Chakratirtha or Chakra Narayana temple is an important spiritual site of Jagannath Puri. Chakratirtha is situated on the Chakra Tirtha Road at the Puri beach on the east side of Jagannath temple. There are three main deities in this temple – Narasimha, Chakra Narayana, and Adi Narayana. There is also a small temple devoted to Varuna deva, who is the father of Lakshmi devi and father-in-law of Lord Jagannath. Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra are also worshiped in this temple.
It is believed that the ‘Daru’ (divine log of wood employed for carving the deities of Lord Jagannath during Navakalevara) touched the ground for the very first time here at Chakratirtha. The tree was not ordinary. It emanated a sweet fragrance and an unusual luster. It had the four symbols of Lord Vishnu upon it. These logs of wood came floating through the sea and were subsequently used by King Indradyumna to sculpt the deities of Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra in Satya Yuga.
How to Reach :
Chakratirtha is located on the Chakra Tirtha Road at the Puri beach on the east side of Jagannath temple. It is located on the right side of Chakratirtha Road, leading from Subas Bose Chowk to Penthakota, the fisherman village. Chakratirtha temple is quite renowned and one can avail cabs to reach here directly.
Accommodation – One can choose to stay in any of the prominent hotels of Jagannath Puri.
Nearest Railway station – Jagannath Puri Railway Station
Nearest major airport – Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar.
At the time of writing this article, there is another airport presently being constructed at Jagannath Puri. However, this airport at Puri has not yet become operational.