Built by hand following ancient techniques, the Shri Jagannath Puri Temple has stood as a beacon of worship in central Tongaat for 122 years.

The temple was built in dedication to the Hindu God, Jagannath, and partially mirrors the Jagannath Temple in Puri, India, from where it draws its name and design inspiration.

It was conceived of and built by a then 29-year-old Srikishan Maharaj, whose grandson Kamal is the current custodian and Pandit (a man who is knowledgeable in Hindu scripture) at the temple.

My grandfather was born in 1871 in Ayodhya, India, but drew much of his inspiration while studying in the state of Odisha in eastern India near the city of Puri. This is significant because most Indian culture in South Africa is drawn from the south or north, rather than the east,” said Kamal.

In 1895, Maharaj accepted a posting as a Hindu priest in Fiji, but as legend has it, got on the wrong boat and landed in Durban later that year. When it became clear there was no deployment position locally, he spent three years working in the cane fields near Tongaat before stopping in 1898.

“He went to the area which is now Casuarina Beach and undertook a 21-day meditation with no food or water. During this time he received a vision of the mother goddess telling him to build a temple,” Kamal said.

Drawing stones and clay from the nearby Emona River, Maharaj built the 23-metre tall structure with the help of local labourers and a homemade bamboo scaffolding system, finishing in 1900.

“We think he must have studied temple engineering because of the complex tapered design required for the Sikhara style, and the fact that it is still solid to this day.”

The main tower is largely unadorned, as is the inside, mirroring the shape of the original temple but not its external decorations. It is essentially a hollow tube, with only a door providing access to the outside, which creates a unique echoing effect that augments the rhythmic chanting of the Sanskrit mantras.

“The design allows for the energies to swirl and give off positive vibrations. This is helped by a crystal which sits in the capping dome of the temple, which filters good energy inside,” Kamal explained.

Prayers are directed at an intentionally unfinished murti (a representation of a Hindu God) of Jagannath, who faces west.

“We look to the east when praying towards the murti, so that our words rise and reverberate like the rising sun. In the original temple, the murti of Jagannath was unfinished when the royal family refused to pay, so our version remains unfinished too.”

The Shri Jagannath Puri is in the running for the oldest non-Christian place of worship on the North Coast and is listed as a provincial heritage site. It is the only temple outside of India, Bangladesh and Pakistan that can carry the Jagannath Puri name, and all newer temples dedicated to Jagannath must be called ‘new’, like the ones in Durban and Phoenix.

The scale of it can only be appreciated in person, and it is truly something special to hear the sounds of the chants from inside its walls.

Devotees, worshipers and travellers have found solace and peace here for 122 years and you too can visit the temple at 12 Catherine Street, Tongaat.

Kamal hosts a weekly feeding programme every Saturday from 10.30am, while also teaching a number of classes. This includes a Mountain Mystic yoga retreat which returns this year from 18-23 December in the Drakensberg.

Contact Kamal at 082 929 9609 for details.

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