The antiquity of the cult of Jagannath can be traced back to the beginning of the early medieval period  corresponding to the 7th Century A.D. According to the temple chronicle, Madala Panji, Yayati I of the  Somovamsi Dynasty took the initiative of building a shrine for Purusottama (Jagannatha) at Puri. However, history reveals that it was the great Ganga king Chodaganga Deva  who built the existing gigantic temple for the Lord. It may be said that Yayati I began the construction of the temple of Jagannath but left it incomplete. It was Chodagangadeva who undertook the work and brought it to  the completion.

The importance of Lord Jagannath and His temple has been enumerated in many religious texts like Puranas, etc. It may be easy to determine the history of the temple but a hard task to trace the antiquity of the Lord. The reality is that He is regarded as the supreme deity of not only Orissa but all the Hindus and whose abode is counted among the four most holy places (Chutur Dhama) which generally every Indian (Hindu) is expected to visit during his life time.

The lord is so important in his own place and position as the supreme deity of the Hindus that mysteries always surround concerning his origin and his involvement with one or other Hindu sects. Some claim Him as Sabara Devata  while others take him as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Saivites do not lag behind to claim him as belonging to Saiva pantheon. Even people see Buddhist and Jaina elements in the cult of Jagannath. Mysteries involving Lords’ entity and identity  sufficiently hint at his supreme character.

Puri, or Neelachala which is also called as Srikshetra, i.e. the abode of Laxmi, the consort of the Lord has gained popularity as Jagannathdham not only in Orissa but all over India for ages. A number of saints and sages belonging to different sects and creeds have visited the place in order to get a glance of the Lord. Among them the prominent were Saivite saint Sankaracharya and Sri Chaitnya.  The great Hindu saint Sankaracharya
visited Puri in 9th century A.D and
introduced some Saivite in the Srimandira. He was so much attracted to the Shrikshetra that he established Gobardhana Matha in Puri which is one of the four mathas established by this great saint in four different corners of the country. Similarly, Ramanuja, the great Vaishnavite saint visited Puri in the 11th Century A.D. and influenced Chodaganga Deva, the Ganga monarch to embrace Vaishnavism. The great Emarmatha infront of the temple was established by his disciple later on.

Lord Jagannath and his famous abode Puri attracted a large number of great souls. Nanaka, the founder of Sikhism was one of them. The great Krishna devotee Sri Chaitanya spent his whole life at the feet of Lord Jagannath in Puri. He saw Jagannath as the Krishna incarnate.

The cult of Jagannath gained
momentum during 14-15th century A.D. when the Gajapati rulers came forward to rule Utkala as the deputies of Lord Purusottama. As an evidence of being the servant of the Lord, the tradition of sweeping the cars of the three deities - Jagannath, Balabhadra &  Subhadra by the monarchs themselves was introduced
by the Gajapatis and this is still continuing without any break. The tradition
is famous as Chherapanhara. It seems that even the kings were obliged to rule their kingdom in the name of the Lord because He alone reigns the hearts of
hundreds and thousands of Oriyas  as the Kalia Thakura. He is the only sovereign and rest lie below him.

The car festival of the Lord, does not need any elaboration because it has gained so much importance through the ages that it has crossed the geographical boundaries of Orissa and appealed to the devotional sentiment of the people living in far-off lands like America.

As such, the importance of the
supreme being cannot be explained through pen and limited to a few words. The mystic  feeling of this mysterious
deity can only be experienced in the heart filled with the nectar of devotion.