Constructed under the patronage of Sri. Radheshyam Agarwal and Sri. Radheshyam Goenka, the founders of Emami Group of companies, Shree Jagannath Temple, situated adjacent to Emami paper Mills, in Balgopalpur, Remuna of Balasore District. The temple is a revival of kalingan design. Padma Vibhusan Raghunath Mohapatra, is the main architect behind the construction of this temple. The jagannath temple here remains the epitome of his achievements, out of his many works.
The temple is built on an area of near about 4 acres of land with an estimated cost of around 17 crores. The construction work of this temple started in the year 2009 and was completed in the year 2015. The temple is constructed with par to the sacred temple of lord jagannath in puri.
Every year during the Rath Yatra festival lacs of devotes turn around the temple to have a glimpse of their almighty. The chariot festival is being celebrated here with great joy and pomp. From the beginning day to the 9thday of Gundicha yatra devotees worship their God in different “besh” everyday. The entire surrounding becomes sacred with the tune of “jai jagannath & Haribol”. To add fragrance to the environment at evening troops from brindabhan performs rasleela. Besides this in the Ananda Bazar adjacenent to the temple all devotees are offered Prasad and the temple administration takes special care that no devotes return without taking the Prasad.
Enthusiasm and excitement ran high among devotees as the deities remained indoors since ”snana purnima”. After the “Naba jaubana Darshan” of the deities is performed after they remain confined in “Anasara pindi”(recovery chamber) after the grand bath on “Snana purnima”.
Before the presiding deities – Lord jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and their Sister Devi Subhadra – set out from the sanctum Sanctorum of the temple. A number of special rituals like “Mangala Ararti” and “Mailam” are held.
Descending from the Ratna Sinhasana, the bejeweled throne, the three deities are taken out of the temple down the 22 steps build known as “baisi pahacha” through a ritual called “pahandi”
In a rhythmic style, the chariots moved forward step by step to the accompaniment of beating of ‘ghantas’ and ‘kahalis’ and blowing of conch shells specially called from Puri..
The trinity proceeds majestically in rhythmic movement in their journey to the world outside during Pahandi. At first Sudarshana, the celestial wheel of Krishna-Vishnu, is taken out and placed in the chariot followed by Lord Balabhadra, Subhadra and finally Jagannath.
Ready to carry the deities for their annual nine-day sojourn to the Gundicha temple, nearly one kms away, the majestic wooden chariots waited outside draped in layers of red, black, green and yellow cloth.
Shree jagannath Temple(Emami) Administration under the leadership of Sushil Goenka, the “Purodha” of the temple and a director of Emami Group of Companies make all necessary arrangements during the chariot festival including security, health camps and conduct special social programs during the festive season. The company facilitates all Scholarship students of nearby schools and colleges including the students of the factory staffs, besides this some special people are facilitated for their work in their respective fields. Moreover the company also felicitates Senior citizens, artists, kirtan Dals etc.
The entire programme takes place under the guidance of M.B.S. Nair, Director of Emami Paper Mills ltd, Sushil Kumar Khaitan, Senior President, Emloyees of Emami. Besides this various Voluntary group of Local peoples and District Administration and local Police helps in smooth conduct of the festival.
