In Odisha, the Swargadwar in Puri is regarded very much auspicious since this is considered as the gateway to heaven. That is the reason, many people wants to be cremated here following their death so that their soul can travel to the heaven.
The swargadwar in the holy town of Puri in Odisha is a cremation ground and one of the most auspicious mortuary sites in the country. Swarga means heaven and dwar means gateway. Accordingly, this place has been named as the gateway to the heaven.
In Hinduism, people wants salvation after death and thus want their departed soul to travel to the heaven. Generally, it is considered that people get opportunity to go to the heaven after death due to their good deeds or virtues. Hence, many want to be cremated at the Swargadwar of Puri, so that their soul may be departed to the heaven. But is Swargadwar of Puri really the gateway to heaven?
There are a few legends heard that justify name of this auspicious cremation ground of Puri. Swargadwar is situated on the Puri sea beach.
The most popular legend about naming of Swargadwar is as follows:
In the Satya Yuga Gods and Goddesses used to visit the abode of Lord Jagannath in erstwhile Puri. It is also said that then, even Gods and Goddesses visited Lord Jagannath’s abode to perform the rituals. And after completion of the worship, they used to return back to heaven.
Once Indra, the king of heaven had visited to the then Puri to pray Lord Jagannath. It is said, though he was in disguise a servitor recognised him after looking at his ear ring (kundala) and the weapon bajra.
He then followed Indra and got astonished to witness that from a certain place at the sea beach the king of heaven travelled to heaven.
The servitor then put a stick at that place so that he can recognize the gateway to heaven and came back to narrate the whole happening to the King of Puri.
Accordingly, the King named that place as Swargadwara, the gateway to heaven. The swargadwar of Puri is situated in the same place from where Lord Indra had travelled for the heaven and thus the name.
As per another legend, today’s swargadwara is the place where the daru of Lord Jagannath had been found floating in the sea long long ago. Later, it was taken to the Sri Gundicha temple where the first ever idols of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra were made. Hence, it was termed swargadwar.
As per another legend, it is said that at the gateway of heaven fire incessantly burns. We can see that this is the place where mortal remains of the bodies are consigned to the flames and hence fire burns incessantly. And hence the name Swargadwar.
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