|name = Khallikote Jagannath Themple
|image = KHALLIKOTE jagannathemple.jpg
|country = India
|state = Odisha
|district = Ganjam
|locale = Khallikote
|deity =Hindu Sanatan
|festivals =Rath Yatra
|temple_quantity =One
|creator =Raja Mardaraj
|temple_board =RANI SAHEBA AND TAHASHILDAR,KHALLOKOTE
|website =Wikipedia
Jagannath Tample-Khallikote,Ganjam,Odisha.
The temple is 300 years old and the second tallest Jagannath Temple in the State after Puri Shree mandir... If historians are to be believed, construction of the Jagannath Temple in Khallikote was started in 1730 by King Jagannath Mardaraja-I and completed by his grandson King Jagannath Mardaraja-II in the year 1868.Nov 5th,Legendary sources suggest that Jagannath was originally worshiped by the Tribals, the Sabaras. The most important evidence of this belief is the existence of Daitas, a class of sevaks who are considered to be of tribal lineage and who still play a major role in the various services to Lord Jagannath Historians predict that the original diety was ‘Kitungu’ worshipped by the Tribal Sabaras in the hilly areas of Mahendragiri situated in the undivided Ganjam District.
Later on ‘Kitungu’ the God of wood was named as ‘Jagunta’ and then the Lord Jagannath. Ganjam is the place directly related to the birth of Jagannath cult. Earlier the Ganjam had not less than thirty Gadjats. The king of each Gadjat had a direct relation with the Gajapati king of Odisha and everyone had accepted the Vaishnavism and the cult of Jagannath for their kingdom and constructed temples and celebrated functions on Lord Jagannath. After Puri, Ganjam is the next richest place in celebrating the festivals of Jagannath cult in the state of Odisha. Each and every Zamidar of Ganjam has their Jagannath Temples. Following are the Jagannath Temples situated in different Zamidaries of district Ganjam.
The Jagannath Temple at Khallikote: From the manuscript of ‘Krishna Janmastami Vrata’ in Odia composed by Aniruddha Chhotaraya, a Raja of Khallikote in the Saka year 1670 (1748 A.D), it is known that the wooden images of the Chaturddha Murti (Jagannatha, Balbhadra, Subhadra) and Sudarshan were first being worshipped in a Mandapa (open space) built by his great grandfather Jagannatha Mardaraj -I. So the building of the Jagannatha Mandap of Khallikote may tentatively be fixed in the middle of the 17th century A.D. From the manuscript of ‘Vaisakha Puran’ in Odia written by Jagannath Mardaraja Deva II, it is known that he built the present Jagannatha Temple of Khallikote. He may be placed in the last quarter of the 18th century as his father Nalinaksha Mardaraj was living in Saka year 1699 (1777 A.D). A vadivelu writes about this as follows, “The building of the Temple of Jagannatha in Khallikote which commenced seven generations ago was finished during his time at a cost of over lakh rupees”.
Jagannath Temples at Gadazata Areas of Ganjam : A researcher has surveyed the total number of Jagannath Temples in the state which are 928 and out of this only Ganjam bears 178. They are as follows: Digapahandi, Vijay Nagar Gada, Padma Nava Pura, Veer Padmanava Pura, Gopinathpur, Brahmapur, Alarigada, Kurula, Nuapada, Jakamaripally, Podamari, Pratapgiri, Bhismagiri, Fasiguda, Singipur, Moula Bhanaja, Patapur, Sidheswara, Basudevpur, Kankarada, Adapada, Haripur, and Paika Jagannathpur, Parlakhemundi, Seranga, Jiranga, Udayagiri, Mohana, Luhagudi, Kasinagar, Garabandha, Gurandi, Ankuda, Chandragiri, Chheligada, Namangada, Ramgiri and Rayagada, Bhanjanagar, Balichhai, Buguda, Belguntha, Jagannath Prasad, Bidipur, Barpalli, Natgaon, Badangi, Kaduapada, Kokalaba, Rauti, Gobara, Binjigiri, Jhilemili, Mahaguda, Patrappur, Basudevpur, Badakodanda, Birikote, Galeri, Golia, Khamareddi, Pailipada, Berhampur, Mahuda, Bayali Mantridi, Khallikotegada, Bikrampur, Kairashi, Chikite, Pathara, Dampur, Kama Nalinakshyapur, Kanchana, Keshapur, Kantapada, Langaladei, nimina, Sankuda, Shandhamala, Athagada, Kabisuryanagar, Barida, Dhundapada, Gudiapalli, Gudiali, Kharida, Veer Jagannathpur, Kodala, Polosara, Beguniapada, Digapada, Jilunda, Hatioat, Phasi, Rimagada, Marada, Ramasa Narayanpur, Sikula, Tentulia, Chatrapur, Purushottampur, Landabar, Pratappur, Chingudighai, Jalaswara Khandi, Kantali, Kakarpani, Raipur, Sanathara, Tanganapalli, Hinjilikatu, Saru, Huma gada, Biraligada, Gopinathpur, Naidapalli, Khanda Deuli, Balarampur, Rambha, Subalaya, Palurgada, Ganja, Agasti Nuagaon, Aska Sunambasahi, Debhuin, Jayapur, Sidhanai, Dharakote, Dhaugaon, Kalashandhapur, Nalabanta, Chasa Pital, Tahamra. Along with the above spots Jagannath Temples are existing at Chikitigada, Surangigada, Patrapur, Jarada, Surangi Nuagada, Seragada, Sorada areas. Hence, Ganjam is claiming as the 2nd place in the state after Puri in celebrating the Jagannath cult.
There is a saying in the area that Khallikote gada Jagannnath Temple is the 2nd biggest Temple in Odisha, Tikali Jagannath is the 2nd ancient most, Pratapgiri carries the biggest image and widest Badadanda. The saying in Odiya goes like, Khallikote deul (temple) Jarada gahala (rush), Pratapgiri Ratha, Bije Nagar Yatra (festival), Seragada Mandani (decoration) and Dharakote Adheni (celebration), this tells about the top in kind and quality in the state of Ganjam district as well as in Odisha.
Jagannath Temples at other areas of the District : The cult of Jagannath is the culture of Ganjam District. In each and every inhabitated village mostly carries at least one Jagannath Temple or a Dadhi Baman Murty associated with other God and Goddesses of Vaisnavism. Similar to this the Temples are at Konisi, Randha, Golonthara, Girisola, Chatrapur, Rajpur Bipulungi, Purushottampur, Kodala, Buguda, Balipadar, Belguntha, Kumari, Kanaka, Sunathara, Sahapur, Raipur, Sikula, Hinjilikatu, Rambha, Huma, Kukudakhandi, Hinjlikatu and in almost all remote and urban areas, and so the observance of all the yatras is very popular with car festival in whole of the district. Chikiti, Dharakote, Digapahandi, Mahuri and so all other zamindari estates have their Jagannath Temples from the times immemorable basically from the second half of fifteenth century. During the partition and formation of the New Odisha province, theTemples of Budharsingi, Tekkali, Jalantara, Manjusha, Tarala, etc, are in bichhinnanchala (Andhra Pradesh).All priests provided by Raja Gajapati Puri,they are belongs form Allahabad and Konkubja(Kaunoj) Bihar,Bharadwaj Gotra and other Gotra's almost total 30 Brahmins.
Bipin Chandra’s
Jai JAGANNATH!