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Foreigner builds a New Jagannath Temple in Orissa


The 35-foot- high temple is located at Kuansh village near Bhadrak town in Orissa. Julian Parker, who hails from Los Angeles, built the temple at an estimated $56,500. More than half of the money was contributed by Parker himself. Rest of the money was donated by devotees of ISKCON, foreigners and others.

Why the new temple? Because foreigners and non-hindus are not allowed into the Jagannath Temple at Puri.


The three idols - Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra - in the new temple are seven feet tall. Daily schedules and rituals are similar to the temple at Puri.

Parker has rechristened himself as Jahnava Nitai Das after becoming a devotee of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). He has also founded the Bhaktivedanta Ashram.