PURI
The Abode of Lord Jagannath

INDRADRYUMNA EPISODE

Another chronicle recounts on the basis of the existing wooden images of the presiding deities that one celebrated king by name Indradyumna of Malva constructed the temple in the dim past. Desiring to offer worship to the image of Lord Vishnu personally, he did penance and performed one thousand Aswamedha yagnas. Pleased with his devotional ardour, Lord Vishnu appeared in the form of log floating on the sea. Forthwith, he commanded the expert carpenters to fashioning the log into an image of Mahavishnu. Alas! the chisels lost their edges, when applied to that divine log. And blood started oozing at every stroke of the hammer. Mahavishnu then came in the form of an old carpenter and consoled the desperate king that he would make the image within 21 days, if a room exclusively meant for this with provisions, for absolute privacy were provided. 

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