Noida's Sector 121 Jagannath Temple turns one

Shipra Singh 

Exactly a year before, in a grand five-day consecration ceremony (Pran Pratistha Mahotsav) of the Lord Jagannath Temple which culminated on Vasant Panchami, Noida Sector 121 got a new spiritual identity. Nestled in a quiet corner of the sector but easily accessible by road, the temple is not only offering devotees an opportunity to pray in a serene atmosphere but also engage in different cultural activities organised throughout the year.

The temple is managed by Sri Jagannath Samiti but hundreds of unsung Odia and non-Odia devotees have also been contributing physically and monetarily in establishing this cultural and spiritual hub in Noida. “It took more than a decade for the temple to be completed. Work went on slowly but did not stop even during the pandemic. Many devotees kept contributing in small and big amounts depending on their capacity,” says Sambit Mohanty, a resident of Gaur City 2, Greater Noida West.

Temple architecture

Small in structure but the architectural design of this temple in Noida is similar to the Sri Jagannath Temple Puri with intricate carvings of Gods and Goddesses on the walls. Besides the sibling deities (Lord Balabhadra, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Jagannath), Goddess Vimla Devi and Goddess Lakshmi, devotees visiting the temple also have the ‘darshan’ of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman without having to leave the premises.

Cultural Centre & Souvenir Shop

The temple houses a cultural centre where Odissi dance classes are held, and adjacent to it is a souvenir shop where you can purchase keychains and framed photos of the deities. The shop also features handcrafted items, natural-based skin care products, sculptures and more.

“Thousands of kilometres away from Odisha, this is where Odias of Noida and neighbouring areas congregate, celebrate, and nurture our culture, art, architecture and heritage. But Lord Jagannath, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is the God of the masses. It feels good to see people from all communities congregate during the Durga Puja and also the Rath Yatra (the annual chariot festival) when the Lord comes out of the temple to be with all,” says Mohanty.

Bhog and Odia cuisines

While dry prasad like gaza, khaja and laddu are always available and devotees can purchase those to offer to the three deities, the anna prasad is available only on booking in advance. “We celebrate all Odia festivals in the premises. On normal days too, you can book both day and night prasad. But on festival days and even on days like New Year, it has to be booked much ahead of schedule,” said priest Judhisthir Mishra.  

Besides the prasad, to the left side of the temple, is an Odia restaurant operated by a North Indian lady, but the cuisine served there is prepared by an Odia chef. Lunch is served between 12 noon to 3 pm and on Sundays, they serve complete Odia thali. Common North Indian snacks are also available here. Visitors coming here to relish the thali usually inform the restaurant lady an hour in advance so that she can prepare all the ingredients and the diners can enjoy the Oriya cuisines leisurely.

Temple Timings: 5:15 am to 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm to 10:00 pm during summer

                           6:15 am to 1:30 pm and 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm during winter

Aarti timings: Mangala aarti at 5:30 am and 7:30 am in summer, 6:30 am and 8:00 am in winter

                         Evening aarti at 7:00 pm in summer and 6:30 pm in winter