Puri is famous all over the world for the great Jagannath Mandir. Within this great temple’s courtyard, you will find another ancient and beautiful temple dedicated to Bimala Devi, a form of Shakti and another name for Durga and Kali. This place is revered as a Shaktipeeth and it is believed that Ma Sati’s navel fell upon the ground here.
Bimala Mandir is located next to the sacred tank called Rohini on the right side of the main Jagannath Temple. The temple faces east and is made from sandstone and laterite. It consists of four halls – Vimana (sanctum), Jagamohana (assembly hall), nata-mandapa (festival hall), and bhoga – mandapa (hall of offerings). Bimala Devi is represented as having four hands. In her upper right hand, she holds a japa mala while she blesses devotees with her lower right hand and holds a pot of amrit in her lower left hand. There is a lot of dispute over what she is holding in her right hand. It looks like a serpent noose, a small female figure, a nagini, or something else. In any case, unlike most representations of Durga and Kali, she does not possess any weapons. The walls of the Vimana, where Bimala Devi resides, and the walls of the Nata-mandapa are covered with beautiful representations of the different forms of Devi. The Jagamohana walls are covered with many beautiful and sensuous images of flowers, animals, amorous couples as well as people performing more mundane tasks. Whether the subjects are divine or common, these carvings are beautiful and worthy of close examination.
Bimala Devi is regarded as the guardian of the Jagannath Mandir complex. It is believed that around the 8th century, when Shankaracharya visited Puri and installed the math, she installed Bimala Devi as the presiding goddess of the Govardhana Math. She still remains the main attraction for Tantriks and Devi Bhakthas who view Bimala Mandir as more important than the Jagannath Temple. Even regular visitors to Jagannath, first take Bimala Devi’s darshan before proceeding to the main temple. Food offered to Jagannathji is also offered to Bimala Devi before being distributed as Mahaprasadam.