17/07/2026
During the Mughal invasion, the idols from Shree Jagannatha Temple, Puri were secretly moved to Kankana Sikhari in Chilika for protection.
Today, this historic site hosts one of Odisha’s most unique waterborne Ratha Jatra, where the deities sail across the Chilika backwaters instead of rolling along roads.
The temple is historically significant as it once sheltered the idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra during the Mughal invasion of Puri in 1731.
The Rath Yatra in Chilika is celebrated to honor that period of divine exile — a time when Lord Jagannath took refuge in the wilderness, protected by faith and nature.
