Puri Shri Vimala Shaktipeeth Temple also spelled as Bimala Shaktipeeth is one of the four Adi Shakti Peethas located in Puri, Odissa. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Bimala and is situated to the right of Jagannath temple inside the Puri temple complex, next to the sacred Rohini Kund. It is believed that the feet / Pada Khanda of Sati Devi fell here. The temple is considered foremost among all Shaktipeeths. Lord Jagannath worshipped as the Bhairav form shows syncretism of Vaishnav and Shaivite beliefs. Goddess Bimala is worshipped as a peaceful form of Shakti.
The image of goddess Bimala is made of chlorite stone. The image is consecrated in the temple on a full-bloomed lotus pedestal. The image is deified as Bhairabi having four hands in a divine manifestation, one hand holding a rosary known as Akshyamala, another hand holding a serpent known as Nagaphasa, still another hand holding a pot of ambrosia known as Amrit Kalasa and the fourth hand displaying Varada-pose, a pose of blessing. Bimala is described as the prowess of delusion. She is at the same time invoked as Kriya-shakti (the prowess of action) of Lord Balabhadra, Ichha-shakti (the prowess of will) of Subhadra and Maya shakti (the prowess of the delusion) of Lord Jagannath. Not only this.
Other Names: Sri Vimalamba Shakti Peeth Temple, Puri Shakti Peeth, Sri Vimala Temple, Sri Bimala Temple.
Puri Shri Vimala Temple Darshan Timings:
Morning: 6:00 to 11:30 AM
Evening: 3:00 to 9:00 PM
Puri Shri Vimala Temple Daily Poojas:
6:00 AM Kapoor Aarti
6:30 AM Mangal Aarti, Bath
8:00 AM Bal Bhog Aarti
11:30 AM Midday Bhog and Shayan Aarti
3:00 PM Kapoor Aarti
6:00 PM Sandhya Aarti
8:15 PM Evening enjoyment
9:00 PM Sleeping Aarti
Puri Shri Vimala Temple Festivals:
Makar Sankranti
Vasant Panchami
Shivaratri
Holi
Sri Ram Navami
Akshay Trutiya
Rukmani Vivah
Jagannath Rathyatra
Vaman Jayanti
Guru Purnima
Raksha Bandhan
Randhan Chatth
Janmashtami
Ganeshotsav
Ganesh Chaturthi
Navratri
Vijya Dashmi
Valmiki Jayanti
Sharad Poonam
Diwali
Tulsi Vivah
Puri Shri Vimala Temple History:
During the anavasara period, as an ideal newly-wedded wife, Lakshmi completely devotes herself to nursing her sick husband. For fourteen days she gives up sleeping, after which she understandably becomes a little tired and falls asleep. As soon as he sees that Lakshmi has fallen asleep, her husband Jagannath unties his cloth from Lakshmi’s and immediately leaves for the Gundicha temple to see his girlfriends, Radharani and the vraja-gopis.
This takes place on the second day of the bright half of the month of Asadha and is known as Gundicha-yatra or Ratha-Yatra.
This small temple is situated behind the main temple of Sri Jagannath and is dedicated to Goddess Vimala. It is a Shakti temple and hence all rituals follow the Shakti procedures. Fish is offered only on Mahashtami Day of Durga Puja.
Lakshmi Devi wakes up a few days later to find her husband gone. When she inquires where he is, Jagannath’s servant explains that he went to see his girlfriends. Hearing this, Lakshmi leaves the altar, and goes to stay in the storage room of the Jagannath Temple – just like a depressed wife would. She refuses to take opulent food and dines like poor Orissan people on dalua rice and kalamba saga. The sixteenth chapter of the Vamadev-Samhita describes that Lakshmi went to Bimala Devi and said, “O dear elderly lady, you already know about the misdeeds of Jagannath. I don’t know where he and his sister went. Being his wife, do I now at least have the right to know where he goes? What wrong did I do to deserve such a thing? what can I say about his promiscuous nature? In his absence, I’ve not even observed my pati-vrata dharma of taking a bath!
Puri Shri Vimala Temple Address:
Puri,
Odisha – 752001.