Sri Jagannatha, the Supreme Lord, has manifested himself in the holy land of Shrikshetra Puri since time immemorial. It can certainly be said that this divine abode is one of the oldest religious sites in the world. But the origin and history of Sri Jagannatha, the presiding deity of the land, is still shrouded in mystery. Puranas, legends and history have failed to unravel it.

It is said that the mystery of Sri Jagannatha Purushottama is unknown even to the gods, let alone ordinary human beings. He is a symbolic representation of the ‘Great Man’ conceived in the Vedas. He is ambiguous, and an imaginary embodiment of the philosophy of the Upanishads.