Jagannatha Puri Guide Book

The Jagannatha Puri Guidebook's many quotes from the Puranas, different Vedic texts and His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada will help the reader uncover the true identity, history, glories and transcendental significance of Sri Purusottama Ksetra as Jagannatha Puri is called in ancient books.

Seeing Jagannatha Puri by our limited material eyes is valuable, but seeing through the eyes of scriptural authority (sastra-caksus) will give us the clearest conception and ultimate benefit. Deep spiritual realization and fulfilment will naturally manifest within the pilgrim who approaches Lord Jagannatha's holy abode in that way.

Besides describing the temple and Deity of Lord Jagannatha, the book focuses on the holy places in Puri associated with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His eternal associates. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who is non-different from Bhagavan Sri Krishna Himself appeared 523 years ago (1486-1534) in West Bengal, India. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spent half His manifest pastimes living in the holy dhama of Jagannatha Puri.

During the day, Sri Caitanya distributed pure love of God, krsna-prema, to the masses by the simple and sublime process of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. In the darkness of midnight, however, Mahaprabhu privately experienced the most confidential ecstasies of love in separation from God, Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

The divine raptures relished by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are both extraordinary and inconceivable. Nevertheless, by His causeless mercy, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited the unlimited happiness and variety of experiences that can be found on the spiritual platform of pure loving devotion to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Let us take shelter in the words of the author of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Krsnadas Kaviraja Gosvami, who said: "Just try to hear these topics with faith, for there is great pleasure even in hearing them. That hearing will destroy all miseries pertaining to the body, mind and other living entities, and the unhappiness of false arguments as well.

A special feature of this book is the "Day Trips" chapters., which list and describe all the holy places located in one particular area of Jagannatha Puri. You can easily see each group of these sacred places in four or five hours by auto rikshaw. The location descriptions describing each holy place and a street map of Jagannatha Puri in the back of the book listing all the holy places will help you find them.

The author prays that all the readers will experience the wonderful celestial taste of Lord Jagannatah's maha-prasadam, and the inner heart's satisfaction that come from a devoted pilgrimage to Sri Purusottama-kssetra.