Jagannath temple: From today, Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra is going to start in Puri. The Jagannath Temple of Puri is considered to be the form of Baikuntha Dham, one of the four holy dhams of Hinduism and on the earth. This temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Located in Puri, Odisha, this temple is not only famous for its religious significance, but many mysterious beliefs and stories related to it also deepen the faith of the people.
Every year the grand Rath Yatra, which is held in Ashadh Shukla Paksha, is the most famous religious tradition of this temple, in which devotees come in millions to draw the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. It is believed that joining this journey relieves all sins of life. But there is a secret related to this temple, about which few people know. This secret is of the third ladder of the temple, which is called ‘Yama Shila’.
What is the secret of the third ladder?
There are a total of 22 stairs to enter the Jagannath temple of Puri. In these stairs, the third ladder from below is considered special. According to religious belief, Yamraj, the god of death, lives on this ladder. According to the legend, once Yamraj saw that all the sins of the devotees are destroyed by the sight of Lord Jagannath, then he came to Puri to meet Lord Jagannath. And he told God that people attain salvation only by your philosophy and no one now comes to Yamlok.
On this, Lord Jagannath said to Yamraj, “You take your place on the third step of the main gate of the temple. Now the devotee who will put his feet on this ladder after my darshan, he will be freed from sins, but Yamalok will also go.” This ladder is known as Yamshila. It is said that the color of this third ladder is different from the rest of the stairs. This is a black colored ladder, so that devotees can easily identify it. Therefore, this rule has been made in the temple that after visiting Jagannath ji, devotees should not step on the third step.