The first temple at Nilachal
… one built by King Indradyumna and consecrated by Brahma
King Indradyumna was a man on a mission, the final voice of Nila Madhaba had ordered him to build a temple for Vishnu on top of Nila hill, the blue mountains and that the deity would manifest himself in wooden form.
Now that the idols are made, a thousand cubits temple is built. Being the tallest temple, King Indradyumna wanted it to be consecrated by Lord Brahma himself. So, to invite him to this occasion, he traveled to Brahma-lok.
Now, at Brahma-lok King Indradyumna had to wait one full day to see Brahma, which was made possible by Narada as the King was stopped at the gates since he possessed a material body.
One day in Brahma-lok is a complete Manvantara on Prithvi-lok i.e. 1 Manvantara is a cycle of 71 maha yugas, equivalent to 4,320,000 earthly years. That was the time he spent inviting Lord Brahma!
On earth within this time, a great storm had passed over Nilagiri and the temple structure had caved in and sunk in sand. The rulers of Utkala had changed, one King name Suradeva had ruled and died, his son too had passed. His grandson was Gala Madhava who ruled over Utkala, had the temple resurrected and pulled out, and claimed deceitfully to have built the temple himself.
On Indradyumna’s return, there was widespread confusion. But Kaka Bhusundi, the ageless, Rama devotee crow living on the sacred banyan tree near the temple, in its inimitable style, told everyone the true story about Gala Madhav.
Indradyumna accepted Gala Madhava as an associate despite his folly and declared that Gala Madhava would be welcome to worship Jagannatha together with him and that the deity installed by Gala Madhava would also be worshipped on the main altar as one of the seven main deities of the temple. This deity is called Nila Madhava and is worshipped on the Ratna Singhasana to date.
Indradyumna then asked Lord Brahma to consecrate the temple and the surrounding area, which was called Sri Kshetra, and gives the highest type of liberation. Lord Brahma told him that Sri Kshetra is manifested by the Supreme Lord’s internal potency and that the Supreme Lord manifests Himself. Therefore he could not install the Lord here, but Lord Jagannath and his abode are eternally situated in the material world. He said he would install the flag on the temple and that anyone who sees this flag and offers prostrated obeisance would easily be liberated.
Pleased with all that King Indradyumna had done, Lord Brahma asked him to request a boon.
King Indradyumna thought about it, and said, “O Lord, may I remain childless. For no one after me should take pride in building this temple and neglect service to the society.”
That boon was granted.
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