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I visited the temple of Jagannath, which is located just in front of the gate by which the tourist enters the premises of the Mahabodhi temple. During his visit Buchanan had described the Jagannath temple, which at his time was not very old as follows:-
“West from the north end of the convent of the Gosaigns, on the ruins of the old palace of Asoka Dherma, has been erected a large building, constructed lately but at different periods and containing two temples, one of Jagannath the other of Ram, built according to an inscription by Ganga Bai. In the wall of the temple of Jagannath is also built an inscription but it has been taken from the ruins, Jagannath having been built by the present occupant’s father. The building on the whole respectable in size. It has no endowment. The ruin of the palace is very large. It has had a ditch, but no cavity is to be observed within.”
At present the old temples are in ruins, and a board has been put up warning the visitor not to enter the temples due to the risk of its collapse. Between the two old temples a modern structure of the Jagannath temple has come up, and some construction work was ongoing. There is vacant space just behind the temple which is lying unutilized. Several pilgrims were seen in the temple premises along with locals who seemed to be using the place for relaxation. The temple is uniquely located just in front of the Mahabodhi temple, and needs to be well maintained in order to preserve the overall bearing of the site. Access to the temple may also be controlled properly for keeping the premises clean. Some sculptures and ruins of older Buddhist temple were found lying below an old banyan tree, and the place being used as a relaxation point. A wooden Rath of Jagannath was seen covered with plastic sheet within the premise.
To be continued...