Chhatiya Bat Temple is a unique temple in itself which is situated in Chhatiya village situated between Jajpur and Cuttack in Utkal (Odisha) state.
On the surface, it is a common temple dedicated to Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. We know that such temples are located all over Odisha. Such temples dedicated to Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are also seen in other places of the country where there is a majority of Odia speaking citizens.
What is unique in this temple? The order of installation of the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. In the Jagannath temple of Puri, Goddess Subhadra is installed between her two brothers, Jagannath and Balabhadra. This order is followed in almost all their temples. But in the Chhatia Bat temple, the order of installation of these three idols is, from left to right, Jagannath, Balabhadra, then Subhadra. Have you ever noticed in which order we take the names of these three? Yes, we take them in this order. So it can be said that this temple is carrying forward the Shruti tradition. That is, the way we address these three siblings, this temple gives shape to the same address literally. According to modern colloquialism, we can say, what you say, you see!
Philosophically speaking, it represents a new world order.
Kalki Avatar
Chhatia Bat Temple can also be called a futuristic temple because this temple is dedicated to the Kalki avatar of Lord Vishnu. We know that the tenth avatar of Lord Vishnu, Kalki, is yet to appear. In India, where the time cycle is considered the basis, such temples are indicative of the same belief.
Legends associated with Chattia Bat Temple
Saint Achyutananda wrote, Life will become alive Leena – Meena will play like this. Some believe that it was written by Sant Hadidas ji. Its meaning is, One day all the creatures of the world will perish on the 22 steps of Puri's Jagannath temple, only fish will swim in the water,
This refers to the state of pralaya which occurs at the end of every cycle of creation and swallows up all living and non-living elements. The line further states that Chhatiya is the only place that will not be submerged in water but will remain above the water.
When injustice in the world crosses intolerable levels, Lord Vishnu will descend on earth in the form of Kalki. The horse-riding Kalki avatar will have a long sword called Nandak or Nandaki in his hands. He will bring justice to this world and re-establish Satya Yuga.
It is believed that this Satya Yuga will commence from Chhatiya Bat Temple only.
Butt and Saint Hadidas
Banyan or Vat means Banyan tree. Banyan tree is considered sacred in India. Yes, this temple is called Chhatiya Vat Mandir because there is an ancient Banyan tree in its premises. This tree is an integral part of this temple.
This temple is also called the Siddha Peeth of Mahapurush Hadidas. Saint Hadidas's life span is believed to be from 1772 to 1830. He used to do his sadhana in this temple. His Samadhi Peeth is also situated here. It is believed that even after leaving his mortal body, he lives here. He is believed to be the twelfth incarnation of Saint Achyutananda.
He has written many bhajans, many Malikays and many religious texts in his lifetime. These include compositions like Shankhnavi, Anant Gupt Gita, Hanuman Gita, Neel Mahadev Gita, Bhabananbada, Anantgoi etc. A local educationist, Prof. R. Sahu has described in detail the literary achievements of Sant Hadidas and his contribution towards religious and literary texts in his research book 'Hadidas Rachnavali'.
Temple Darshan
We enter the temple after climbing some stairs. The entire temple complex surrounded by high impenetrable walls reminds one of a huge fort. From outside the complex, only a small part of the temple is visible. The idol of Kalki avatar riding a horse is visible on the walls. There is a huge statue of the goddess above the entrance. On both sides of her are idols of many gods, goddesses and demons.
It is believed that this temple was built in the 12th century during the reign of Anantavarman Deva.
There are many small and big temples inside the complex. Some of them are, Maa Kali's temple, a temple of Yam which is not usually visible, Ganesh's temple etc. Colourful paintings were done on the walls of the temple.
Jagannath Temple
The main temple in the complex is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. It is also called the second Shri Kshetra of Odisha. All the daily rituals that are performed in the Jagannath temple in Puri are performed in this temple. Yes, that means you can get Mahaprasad in this temple too.
Apart from this temple, there are separate single temples of these three. Inside them are their huge statues. One specialty of these temples is that in these three temples, the faces of the idols are not in front of the doors but on one side. Their darshan is possible only from one side of the temple. A mirror has been placed in front of the idol of Balabhadra so that you can see his face even if you stand behind him.
Balabhadra is riding a white horse while Jagannath is riding a black horse. They have swords in their hands which point towards the Kalki avatar who will appear in the future. It is believed that with time the length of their swords is also increasing.
An annual Rath Yatra is organised at this temple and devotees from distant places come to see it.
Chhatiya Peda
Peda is considered almost the most common national sweet in India. They are used in abundance as temple prasad. Chhatia Peda of Odisha is very popular like Dharwad Peda, Mathura Peda etc.
If you want to eat Chhatia Peda, there is no better place than the shops outside the Chhatia Butt temple. Outside the temple, vendors sell Peda in their shops, kiosks and even on two-wheelers. The sellers' currencies are also marked on those delicious Pedas.
Some travel tips for visiting Chattia Butt Temple:
Chhatia But Temple is located at a distance of about 50 km from both Jajpur and Bhubaneswar. You can reach here from both sides.
You can arrange your stay in Jajpur, Chandikhol, Cuttack or Bhubaneswar.
Photography inside the temple is prohibited and this rule is strictly followed.
