Introduction to Puri 
Puri as known to the Hindus all over the world is a holy town located on the
eastern coast of India. Besides being a religious centre, Puri is also known
for the good stretch of the white sand beaches on the banks of Bay of
Bengal. The easy accessibility from almost all the major towns and cities of
India, wide beaches, the fishing farms and the superb resorts make it an
important tourist destination and a major base point to visit the nearby
important sites. The famous temple of Lord Jagannath and the annual Rath
yatra festival here attracts a large number of tourists every year. The
Jagannath Temple is one of the four most important Hindu pilgrimage sites or
the chardham, the other three being Dwarka, Badrinath, and Rameshwaram.
Moreover, the scenic spots all over this small town with the beaches that
offer breathtaking view of sunrise and sunset and the traditional methods of
fishing used by the local fishermen are some of the other aspects for which
Puri has always attracted the attention of the people.
Places
of Interest Jagannath Temple A visit to
Puri, one of the holiest destinations in India, by default means a religious
visit to the Jagannath temple, one of the four sacred dhams of the Hindu
religion. The magnificent Jagannath temple is dedicated to the Lord of the
Universe (Jag-universe/ Nath-lord). It was built in the 12th century and is
considered as one of the tallest (65 m) temples in India. Built in the
Kalinga style of architecture, the temple consists of Jagmohan (hall) and
the Deul (main shrine) in its front. The Nata Mandir and the Bhoga Mandir
were built later in the 14th and 15th century in the typical Orissa style.
The provision of having meal made of the ingredients donated to the temple
is a unique feature of the temple.
Gundicha Ghar
The Gundicha Ghar or Gundicha temple is another important site to visit. Regarded as equally holy, this is considered as the place of Lord's
aunt Gundicha. According to the local belief, Lord stays here for 9 days
during the time of the famous Rath yatra or Chariot pulling festival of
the city. On the day of the Rath Yatra, Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are
ceremoniously taken in gorgeously caparisoned wooden rath (chariot) from the
Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple. At the garden house, their aunt greets
them by feeding them padoapitha (specially baked rice cakes). This event
also makes an important part of the famous Rath yatra festival of this city.
Puri Beach Perhaps the only walkable beach
on the eastern coast of India is the white sand beach. Puri beach is
characterised by its utter simplicity, the sweets and snacks hawkers, the
wonderful and loving people, and the widespread white sand with the waters
from Bay of Bengal continuously washing your feet while you walk. Though
dirty at some places because of the commercial set ups nearby, you can still
have the much needed evening walks in the remaining clean stretch. A lazy
walks by the sea with few sips of hots and made on the spot tea or tender
coconut adds up to that heavenly experience. Moreover, you can also request
the local boatman for a boat ride into the sea.
Temple
of Child Krishna One of the many places to visit in Puri is the
Indradyumna Tank, which is famous for its religious importance and its
relation to Lord Krishna. The temple has a Child Krishna temple nearby and a
small shrine dedicated to King Indradyumna of Orissa. Located on the north
western part of the Gundicha Ghar, this Indradyumna lake is one of the five
sacred tanks of the city.
Atharnala
Bridge Atharnala bridge also makes another site to visit.
It was built in the 13th century over the Mandupur stream. The bridge is
situated at the entrance of the town and is considered to be an
architectural marvel. This massive bridge of around 85x11 metres is still in
use by the city dwellers here.
Excursion: nearby Places
Chilika Lake The largest
brackish water lake in Asia, the Chilika Lake is situated at a distance of
121 km from Bhubaneswar. The lake supports a great variety of aquatic birds
which arrive from as far as the Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal, Aral Sea, remote
parts of Russia, Kirghiz steppes of Mongolia, Central and South East Asia,
Ladakh and the Himalayas, to feed and breed in its fertile waters. The
shimmering blue waters of the lake attract large number of tourists to this
place year after year. The shoreline presents some exciting trekking routes
and beach camping facilities. For those in search of leisure or adventure,
Chilika makes for an ideal getaway from Bhubaneswar.
Konark
The Sun Temple at Konark, 65 km away from Bhubaneswar, is a magnificent
13th-century temple. On the shore, Surya, the Sun God, speeding across the
sky in a gorgeous chariot has been captured in stone. With its 12 pairs of
giant, marvellously sculpted wheels and seven richly caparisoned horses
straining their necks to pull the massive weight, the Sun is often described
as "an allegory in stone" the highest point of achievement in the
Kalinga school of architecture.
Raghurajpur
Raghurajpur, a craftsman's village located at a distance of about 12
kilometers away, is another must visit to be included in your
excursion. It is the birthplace of the famous Orissa Patta chitra textiles
or fabrics decorated with the art of Orissa. The village is a literally
picturesque place with painters or chitrakars living in it. Raghurajpur
presents the typical picture of an east Indian village with the river
Bhargavi flowing just by its side watering the green paddy fields, groves of
coconut, palm, mango and jackfruit along with many betel leaf gardens in the
backyards of the villagers. If you want to feel the pulse of the native
Oriyas, you must not miss a visit to this cool and peaceful village.
Sakhi
Gopal Located at a distance of 25 kilometers away, Sakhi
Gopal is another holy place to visit during your excursion.
According to a legend, Lord Krishna came to this place as a witness or sakhi
(the reason behind the place's name Sakhi Gopal, gopal meaning Lord Krishna)
to sort out a dispute of two Brahmans. Later Lord liked this place so much
that he decided to stay here for a while. Sakhi Gopal has a life size image
of the child Krishna to commemorate the legendary incident.