Vimala Temple Puri Entry Fee
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Vimala Temple Puri Address: Puri, Odisha, 752001, India
Vimala Temple is considered as one of the four Shakti Pithas of Odisha. It is located inside the famous Jagannath Temple in Puri. The presiding deity of the shrine is Goddess Vimala, who is also worshiped in the form Goddess Parvati or Goddess Durga. This temple is also known by other names such as Puri Shakti Pitha, Sri Vimala Shakti Pitha and Sri Bimala Temple.
History of Vimala Temple Puri
According to Madala Panji, the Vimala Temple was built in the 6th century by Yayati Keshari, who was a ruler of the Somavanshi Dynasty. Mandala Panji is a record book of the Jagannath Temple, which has an account of all the events related to Lord Jagannath and the Jagannath Temple.
However, the architectural build of the Vimala Temple suggests that it belongs to the 9th century and was constructed during the time of Eastern Ganga Dynasty. Therefore, it is concluded that the shrine might have been built in the 6th century and somehow it might have been destroyed while reconstruction would have been done in the 9th century. In 2005, the temple was restored by the Archaeological Survey of India, Bhubaneswar Circle.
Durga Puja is the main festival celebrated in the temple in the month of Ashvin (as per the Hindu calendar). During the festival, the goddess is worshiped by the Gajapati King of Puri on Vijayadashami (the last day of Dussehra).
An interesting fact about the temple is that the food, which is cooked for Lord Jagannath is offered to Goddess Vimala, and only after that it is treated as Mahaprasad. However, only during Durga Puja, separate non-vegetarian food is cooked and offered to the goddess.
Image Gallery of Vimala Temple Puri
Architecture of Vimala Temple Puri
The design of Vimala Temple is typical Deula style of architecture. The temple lies in the south west corner of Jagannath temple premises. The shrine is made up of sandstone and laterite. It is an east facing temple that consists of four main parts: Vimana, Jagamohana, Nata Mandira and Bhoga Mandapa. Vimana is the main sanctum, Jagamohana is the assembly hall, Nata Mandira is the festival hall, and Bhoga Mandapa is the hall of offering.
The idol of the main deity of the temple is made of chlorite stone. The idol, positioned on a full bloomed lotus flower, has four hands, holding a rosary known as Akshyamala in one hand; a serpent known as Nagaphasa in another hand; holding a pot known as Amrit Kalasa in the third hand and the fourth hand is exhibited as a pose of blessing.
Things to do in Vimala Temple Puri
Since the Vimala Temple is located inside the Jagannath Temple complex, tourists can visit all the shrines in the premises. Apart from the Vimala Temple, the premise houses the famous Jagannath temple, Lakshmi Temple, Ganesh Temple, Surya Narayan Temple, Narasimha Temple, Satya Narayan Temple, Bhubaneswari Temple and others.
Devotees can also visit Anand Bazaar on the premises. It is an open-air area, where Mahaprasad is sold. Mahaprasad includes 56 varieties of delicacies, which are offered to Lord Jagannath every day. All food items taste delicious. Visitors can either buy the Mahaprasad to eat in the temple or can choose to eat it outside. Outside the entrance gate of the temple, there is a beautiful garden where tourists can relax. There is also a market, outside the temple, where vendors sell food items, Puja items, toys, bangles, attractive handcrafted products, paintings, etc.
Vimala Temple Puri Timings and Entry fee
There is no entry fee to visit the temple. It remains open on all days from 5 am to 10 pm.
How to reach Vimala Temple Puri
Commuting to the temple is quite easy as auto rickshaws, battery-operated rickshaws, local buses and private taxis are readily available in the city. From the Puri Railway Station, the distance to the Vimala Temple is about 3 km and can be easily covered in approximately 11 minutes. The nearest airport to Puri is the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. The distance from the airport to the Vimala Temple is approximately 60.2 km, and it takes about 1 hour 14 minutes to arrive here. Tourists can hire private cabs from the list of leading car rental companies in Bhubaneswar to reach the shrine or else they can travel by train or bus, which run from Bhubaneswar to Puri at regular intervals.
Things to keep in mind while visiting Vimala Temple Puri
- Leather, electronics and food items are not allowed inside the temple. Visitors can keep their belongings at a designated space allotted outside the main entrance.
- Parking space is available near the premises.
- Basic facilities like drinking water, wheel chair and sitting area are available in the shrine.
- Wearing traditional clothes to the temple is advisable.
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