Puri, Orissa: Lord Jagannatha’s Universe
Puri, pilgrimage destination, one of the most holy places in Orissa, is situated on the shoreline of the Bay of Bengal. Located an hour or two away from the state capital Bhubaneshwar, Puri though most known for its famous temples, also has many other attractions, including several lakes like the Chilka Lake, Asia's largest freshwater lake, lies in Puri district. The ecosystem of the district contains many unique species. The city’s beaches are host to colourful melas all the year around and are the perfect way to catch a glimpse of the local life.
Destinations in Puri- TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
- The most famous attraction in Puri is obviously the Puri Jagannath Temple; in fact, it can be said that the city revolves around the temple. Lord Jagannath temple, dedicated to Lord Jagannath (the Lord of the Universe) is one of the four most sacred pilgrimage spots in India. In Hinduism, Puri is one of the four abodes (dhamas) of the divine; these four abodes are found in all the four directions; Puri representing the east. The current temple was built in the twelfth century by the Ganga king, Chodagangadeva; this structure replaced an even older structure that is speculated to have been built in the tenth century. The historical temple towers over Puri with a huge 214 feet (65 meters) spire. The compound of this ancient temple is a 650 feet (around 200 meters) square enclosed within 20 foot (6 meters) high wall. There are 6000 temple workers and the temple kitchen feeds 10,000 devotees daily. This number rises to 25,000 on special occasions and temple festivals. In short, there is hardly any wonder as to why the Lord Jagannath temple occupies such an important place in the lives of the people of Orissa.
- Located 3 kms northeast of the Jagannath temple on the Grand Road, the Gundicha Mandir is perhaps the second-most important temple in Puri. During the Rath Yatra festival, the Gundicha Mandir serves as the home of the Lord Jagannatha for one week, after which he returns to his original abode. Note that the temple building is only accessible to Hindus; non-Hindus are allowed within the walls but not in the temple building. The cleansing of the temple, which is carried out just before Ratha-Yatra, is also referred to as ‘Chaitanya-Caritamrita’.
- Another famous Hindu temple in Puri is Satyabadi (also known as Sakshigopal), a famous shrine dedicated to Lord Sakshigopa which is only 20 kms away from Puri. An interesting bit about the shrine is that the feet of the deity Shri Radha are displayed to the public only on Anala Nawami (an auspicious lunar day according to the Hindu calendar).
Puri- TRAVEL TIPS
Oriya, Hindi, and English are the widely spoken languages in the region. Puri is a must-stop for any temple tourism initiative in east India.
BEST TIME to visit Puri
Puri can be visited any time of the year. However, the city is at its full glory during the Rath Yatra (chariot festival) held during the Hindu calendar month of Asad (June-July). Find Travel Agents suiting your travel on Tripraja.com
BEST WAY to reach Puri
- By Air: The airport nearest to Puri is Bhubaneshwar that lies a mere 56 kms away.
- By Rail: Puri is among the more important railway stations on the East Coast Railway.
- By Road: Puri is well connected to all the important cities in the region. Buses are aplenty from all towns/cities in the region. Further, local transport in Puri comprises taxis, cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws.
ACCOMMODATION
Hotels and rooms are available to suit all budgets. One can obtain excellent discounts on accommodation via pilgrimage tours and temple trips.