The idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are carved without fully formed hands and feet. These deities symbolise incompleteness, teaching us that God transcends human limitations.
The Jagannath Temple’s flag always flutters in the opposite direction of the wind, an unexplained phenomenon. Despite weather and wind patterns, the flag seems to defy physics, which adds to the divine mystique of the temple.
Every year, new wooden chariots are constructed using specially selected trees. Not a single nail is used in the process. Artisans use traditional carpentry techniques.
The daily flag changing ritual is performed by a priest who climbs the the temple spire without any safety gear. No accident has occurred so far, which has been considered a miracle in itself.
Every 12 to 19 years, the deities undergo Nabakalebara. In this ritual the wooden idols are replaced. The soul-like element, called Brahma Padarth, is transferred in absolute secrecy during the night. Even the selected priests are blindfolded, and no one is allowed to witness this ritual.
The kitchen of this temple is one of the largest in the world. The quantity of Mahaprasad varies daily, but it never gets wasted, even though no pre-booking or calculations are made.
At the top of the temple rests Sudarshan Chakra. No matter the position of the sun, the Chakra never casts a show on the ground.
Jagannath, meaning Lord of the Universe, steps out only once a year during the Rath Yatra. He and his siblings travel in massive wooden chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for 9 days.
Besides the Chakra casting no shadow, the Jagannath Temple itself is said to cast no shadow at noon. No matter how bright the sun is, no shadow of the temple is visible. Some claim it's the architectural design, while others call it divine illusion.