Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth dedicated to the goddess Bimala is one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas located Inside the Jagannath temple complex in Puri, Odissa. The temple is situated to the right of Jagannath temple and adjacent to the sacred Rohini Kund. It is believed that Sati Devi’s feet, or Pada Khanda, fell here.

The temple is regarded as the most important of all the Shaktipeeths. Lord Jagannath adored the Bhairav structure because it represents an integration of Vaishnav and Shaivite convictions. Bimala is regarded as Shakti’s peaceful manifestation.

The story behind Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth

The goddess of Dakshayani, Sati, Parvati, or Durga—Hinduism’s most important woman and most powerful deity—is referred to as Shakti. Durga Devi, Mahakali, and Gowri are the three main manifestations of Shakti, the power goddess. She is Adi Shakti’s avatar.

Sati was the Prajapati Daksha’s daughter, and she married Lord Shiva despite Her father’s wishes. Prajapati Daksha once put together a massive yagya, but he didn’t call his daughter and son-in-law. Sati was very saddened by Her father’s actions. When she got there, her father ignored the Sati and insulted her. She could not bear the insult of his husband (Lord Shiva) and she jumped into the fire of Yagya and committed suicide. She passed away, but her body didn’t burn. Lord Shiva had taken His Virabhadra Rupa out of rage. Daksha’s head was cut off by him, but in the end, He forgave him by bringing him back to life.

Lord Shiva, devastated, had taken Sati’s body and wandered the universe. Finally, Lord Vishnu used His Chakra to break the Sati’s body into pieces. Each body part transformed into Shakti Pitha. The temple had emerged where the body part had fallen to the ground. In order to safeguard the Shakti Pitha, Lord Shiva created 51 Bhairava for each one.

History about Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth

The central Vimala icon dates from the sixth century CE. The current structure appears to have been built in the ninth century during the Eastern Ganga dynasty, possibly over the ruins of an earlier temple, based on its architecture. Its architecture is similar to that of the ninth-century Narasimha shrine near the Mukti-mandapa (a temple hall) in the Jagannath temple complex.

Madala Panji’s Yayati Keshari refers to the kings Yayati I (circa 922-955) and Yayati II (circa 1025-1040). The sculptures, particularly the parshva devatas (attendant deities) and the central icon’s background slab are in the Somavashi style. The sculptures could be from the original temple, which was built on the ruins of the new temple. Vimala is thought to have existed before the central Jagannath shrine.

Hindu philosopher and saint Adi Shankara (c. 8th century) is believed to have established Govardhana matha in Puri, with Vimala as its presiding goddess. The Jagannath Temple, according to Starza (author of The Jagannatha Temple at Puri), was once a place of worship for the Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, as well as their consorts and the three central forms of the Hindu Goddess, Sarasvati, Lakshmi, and Parvati (in the form of Vimala).

The architecture of Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth

The Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth is built of sandstone and laterite and faces east. It is in the southwest corner of the inner enclosure of the Jagannath temple complex and on the right-western corner of the tower of Jagannath, next to the sacred pond Rohini Kunda. It is constructed in the Deula style and consists of four parts: the vimana, which houses the sanctum, the assembly hall, the nata-mandapa, which is the festival hall, and the bhoga-mandapa, which is the hall of offerings. The sanctuary is kept up with and was redesigned around 2005 by the Archeological Review of India, Bhubaneswar Circle.

Facts about Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth

• This Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth is situated behind the main temple of Lord Jagannath and is dedicated to Goddess Vimala
• Since it is a Shakti temple, all rituals adhere to Shakti practices. Fish is only offered on Durga Puja’s Mahashtami Day.
• The Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth is considered one of the Adi Shakti Pithas, the most sacred temples of the Hindu Goddess, identified with Parvati or Durga
• The vegetarian food offerings to Jagannath are offered to Vimala, after which they are sanctified as Mahaprasad.
• The only time of year, when separate food is prepared for the goddess, is when she is presented with non-vegetarian offerings. During Durga Puja, Vimala is served non-vegetarian food and animal sacrifice, as is customary for the Hindu Mother Goddess.
• It is regarded as a prime example of the Shakti tradition’s significance in Odisha. It is customary to worship the god Shiva (Parvati’s consort) in the form of Bhairava, the male counterpart or guardian of the Shakti Pitha’s presiding goddess.

Famous Festivals In Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth

• Durga Puja. (Winter) – Devotees celebrate Navaratri at this temple in the month of Ashwin (Sep-Oct).
• Navaratri. (Summer) – They celebrate other Navaratri in the fortnight of the Chaitra (March-April). Every nine days they worship Navadurga (nine Durgas).
• Diwali – Diwali is one of the most admired and auspicious festivals in the town.
• Mahashivratri– A grand fair is organized at the temple during the occasion of Maha Shivratri.

How to Reach Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth

Commuting to the temple is quite easy as auto rickshaws, battery-operated rickshaws, local buses and private taxis are available in the city.

By Air: The nearest airport to Puri is the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. The distance from the airport to the Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth is approximately 60.2 km, and it takes about 1 hour and 14 minutes to arrive here.

By Rail: From the Puri Railway Station, the distance to the Puri Vimala Shaktipeeth is about 3 km and can be easily covered in approximately 11 minutes.

By Road: Devotees can hire private cabs to reach the shrine or else they can travel by train or bus, which run from Bhubaneswar to Puri at regular intervals.