Sveta Ganga

Sveta Ganga is a holy pond situated south of Jagannatha Mandira. Walking away from Jagannatha Temple towards Svargadvara on Bali Sahi Road, This pond is located just opposite to the house of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, in a small lane off Bali Sahi Road. This is one of the Panch Tirthas in Puri Dham. It is said in Sastra that if one take bath in Sveta Ganga and takes darshan of Sveta Madhava (These name is given to King Sveta by Lord, he was great devotee of Lord Jagannatha) and Matsya Madhava, he will free from all sins, in particular the offence of inadvertently stepping over Jagannatha Prasadam. The taking bath in Sveta Ganga is same as taking bath in Ganga River, because many incident proves that the Sveta Ganga is non different from the Ganga River in Kashi.

In Puranas it is described as Akrishna, meaning not “not black.” Sveta means white. People here say that once a year, for a brief moment, the water of this pond turns as white as milk.