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Religion is something that is present
ever since the early man began his life.
The ancient religion classified
everything that was unexplainable at that time as divine and a heavenly
process.
Religion kept on changing with the
passage of time. Today, we have several religions that have their own
share of followers all over the world. Orissa is known for its own
pilgrimage spots.
Orissa pilgrimage is done by many and
it is a great experience as each place has its own tradition and it is
this diversity that makes every Indian pilgrimage interesting.
Pilgrimage in Orissa is an enthralling
experience for the person who is involved in it.
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The sites for pilgrimage in Orissa date as
back as 200 B.C. These sites attract people from all the parts of India
as the temples in Orissa have a lot of religious significance. The Rath
Yatra of the Puri Jagannath temple is one of the most visited festivals
in the state.
The other spots for Orissa pilgrimage is the
Mukteswar temple. There are several other spots for pilgrimage within
the state that are famous as a result of immense numbers of pilgrims
who come to visit these places. Apart from Hindus, Orissa is a sacred
spot even for Buddhists and Jains.
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The Orissa pilgrimage includes
various Hindu temples namely Bharateswar, Bhaskareswar, Baladevajew,
Bharatimath, Ananta Vasudeva, Brahmeswar, Papanasini, Puri Jagannath,
Rameswar, Rajarani, Sunarneswar, Tirtheswar, Taleswar, Swarnajaleswar,
Satrughaneswar, Uttareswar, Vimaleswar, Vaital and Subraneswar temples.
The main place for pilgrimage in
orissa is the Jagannath Temple Puri. The Lord Jagannath meant Lord of
the entire Universe.
This is the sacred pilgrimage spots
built around 12th century AD. This is a revered temple of all other
temples.
This temple is protected by two walls.
It is dedicated to Krishna, Subhadra and Balabhadra. This temple also
restricts the non-Hindus from entering the precincts.
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The Orissa pilgrimage is incomplete without
having the Mahaprasada. This is a spiritual food of Lord Jagannath.
Eating the mahaprasada gives a great satisfaction to the devotees.
The pilgrimage in Orissa mainly concentrates
on this mahaprasada and the preparation of this is very traditional.
They do not add garlic, chilies, onion or many vegetables. This is a
spiritual food. The offerings to Lord Jagannath are made and then to
Goddess Bimala Devi and then this food becomes mahaprasadam.
This should be had respectfully by sitting
on the floor. This prasadam is also sold within the temple premises.
The prasadam has vegetables, rice pot and dhal in small pots.
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