Puri Jagannath Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Jagannath meaning “the Lord of the Universe” and located in Puri in the state of Orissa, India.Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are the three images that are worshiped at the Jagannath,Puri temple.The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra or chariot festival.The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham( four divine sites).The temple has huge collection of gold ornaments ,diamonds and other jewelry in its possession.
The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of Krishna and Vishnu, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages that a Hindu is expected to make in one's lifetime.
Even though most Hindu deities that are worshiped are made out of stone or metal, the image of Jagannath is wooden. Every twelve or nineteen years these wooden figures are ceremoniously replaced by using sacred trees, that have to be carved as an exact replica. The reason behind this ceremonial tradition is the highly secret Navakalevara ('New Body' or 'New Embodiment') ceremony, an intricate set of rituals that accompany the renewal of the wooden statues