subject: The Famous Jagannath [print this page] Considered the master of the world, the Jagannath a Hindu deity have taken the form of Vishnu particularly of Lord Krishna. It has no legs and just a pair of arms. Lord Krishna would be seen on this form together with his sister Subhadra and brother Balram and they, too, would have no legs but just the arms.
They are worshipped in temples that are mostly located in India's eastern areas. A place called Puri is said to be the place where the famous lord resides making it the center of worship with an enormous temple complex in the very city.
Many people are actually wondering about why Jagannath has only arms and no legs. One version says that Lord Krishna showed himself to his greatest devotee, King Indradyumna. He was given the order carve a deity using the log that he would find on the seashore found on Puri. Once found, the king searched for a carpenter who would sculpt the deity. He was able to find an old Brahmin craftsman who came out of nowhere and volunteered to do the job on the condition that he should not be disturbed. He started the sculpture behind closed doors. Everyone was waiting anxiously but after 21 days, all the sounds from the workroom stopped. The queen was already impatient and opened its doors.
They were all surprised to find out that the deities were only half - finished and the carpenter had vanished. They did not know that the mysterious craftsman was actually Vishvakarma, who was the architect of the gods. The king and queen were so distraught because the deities had no legs and they were so repentant because they interrupted Vishvakarma. They were only appeased when a sage named Narada told them that the form they see is an appropriate form of godhead.
There is also another story that tells of how Krishna and Balrama eavesdropped on the gobis and told stories on how much they adore Krishna. Their sister, Subhadra, was assigned to watch out for Krishna but she too was absorbed with their stories. She did not see her brothers coming and as they listened, their hairs started to stand on its ends as their arms were pulled back. Their eyes also started to grow larger as their smile widened in ecstasy. This explains the way they looked from the statues.
