Do you know that Lord Krishna’s heart is kept in a temple in India? To get into more details, first we need to go back to Mahabharata.
The Journey of Krishna’s Heart
The story begins at the end of the Mahabharata, after the war of Kurukshetra. Lord Krishna, had fulfilled his divine purpose. Queen Gandhari, the mother of the Kauravas, who lost all her 100 sons in the battle was grief-stricken and filled with anger. Gandhari cursed Krishna. She was of the opinion that Krishna could have stopped the war. But he did not.
She said, “Just as my family has been destroyed, you Yadavas will also face the same fate, and your end will be painful.” Krishna, being the Supreme Lord, accepted her curse with a calm smile.
Years later, the curse came true. The Yadavas fought amongst themselves and destroyed one another. Krishna, after witnessing the fall of his people, left his palace and went to the forest. Sitting under a tree, he entered deep meditation.
A hunter, mistaking his foot for a deer, shot an arrow. Krishna left his mortal body.
The news of his passing spread across the land. The Pandavas, who were deeply devoted to Krishna were overwhelmed with grief. They traveled to Prabhas Kshetra (todays Somnath in Gujarat), where Krishna’s remains were located. There, they performed his last rites.
But something extraordinary happened—his heart did not burn during the cremation. It remained alive, pulsating with divine energy.
This was found by one of the devotees of Krishna after ages and he placed it inside a sacred piece of wood and floated through a river. After a long period of time, it reached the ocean at Puri, Orissa.
The temple
Centuries later, a Tamil king named Indradyumna , who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and always longed to build a temple that would house the Lord in his most glorious form. One night, Lord Vishnu appeared to him in a dream. The Lord instructed him to search for the sacred wood containing Krishna’s heart and build a temple.
Following the vision, he travelled guided by divine signs and discovered the sacred wood.
King Indradyumna gathered the best architects and workers to build the temple. However, no matter how hard they tried, the temple’s construction faced endless obstacles. That’s when a mysterious old carpenter arrived and offered his help, claiming he could carve the deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra (Balarama), and Subhadra from the sacred wood. But he had one condition: he must work alone in complete silence, behind closed doors, for 21 days.
The king agreed, but as days passed, the sound of carving suddenly stopped. Anxious, the king couldn’t wait any longer and opened the doors. To his shock, the carpenter had vanished, and the idols were incomplete—without hands or feet. But a divine voice assured the king that the forms were perfect. Idols of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabadra and their sister Subhadra were made.
It was believed that Viswa Karma appeared as the carpenter and built those.
The temple was completed, and the sacred wood containing Krishna’s heart (called as Brahma Padarth) was placed inside the idol of Lord Jagannath. Thus, the Puri Jagannath Temple was born.
After every 12 to 19 years, the heart is replaced in the recreated idol of Lord Jagannath. The idols are carved from Neem tree during a huge festival. The devotees perform these in deep darkness and blind folded during this replacement. Last replacement was performed in 2015. Next one is expected to be in 2034.
Rath Yatra
Puri Rath Yatra signifies the journey of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and their sister Subhadra to the Gundicha Temple.
This is one of India's most significant religious events, happens typically between June & July depending on celestial calendar lasting for nine days.
Do you believe Krishna’s heart still beats to this day?
References
https://shreejagannathapuri.com/ratha-yatra/
https://shreejagannathmandir.org/
Photos from : https://shreejagannathmandir.org/