Nila Chakra, Sacred metal wheel at Jagannath Temple in Puri, India.

The Nila Chakra is a metal wheel fixed atop the Jagannath Temple in Puri. It measures about 11 feet 8 inches in height and 7 feet 6 inches in diameter, with a circumference of roughly 23 feet 7 inches. Its central circle, 2 feet 2.5 inches across, holds eight spokes, each 1 foot 10 inches long. Half of the wheel is iron; the rest contains copper, gold, silver, and other metals.

The Nila Chakra sits atop the Jagannath Temple, whose present structure was begun by Anantavarman Chodaganga of the Eastern Ganga dynasty after he conquered Utkala in 1112 CE. In 1568 the Afghan general Kalapahar attacked Puri, burned the wooden deities, and damaged the temple; Ramachandra Deva I reinstalled new images in 1575. The Madala Panji records that the temple was plundered 18 times, and the British East India Company took over its administration in 1803.

The wheel displays eight carved Navagunjaras around its outer edge, each a mythological creature combining nine different animals. These figures face toward the flag pole and form a key part of the temple's visual symbol.

The wheel sits atop the Jagannath Temple tower, so it is seen from below rather than approached. The flag on it, the Patitapabana Bana, is changed every evening at dusk, when the old one is lowered and a new one raised. The Garuda sevaks who climb to tie it descend facing the temple, with their backs to the ladder.

The wheel's lower half is iron; the rest is a mix of copper, gold, silver, and other metals in small amounts. Its eight-armed centre, each arm 1 foot 10 inches long, is served by the Garuda sevaks, carpenters by caste who climb the temple's body to tie the flag and descend backwards.