Nilachal

The abode of Hindu deity Jagannath at Puri is known as the Nilachal or Niladri, [Nila (Blue) + Achal (Mount] meaning, The Blue Mountain.

The Nilachal is a place of high religious significance in Hinduism and is one of the four Char Dhams. Religious teachers like Shri Ramanuja Acharya, Swami Vishnuswami visited Nilachal in the Twelfth century and established a mathas. Shri Nimbarka Acharya also visited Puri, as also Guru Nanak Dev and many other Acharyas. Shri Chaitanya spent 18 years at Nilachal dhama.

As per religious myths and the Skanda Purana, mythical King Indradyumna of Avanti once dreamt of the great deity Nila Madhava (Blue Madhava) being worshipped at the Nilachal mount. The King sent out many priests and messengers in the search of the elusive deity Nila Madhava. Finally, Vidyapati, one of the priests of King Indradyumna located Nilachal as well as Nila Madhava at the Purusottam Kshetra (The land of the Supreme Being) and took the news back to the King. However, as per divine designs, the Nila Madhava deity vanished before Indradyumna could undertake darshan. But, subsequently, propitiated, the God appeared as Jagannath at Nilachal.

Geographically, though, there is no such apparent geographic structure at Puri, the township being located at the coastal plains of Eastern Orissa. Such a reference to a seemingly non-existent mountain has been a matter of debate which throws light on the origin of the deity.

Indologist and Jagannath cult researcher, Heinrich von Stietencron in "The Advent of Vishnuism in Orissa: An Outline of its History According to Archaeological and Epigraphical Sources from the Gupta Period up to 1135 AD." in A. Eschmann et al., The Cult of Jagannath and the Regional Tradition of Orissa, Delhi: Manohar, pp. 1–30, hypothesizes the actual existence of a mountain at Puri in the past and notes the following:

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