BRAHMAGIRI ALARNATH

Destination Summary

Famous for Temple of Lord Alarnath Nearest Attractions Chilika Lake, Baliharachandi, Satapada State/Country Odisha/India Located at Eastern Coast of Odisha Distance From Bhubaneswar 67 KM Distance From Puri 25 KM Mode of Transport Road (Bus and Taxi) Nearest Airport Bhubaneswar - 67 KM Best Time to Visit During Anavasara Period of Lord Jagannath Local Language Odia Other languages Hindi, Bengali and English

Lord Alarnath temple in Brahmagiri, around 25 km from Puri , is not a big tourist destination but a famous religious place for all Krishna devotees. It is explained that in Satya Yuga, Lord Brahma came and worshipped Lord Vishnu here on top of a hill. One day Lord Vishnu appeared and said, "I am very pleased with your worship. Make a four-armed Deity of Me holding shankha, chakra, gada, and padma (conch shell, disk, club, and lotus). The Deity should be made from a piece of black stone. Also install a Deity of Garuda". Lord Vishnu also said, "This place will be called Brahmagiri (Brahma's hill) because you have worshipped me here". According to mythology, the rulers of Alwar in Rajasthan had established the temple here. The temple was later known as Alwarnath or Alarnath.

Long yesrs back (in 1610 A.D) Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at Alarnath during anavasara period of Lord Jagannath . Anavasara is the two weeks period when Lord Jagannatha take rest in isolation from the rest of the world after suffering from fever due to the annual bathing festival (Snana Yatra). Lord Chaitanya claimed that he visualised the appearance of Lord Jagannath in Alarnath and spent a long period in worshipping the deity here. It is believed that those who can not worship Lord Jagannath during his stay in the sick chamber (Anasara Pindi) can get the blessings of the deity if they visit the Alarnath temple. During this period the temple servitors offered holy porridge (rice pudding sweetened by jaggery), known as 'Kheer' in local language, to the lord. During anavasara period of every year thousands of devotees visit Alarnath temple to get the blessings of Lord Alarnath and to taste a pot of famous holy Kheer.

There is a beautiful myth about the Kheer Bhoga. One day a child devotee prayed to the lord with great devotion and offered hot kheer. The lord in hurry dipped his fingers to take pleasure of the kheer and his upper right hand's fingers got burn. It is clearly visible and on your request the Priest will also show you the brunt fingers.

In this temple Lord Vishnu is worshiped as Lord Alarnath. The deity has four arms. He holds chakra in his upper right hand, Lotus in his lower right hand, Conch in his upper left hand and club in his lower left hand. Lord Vishnu's carrier eagle, known as Garuda, kneels at the feet of the deity with his hands folded in prayer position. The deities of Lord Krishna's queens Rukmini and Satyabhama are also find inside the temple. There is a lake behind the temple where Chandan Yatra (Sandalwood Festival) is celebrated for 21 days every year.

There is a small temple dedicated to Lord Chaitanya inside the Alarnath temple compound. This temple holds a Sada-Bhuja (Six-Armed) Deity of Lord Chaitanya, signifying Lord Chaitanya’s identity with both Lord Krishna and Lord Rama. There is a stone slab in front of the Deity which bears impressions from Lord Chaitanya's body. When Lord Chaitanya first lay in full respect in front of Lord Alarnath, the stone below Lord Chaitanya melted from His blissful touch and captures the impressions of His head, chest, arms, and legs. These impressions are still visible on the stone slab to this day. The stone slab is known as "Prema Sila" (Stone of Love) and is worshiped within the temple premises

There is Goddess Lakshmi temple inside the Alarnath temple compound. The Goddess has four arms and looks very beautiful. Drashan of Goddess Laxmi gives a sense of inner peace.

Video of Mangala Aalati (Morning Prayer) of Lord Alarnath

Geographical Location of Brahmagiri