Alarnatha Temple

Alarnatha Temple stands in the small town of Brahmagiri, roughly 25 km from Puri, and enshrines Vishnu as Alarnatha. It is believed to be two centuries older than the Jagannath Temple and to have been founded by rulers of Alwar in Rajasthan. Legend says Brahma came here in the Satya Yuga to worship Vishnu.

The temple is closely tied to Anavasara, the 14 to 15 days each year when the deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are kept out of public view. Tradition holds that Jagannath told Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to seek him here during that time, and thousands of devotees still come to Alarnatha in this period. The setting is quieter than Puri's beaches.