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Situated on the eastern coast of Orissa, Puri is a splendid beach resort with golden sunshine, miles of yellow
sand, blue waves and white surf. Sit under an umbrella, sip coconut water, swim in the shallow sea or surf ride the huge waves
or check out the fishing village of the Nolia community.
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| The Jagannath Temple dedicated to Krishna is one of the four dhams or holy places venerated
by Hindus and mandatory pilgrimage for the devout. This temple complex was built during the 12th century A.D. by Anantavarman
Chodaganga as a place to offer prayers to the God Vishnu. The main features of the temples are its sculpted figures from Hindu
mythology and its tapering 65m high spire. |
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| The Jagmohan, the inner sanctum has images of the black hued Jagannath ( an incarnation
of Vishnu, the god Krishna), his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. It is said that the prasad or the sanctified food
served at the temple is the tastiest morsel cooked in Puri. The temple is strictly off limits for non-Hindus. |
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Puri's annual "Car Festival", the Rath Yatra is held in the full moon phase of the Oriya
month of 'Jestho’ - June/July in the Gregorian Calendar. Then, the town is chockfull of pilgrims who come to celebrate
the return of the three gods to their mother’s home, a journey through the streets of Puri on a colossal wooden chariot/car
hand pulled by king (the erstwhile Raja of Puri) and commoner alike. The more secular visitors include thousands of tourists
who come to observe the procession of the colossal Jagannath chariots. |
| The festival rituals begin with Chandan Yatra, when special replicas of the three
temple deities are taken to the Narendra Sagar, a sacred pond, where they are rowed around in a traditional, swan-shaped boat
and anointed with sandalwood paste (chandan) for twenty-one days. After this the holy trio take a dip in the tank in a ceremony
known as Snana Yatra following which they take fifteen days to prepare for the Rath Yatra in solitude. |
The chariot festival begins during the full moon phase when about five thousand devotees drag the `raths’
to the Garden House or Gundicha Ghar, the gods’ summer retreat. The gods take a nine day holiday after
which in a repeat yatra, the gods get back to the temple to 'perform their dutuies of listening to the people and granting
them their heart’s desires'!
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The area surrounding the temple complex is fairly interesting with the Raghunandan Library,
directly opposite the main gate of the Jagannath Temple. This library houses a dusty and neglected collection of rare palm
leaf manuscripts and religious texts. Towards the south lies one of the most auspicious cremation grounds for Hindus, the
Swargadwar or the gateway to heaven.
Other temples in the town are the Gundicha, the Lokanath, the Sunaragauranga,
the Daria Mahabir and the Tota Gopinath temples. Puri is also dotted with holy tanks like
Narendra, Markandeya, Sweta Ganga and Indradyumna.
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City Getaways
Balighai, 8 km from Puri is a popular picnic spot at the point where the River Nuanai meets
the sea. Brahmagiri with the shrine of Alarnath and the shrine of Baliharachandi on the solitary sand dunes near the River
Bhargavi is only 25 km away.
Satyabadi or Sakshigopal is 20 km from Puri and a trip to Puri is considered incomplete if
one does not visit the shrine of Lord Sakshigopal(Krishna) here.
Raghurajpur, a famous artists village in Orissa is 16 km from Puri. Besides art – pattachittra
and talapattachittra, this village is the hometown of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra, one of the most renowned exponents of Odissi,
the lyrical classical dance genre born in the temples of Orissa and handed down from generation to generation in the Guru-Shishya
(teacher-disciple) tradition.
Birapratapur and Ganganarayanpur are two traditional Brahmin villages, situated
inland amongst the coconut palms, paddy fields, muddy lakes and rivers. Thatched houses of baked clay and wood, painted with
gay designs, and small temples are the main attractions of these quaint villages that worship Lord Vishnu.
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL US AT 91-33-22259639
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