HYDERABAD: The citizens of Hyderabad need not go all the way to Puri to worship Lord Jagannath, for a temple is now here on Road No 12 Banjara Hille, next to Telangana Bhavan. It is a replica of the Jagannath temple at Puri. The main deities of this temple are Lord Jagannath, Devi Subadra and Lord Balabadra.
The city-based Kalinga Cultural Trust has taken up construction of the temple on a 3,000-square yard plot next to the Telangana Bhavan. Once completed, the complex apart from the main temple would have five small ones dedicated to Ganesh, Hanuman, Sri Laxmi, Shiva and Birmala.
Three gates will lead devotees to the sanctum sanctorum of the temple where the idols of the presiding deities- Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra - will be installed on March 8. The deities of this temple are also made from the wood of the neem tree from which the original deities of Puri were made. However, they are brought from Orissa.
The temple has four halls, outermost being the Bhogmandir, hall for having food.
Next one is the Nata-mandir, a hall for music and dance. The next is the Jagamohana, the gathering hall for devotees and the last one is the Deul, enshrining the deities. The highlight of the temple is its ‘shikhara’ (temple tower) which is 84 feet in height. The construction of the temple started back in 2006 and is now ready.
Interiors of the temple are adorned with a theme-based on the ‘Rath Yatra.’ The walls are embellished with exquisite carvings incorporating figurines of deities both on the exterior and interior.
The devotees of Hyderabad are now privileged to have the darshan and benign grace of the Lord of the universe, Lord Jagannath, in their neighbourhood.