King Indradyumna's Resolve and Queen Gundicha's Penance

King Indradyumna of Utkala (Odisha) had the Shrimandir built, but a search was made for a qualified priest to perform the consecration of the deities. Devarshi Narada explained that only Brahma could perform this task. The king prepared to travel to Brahmaloka, but Sage Narada warned him that many ages would pass on Earth before he returned. Queen Gundicha resolved to remain in meditative penance until then, and the administration of the kingdom was entrusted to Vidyapati and Lalita. When the king returned, he found the temple buried in sand. By the time King Indradyumna returned to Earth with Brahma, many centuries had passed. King Galu Madhava now ruled Puri. The Shrimandir lay buried beneath the sand. After a storm exposed part of it, excavation began. Indradyumna returned at that very time, creating a dispute. Hanuman came in the form of a saint and set everything right. King Indradyumna found the temple's sanctum and proved the truth.

The Queen's Meditation Ended, and Devotees Regarded Her as a Goddess

Queen Gundicha sensed that her husband had returned, and her meditation ended. When she opened her eyes, she saw a young couple standing before her with deep reverence. They regarded her as a goddess, but the queen told them that she was their ancestor and expressed her wish to go to the temple. The queen reached the temple, where the king and queen were reunited, and Galu Madhava also accepted the truth.

The Lord Gave the Queen the Title of “Aunt”

Brahma conducted a yajna and had the consecration of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra performed by the king and queen. The Lord granted the king many boons and said to Queen Gundicha, “You have waited like a mother; therefore, you are my aunt. I will come to you every year.” The tradition of Rath Yatra began from that time. The place of the queen's penance came to be known as Gundicha Temple and received recognition equal to a Shakti Peetha. In this way, Goddess Gundicha became Lord Jagannath's aunt, and every year the Lord's Rath Yatra sets out to meet her. This story is an incomparable example of the sacrifice, love, and service between the Lord and a devotee.