Jagannatha temple at Puri

Pilgrim paintings as souvenirs are a common tradition in India where elaborate cults develop around a shrine on temple.

The Jagannatha temple at Puri, on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, is the centre of the cult of Jagannath, the "Lord of the World". The majestic temple of Puri, depicted in this patachitra or painting on rag board for the benefit of pilgrims, was built in the 12th century C.E. probably in the last decade of the long reign of Anantvarman Codagangadeva.

This painting conceptualises the awe- inspiring temple at Puri along with its main deities, "the Jagannath trinity" which was developed in the Ganga period and consists of juxtaposed gods Vishnu (Jagannath, Krishna) and Siva (Balbhadra, Samskarsana) together with a common Sakti (Subhadra, Katyayani).