Sonar Gauranga temple is an important pilgrim centre of Puri. It is situated towards the northern end of Puri town and at a distance of 3 kilometers from the Lord Jagannath temple. It is located on the left side of Chakratirtha Road, leading from Subas Bose Chowk to Penthakota, the fisherman village. This temple is dedicated to Lord Gauranga.
Shree Sonar Gouranga Mandir or Shri Shri Sonar Gouranga Mandir is one of the famous holy shrines of Puri. It is dedicated to Lord Gouranga, who is also known as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and believed to be an incarnation of Lord Krishna.
Believed to be born in Bengal, Lord Gouranga is a revered figure not only in Bengal but in many parts of the country. This shrine, located at a short distance from the Jagannath Temple, houses idols of Lord Ram, Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra, Lord Balaram and Lord Gouranga.
Less is known about the history of this temple; however, it is considered to be an important pilgrim center of the city of Puri. The name ‘Sonar Gouranga’ in the Bengali language means ‘Golden Gouranga’, representing the fact that the idol in the temple has a golden color.
Shree Sonar Gouranga Mandir is quite an old shrine and today, unfortunately, is in a dilapidated state. There are statues of two lions on either side at the entrance of this white temple. The pillars of the shrine and the upper part of the temple feature a combination of pink, blue and light green colors at places.
The temple has different sections, where idols and images of Lord Gouranga, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balaram, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Hanuman can be seen. The golden idol Lord Gouranga, the main deity of this holy place, can be seen adorned with various colorful garlands.
