. This pond houses a lot of fishes. The Utsava (festival) deity Lord Lokanatha, known as Bhandara Lokanatha is housed in the Jagannath Temple. He is the guardian deity of the Ratna Bhandara (treasure house) of Sri Jagannatha temple.