The most famous tourist destination of the state. It is synonymous with Lord Jagannath & his siblings Lord Balabhadra & Goddess Subhadra. It’s one of the few destinations where one can combine religious salvation with fun & adventure. We will come to the later in a bit.
Though the temple architecture & the beach of Puri is well researched and part of folklore, the origin of Lord Jagannath is still shrouded in mystery. The most telling one is the passage on Sayana in Rig Veda which concluded that the history of Lord Jagannath is as old as the Rig Veda. Historically speaking Lord Jagannath can be predated to 2 century B.C. when Kharavela was the emperor of Kalinga. The history of Puri is well documented after the 15th century A.D. when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited Puri and propounded the Govardhana matha and established Puri as the eastern dham.
It is said that Lord Vishnu bathes at Rameswaram, gets dressed and anointed at Dwarka, Meditates at Badrinath & lunches at Puri. Hence the food or Mahaprasada is of special significance & the kitchen fire is called Vaishnava Agni & is never put out.
According to the recently discovered copper plates from the Ganga dynasty, the construction of the temple was initiated during the reign of the then ruler of Kalinga - Anantavarman Chodaganga & was completed in its present form by King Ananga Bhima Deva.
Things to See
Aruna Stambha
A towering pillar around 11 meters high located at the Singhadwarattracts the first attention as one is about to enter the temple. Aruna is the charioteer of the Sun God and this pillar used to be part of the Sun Temple in Konark. However, it was relocated in the 18th century after the Sun temple was abandoned, in order to save it from invaders.
The Neelachakra (Blue Discuss)
Bimala Temple
Laxmi Temple
The Lords Kitchen
Where to Stay
Like any other tourist spot in India…Puri has a lot of options on offer from low budget to high end hotels. But make sure you carry cash with you for room rents etc. Most of the hotel have swiping machines but it might not work some of the times & you would find an ATM outlet not far from wherever you are in Puri.
OTDC Panthanivas
Located right next to the beach at Chakratirtha road – offers very comfortable rooms at affordable prices. The USP of the hotel is that it’s located on the beach but away from the crowds. If you are looking for some quiet moments while still being close to the city this is the place to be. Breakfast is complimentary.
Check in – 10 am, Check out – 10 am
One can book online by logging onto the website – www.otdc.in.
Puri Hotel
Fort Mahodadhi Resort
Toshali Sands
Where to Eat
We will discount the Mahaprasada, because comparing or commenting on the Lords food is beyond the scope of a mere mortals like us.
However, Lord Jagannath true to his nature always gives space to others and Puri unlike other famous temples city offers a lot of variety when it comes to food. From pure vegetarian restaurants to Chinese food, Puri caters to every palate.
Agarwal’s Pure Veg Restaurant
If you prefer strict vegetarian food – we recommend Agarwal’s pure veg restaurant situated in the Grand Road- also known as Badadanda – same road that leads to the Jagannath Temple. Try the special thali & the masala dosa. The food is prepared without garlic and onion and is not oily and is reasonably priced.
There are other vegetarian hotels located in the vicinity of the temple too.
Wild Grass
Lee Garden
Dalma
Bhojohori Manna
Try out the local roadside food – if you are a fish lover for snacks. If you are lucky the vendor would have a freshly fried tuna or a bhetki on offer. But just ensure the fish or prawns is fresh.
Also there is a non-descript outlet at Chandanpur by the roadside located on the old road to Puri from Chandanpur- the outlet serves vegetarian fare. The main attraction is the grinded beaten rice (locally called chuda ghasa) and dalma as an accompaniment to the dish. if you love to experiment with new dishes go for it. But just be careful that the chuda ghasa is a pretty heavy dish. So ask the waiter specifically for low portion of it. Besides the chuda ghasa and dalma, the outlet serves very good vegetarian fare ...the aroma of the food reminds one of the Mahaprasada. The sweet dishes – rasaballi –it is essentially deep fried flattened reddish brown patties of chhena (farmer cheese) that are soaked in thickened, sweetened milk (rabri). Flattening the chhena into palm-sized patties is done in order to allow them to absorb the milk more readily. The thickened milk is also usually lightly seasoned with crushed cardamoms. If you intend to have chuda ghasa and dalma along with sweets go there in the evenings, so that you get freshly prepared dishes.
There are many roadside stalls which claim to be the original one…however the original one is a bigger shop and the most unique identification of the stall is that you will find two huge ram lamb died to a post in the front of the shop.
Essential Information
Puri – see’s tourists flocking all through the year. The weather of Puri is like any coastal town warm & humid during the day but pleasant and airy in the evenings. It rains pretty heavily here, so if you are planning to come during the rainy seasons, do carry your umbrellas and rain coat gears. Winters are moderate & are the best time to visit, a light jacket or a woolen would suffice.
The temperature varies from 24 degrees Celsius to 39 degrees Celsius in the summers & varies from 17 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius in the winters, during the rainy season the temperature is hovers around 25 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius.
Puri is the terminal station of the East Coast Railways and is well connected with the station hosting over 92 trains every day.
The Nearest Airport- Bhubaneswar Airport- Puri is 60KM from the airport & is well connected with a 4 lane highway.
When visiting the temple …keep enough small change, denomination ranging from Rs.10/- note to Rs.50/-, it will be easier to tip off the panda’s and other places where you might not want to but pay under compulsion.
Normally Puri is a safe place but still avoid going to secluded spots at the beach especially after 8pm.
People of Puri are used to tourists; they can converse in English, Hindi, Bengali apart from Odiya.
For adventure seekers-places around Puri provides a thrilling experience of being one with the nature. One can rent a bicycle for approximate- Rs.100/ day or rent a bike for approximately Rs. 200 to Rs 500/- (depending on the category of the two wheeler) + Petrol per day
Basic Information | Puri – see’s tourists flocking all through the year. The weather of Puri is like any coastal town warm & humid during the day but pleasant and airy in the evenings. It rains pretty heavily here, so if you are planning to come during the rainy seasons, do carry your umbrellas and rain coat gears. Winters are moderate & are the best time to visit, a light jacket or a woolen would suffice. | The temperature varies from 24 degrees Celsius to 39 degrees Celsius in the summers & varies from 17 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius in the winters, during the rainy season the temperature is hovers around 25 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius. |
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How to get there | Puri is the terminal station of the East Coast Railways and is well connected with the station hosting over 92 trains every day. | The Nearest Airport- Bhubaneswar Airport- Puri is 60KM from the airport & is well connected with a 4 lane highway. |
Safety & Communication | Normally Puri is a safe place but still avoid going to secluded spots at the beach especially after 8pm. | People of Puri are used to tourists; they can converse in English, Hindi, Bengali apart from Odiya. |
Anything Else | For adventure seekers-places around Puri provides a thrilling experience of being one with the nature. One can rent a bicycle for approximate- Rs.100/ day or rent a bike for approximately Rs. 200 to Rs 500/- (depending on the category of the two wheeler) + Petrol per day | |
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