Samkha Kshetra

Sankha Khsetra (Devanagari: संख ख्सेत्र) (Literal Meaning: 'The Conch-shaped Region') is the religio-geographic name of the most sacred section of the holy city of Puri, the seat of Hindu deity, Shri Jagannath. The Samkha Khsetra derives its name from the typical dakshinavarti Shankha(conch)-shaped, outer locational pattern of various temples, sacred places and secondary and tertiary deities in Puri, with the Jagannath Temple at the centre.

In the Sacred Geography of Puri : Structure and Organisation and Cultural Role of a Pilgrim Centre, Nityanand Patnaik has detailed the following structure of the Puri centre:

The first zone is in the form of the archetypal circle within which the modem wooden icons are represented standing on the Lion throne. In the words of the Visrttt Reliasya of the Brahma Purana "In the centre of the seven enclosures, in the cave of the Blue Mountain there is an abode . . . full of “consciousness". The text explains that inside "the three innermost circuits, Vishnu, the highest Purusa, is present in the wooden form.

The second circuit is in the shape of a hexagon. In the six angles are depicted four goddesses: Durga-VimaIa, Kamala-Laksmi, Uttara Durga and Batamangala, together with Garuda on the south, and the summit of the Blue Mountain on the north. In the outer eastern facing spaces are found Sarasvati, the Salmotaru tree and the Golden Well. In the western ones are the sacred banyan tree, the Rohini Well and Uchchhishta Ganapati.

The third circuit consists of a circle with a sixteen-petalled lotus. On the petals are placed the eight Sivas and right Saktis who guard the Lion throne. These deities are found on the Blue Hill and are as follows: Agnisvara, Indranidevi, Ksetrapala, Svanabhairavi. Multtesvara. Citraltali, Vatamarltandeya, Katyayani, Gopesvara, Bedakali, Patalesvara, Bhuvartesvari, Vailtuntesvara, Jagnesvari, lsanesvara and Sitala.

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