Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha, is a revered temple where Lord Krishna is worshipped as Lord Jagannath. There are several unexplained mysteries associated with the temple, such as the direction of the flag, the wooden idols, absence of a shadow, the Mahaprasad served to Lord Jagannath, sound of waves, and more.

The temple was rebuilt by the Ganga dynasty king Anantavarman Chodaganga in the 10th century CE, as suggested by the Kendupatna copper-plate inscription of his descendant Narasimhadeva II.[11] Anantavarman was originally a Shaivite, and became a Vaishnavite sometime after he conquered the Utkala region (in which the temple is located) in 1112 CE. A 1134–1135 CE inscription records his donation to the temple. Therefore, the temple construction must have started sometime after 1112 CE.[12]

Drawing of Puri Temple from the book L'Inde des rajahs : voyage dans l'Inde centrale et dans les présidences de Bombay et de Bengale, 1877

According to a story in the temple chronicles, it was founded by Anangabhima-deva II: different chronicles variously mention the year of construction as 1196, 1197, 1205, 1216, or 1226.[13] This suggests that the temple's construction was completed or that the temple was renovated during the reign of Anantavarman's son Anangabhima.[14] The temple complex was further developed during the reigns of the subsequent kings, including those of the Ganga dynasty and the Gajapati dynasty.[15]