Unique Narsingha worship in Jagannath Puri.

Puri is also known as Narasimha kshetra. Narasimha worship in Puri is very ancient. There are some images of Narsimha who are presiding here since satya yuga. Like Adi Narsimha inside Jagannath temple who is present since the beginning of time and Pandu Narsinha who is presiding since Satya yuga in Kandu rishi Asharam and has description in vishnu Puran. 

According to Indradyumna legend thesatiated god assumed the form of SaumyaNarasimha with Chakra and bow in his up-liftedhands and main two hands are on the knee.Balabhadra covers the head of Narasimha with

the thousands hood. Narasimha is the guardiandeity of Jagannath temple and all the performancesbeginning from cooking to worship are preceded byoffering to Narasimha first. The initiation of a new servitor (sadhibandha) starts with worshipping theKhamba Narasimha (image of Laxmi-Narasimha)on the first pillar of Jagamohana. The PaliaPujapanda serviator sits at this pillar and offers the bhogaof the public to Narasimha, then to the Lord and

at the time of Pahuda (sleeping ritual) offerings arealso given to Narsimha. Narasimha is described as theprotector of Jagannath Puri. He is the protector ofNandighosha chariot(Chariot of Lord Jagannath) too. It is costomary that awooden image of Narasimha after due ritual(Rath-pratistha), completed by the Temple -purohitthe only strotriya Brahmin servitor of the templeis to be brought with proper procession with Bije-kahali(ancient musical instrument) and other Vadyas to the Chariots(Hanumanand Bhubaneswari for Balabhadra and Subhadra,respectively). Narasimha is also one of the nine parswadevatas of the Nandighosha chariot. During Nabakalebara the role of Lord Narasimha isindispensable. The new images of the Lords areto be consecrated in presence of Narasimha andtrees selected for image making are to be cut alsoin the presence of Narasimha. These rituals arecalled as Banajaga. In all these above ritualsMantraraja (the Mantra of the god Narasimha)only are to be recited by the Brahmins. 

Yajna-Narasimha is associated in the process of thejourney of the daru (divine wood logs) of the Lord. Narasimha is oneof the attire of the Lord on the 13th day of monthof Kartik and worshipped as Narasimha on 14thday of lunar fortnight of the month of Vaishakha(Narasimha Chaturdasi). Angyamala (Permission garland) of

the Lord Jagannath is taken on this day to Chakra Narasimhafor his birthday-celebration. The birthday-celebration of Narasimha is celebrated at thetemple of Narasimha near Muktimandap. On thesaid day Narasimha image (from Dakhinighar)visits Jagannath Ballav Math. On the 9th day oflunar fortnight of the month of Srabana and the14th day of lunar fortnight of the month ofMargasira, #LaxmiNarasimha  move around thecity.Narasimha is treated as the embodimentof valour and energy. Sudarsan islinked with Narasimha. Sudarsan is the Ugraaspect and the working force. SimilarlyNarasimha is the Ugra form of Visnu. WhenSudarsan is consecrated, it is recited that hebelongs to Narasimha group. Representation insculpture is made on the combined aspect ofNarasimha and Sudarsan. Sudarsan in form ofwheel is found at the back of the image ofNarasimha in the sculpture Chakra Narasimha.Sudarsan is the moveable image of Narasimha.

It is claimed by the scholars that Jagannathand Narasimha are inseparable and all the fourdeities of Jagannath pantheon are linked intimatelywith Narasimha. Balabhadra as Ananta,Subhadra as post, Sudarsan as fury and Jagannathas Narasimha, speak the story of intimacy of

Narasimha in Jagannath consciousness.The Narasimha sculpture found at Puri aretwo-armed to twenty-armed images. Importantof them are the Garuda-tosana Narasimha, eight-armed Pandu Narasimha, Narasimha sitting onGaruda. All the parswadevatas are in vidarana

posture. These images are made of differentvarieties of stones but common is chlorite. Metalimages of the Jagagharas and Maths are ofastadhatu. Some of these institutions worship thesalagramas with Narasimha, Chakra and Sankhadrawn on it and also called Chitra Narasimha.It is unique in Puri that the amalgamation ofseveral cults are found here. It includes safely theNarasimha Upasana. The most common imagesof Narasimha found in Puri are Laxmi-Narasimha or Yogananda Narsinhain utkurita posture. Below are the Darshan of Some of the ancient and powerful Narasimha of Puri. ( Photography of Adi narasimha and Chakratirtha Narasimha is Prohibited).