~ “jiba jagata hoieeba lina, baaishi pahaache kheliba mina” ~ prophesised the fifteenth century saint Achyutananda Das in his famous work “Maalikaa”, according to which Puri will be submerged by the sea due to global warming and a subsequent rise in sea water level. Achyutananda Das had predicted the arrival of the trinity to Chhatia through a secret passage after the sea engulfs the holy town of Puri.
With unshakeable faith on this prophecy, the famous 500 year old Ananta Gopal temple at Chhatia waits for the arrival of Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Baladev and sister Subhadra for the last 500 years. Since the people believe that the Lord would return any day, construction work at the temple never stops. The decks are being constantly cleared for the Lord’s return. Regular construction work is a tradition of the temple as the Lord will come here some day. The construction work in Chhatia temple will stop only when the trinity returns, says Pradyumna Kumar Das, one of the priests of the temple.
Everyday, priests offer ritual worship before the empty pedestal of the temple in the sanctum sanctorum with the hope that Lord Jagannath will arrive here one day.
