The principal deity of Sri Jagannath Temple or Sri Mandir is Lord Jagannath. Though He is primarily worshipped as Vishnu or the Purusottama, He is also perceived as Bhairava or Siva by the Shaivites, Dakhina Kalika by the Shaktas and Rama, Krishna, Nrusimha by the Vaishnavas. Devotees of different sects regard Lord Jagannath as their supreme Lord and attribute all the mark of God in Him. Famous Gurus who were ardent devotees of the Lord are Adi Sankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Guru Nanak, Madhwacharya, Ballavacharya, Nimbark, Sankara Dev, Kabir Das, Tulsi Das etc. However the entrance into the Sri Jagannath Temple is restricted to orthodox Hindus only. But everyone can have a glimpse of the deities once in a year during Rath Yatra (Car Festival) when they come out of the temple to visit Gundicha Temple in three decorated wooden chariots.
According to Skanda Purana, the idol of Lord Neela Madhav [Lord Purusottama], an earlier form of Lord Jagannath used to be worshipped by some tribal people and their chieftain Vishwavasu. However, the Purana does not give an account of when and how the tribe became associated with the worship of the idol. In one of… read more »