The temple is situated on a hill top. People usually have to climb on foot through the stairs that have been made to reach the top. They can also take the vehicle route. The steps are too many in number and tourists take rest in between. The temple management has made arrangements for rest and water for the pilgrims. The climbing may be tiresome but the divinity of the temple and the view of the entire city from that height is breathtakingly fascinating. Praying to the lord Jagannath is very auspicious among the Hindus as He is an incarnation of Lord Krishna. The temple is one of the few Jagannath temples in India and very similar to that of Puri in all aspects.

Jagannath translates to the Lord of the Universe. It is a Hindu god, mainly an incarnation of Lord Vishnu or the avatar Krishna. The idol of Jagannath is unique with the absence of proper limbs and huge eyes. Jagannath is a non-sectarian God and is neither associated with the aspects of Hinduism like Vaishnavism, Shaktism or Shaivism nor with Jainism and Buddhsim. There are no significant stories or incidents associated with Lord Jagannath.

Like the Puri Jagannath temple, an annual Rath Yatra celebration takes place at the Ranchi Jagannath Temple too. The fair cum Rath Yatra celebration takes place in the Hindu month of Ashaad, which is usually in the month of June or July. People from far and wide come to the fair to be a part of the grand celebrations which are done with lots of enthusiasm. It is attended both by tribal people and non-tribal people. Enthusiastic tourists also take part in these celebrations at the temple. Thousands of pilgrims crowd here during this time.