THINGS TO DO
We have tried here to list the ten things that are absolute must if you happen to be in Puri. Just have a look.
Do the Panchatirthas: The five sacred bathing places of Puri are collectively known as the Pancha Tirtha. They are Indradyumna Tank, Markandeya Tank, Rohini Kunda, Swetaganga and ‘Mahodadhi’the Sea. A visit to Puri, it is believed is inconsequential until the ceremony of Pancha Tirtha is performed. That is bathing in the five holy Tanks. Thus by visiting the Lord’s abode and bathing in the Pancha Tirthas you are assured of Salvation ( Jiva Mukti).
Partake Mahaprasad of the Temple: The Jagannatha Temple kitchen is unique it can cook and feed around 1lakh people daily.without any problem. That makes it perhaps the largest kitchen in the world. This Mahaprasada (Holy Food) is the most famous dining in Puri. Every day the traditional 56 varieties of cooked and uncooked dishes are prepared and offered to the deities and then sold to public in a large compound called Ananda Bazaar. This is done after 2 pm at nominal rates. The food is satvik and must be eaten in plantain leaves without wasting a single morsel. One must try the “ Abhada” prasad atleast once. Made with an array of lentils,vegetables and rice this is an amazing dish.
Watch the sand art at the beach: This is one must do on the Puri Beach. The art of making sculptures in the sand started a few years back by a local college dropout Sudarshan Patnaik is now an acclaimed art form at the golden beach of Puri. Sudarshan Patnaik has now become an internationally renowned artist. You can see the enthusiastic artists making sculptures of various personas, events or creating awareness about environment or social causes all on the sands. The gallery of sand art on the beach can be observed by any one in the afternoons. The timings are from 4-6 P.M. If you are keen to learn this interesting art form you can enroll at Golden Sand Art Institute an open air institute in Puri Beach located behind Mayfair Hotel. A basic 7-10 days familiarization course is available to the tourists can take.
Splurge on the Sweets: If you are a sweet aficionado then Puri is the right place to be. Puri boasts of some fine sweets like Khira, Rasagolla/Rasgulla, Gaja and Chanapora. There are plenty of sweet shops in and around Puri selling these stuffs.
Enjoy the sunrise and sunset: Puri may lack the sophistication of the Kerala or Goa beaches but never the less is an interesting place with huge number of visaitors thronging the beaches all the year round. However, enjoying the sunrise and sunset remains one of the best thing to do in Puri. All you have to do is get up early around quarter to 5 will do and enjoy the warm sunrise over the sea. Then have a dip in the sea and enjoy your time. Same holds true for sunset also. Place yourself in a vantage position and observe the sun going down and finally disappearing into the sea.
Take great snaps of the temple: As photography is prohibited inside the Jagannatha temple, some intelligent guys have come out with a brilliant idea. There is a library called Raghumandan Library located opposite the main entrance of the Temple on the Grand Road. This library has an open verandah up some stairs. From there you can have a majestic view of the temple. This viewing opportunity is off course not free and you have to shell out some donation.
Buy Souvenirs: Puri offers little knickknacks that you can take home as souvenirs. Stalls selling various things can be found outside the Jagannath Temple and all the way down Grand Road. The small but colourful figures of Jagannath, together with his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra is quite appealing because of their unique shape and appearance. Then there are the Patta Chitra and the sambalpuri and Katki saris. Also between Puri and Bhubaneshwar a village called Pipili also offers shopaholics especially women to have a field day.
Take a safari at Nandankanan zoo and Wildlife Park: Your visit to the Puri can be termed as incomplete if you do not visit the Nandankan zoo and National park. You can enjoy the experience of seeing these animals in almost natural habitats by undertaking exciting White Tiger Safari and Lion safari in specially protected battery operated zero pollution buses.
The Puri Beach Festival: Puri Beach Festival is a must attend for all fun loving people. Held every November the festival is a celebration of the spirit of Orissa. From traditional cultural shows to fashion events and rock shows Puri Beach festival caters to every type of sensibilities.
Take a tour of Ashramas and Mathas: If you have some time in your hand then hire a cycle rickshaw or an auto rickshaw and ask him to take you to various important Ashrams and Mathas of Puri. Puri due to its spiritual appeal has been a favourite of ascetics who made it their sadhna bhumi. So you can visit the Sankaracharya Pith, Sri Chaitanya Math, Bharat Sevasram Sangha Ramkrishna Mission etc to spend some time solemnly. Undertake these visits no matter if you are not much into religion.
Within a close distance of Puri, there are places that make nice getaways. They range from the world-famous temple, Buddhist caves, Wildlife Park, the hub of traditional handicrafts along with many other attractions. Take a look:
Konark Temple: Konark the seat of Sun temple and one of the world heritage sites declared by UNESCO is 35 km from Puri.
Chilika Lake: The nearest point on the Chilika Lake from Puri is the Satpada Island that is at a distance of 50 km.
Bhubaneshwar: The capital of Orissa is known as a temple town, for it houses some magnificent temples. Bhubaneshwar is around 60 km from Puri.
Nandan Kanan: Barely 20 km from Bhubaneshwar is Nandan Kanan, a paradise for animal lovers. It is an amalgamation of a sanctuary, botanical garden and a zoo.
Khandagiri: The twin hills of Khandagiri and Udayagiri are 90 km away from the coastal town of Puri. The caves provide an insight into the prevalence of Jainism
Pipli: Pipli just 40 km from Puri is a beautiful village on the road leading to Bhubaneswar. Pipli is known for its beautiful appliqué (embroidery) work. The whole town of Pipli is lined up with shops luring tourists to buy the beautiful pipili chandua. Canopies, chhatris and tarasas. Hand bags and wall hangings are the best bets. Aggressive bargaining ensures good prices.
Sakshi Gopal: Sakshi Gopal temple is 20KM from Puri. The temple is next to the railway station of the same name. The temple has a life-size image of Lord Krishna. It is a popular belief that a visit to Puri is incomplete without a Darshan of Lord Krishna of this temple. Beware of Pandas here as they try to deny you the right to a peaceful darshan.
Dhauli Stupa: Dhauli Stupa or peace pagoda built atop a small hillock is around 55 km from Puri. This Stupa lies on the banks of the Daya River and was built by Fujii Guruji a person of Japanese origin. The area is of special significance that has changed the course of history. It was around this area that the great Kalinga war between Ashoka and the Kalinga was fought. Ashoka won the war but seeing the vast number of dead bodies and the Daya river turn red with blood made him numb with shock and remorse. The structure is a towering white pagoda with the idols of Buddha. From the hillock, you can get a kaleidoscopic view of the area around.
Raghurajpur: Lying on the southern bank of the river Bhargavi Raghurajpur is just 14 km away from Puri. It is developed as a heritage craft village and is the birthplace of the world-famous Odissi Dancer and Guru Shri Kelucharan Mahapatra. Every family of this village is engaged in the artwork. Other attractions of Raghurajpur include numerous small temples. Some of the prominent ones include Bhuasuni (local deity) Lakshmi Narayan, Radha Mohan, Raghunath, Gouranga, Gopinath, etc
Attractions of Puri
Jagannath Temple Narasimha Temple Gundicha Siddha Mahavir
Indradyumna Tank Narendra Sarovara Lokanath Temple Parbati Sarovar
Rohini Kunda Markandeswar Swethaganga R K Mission
Puri Beach Swargadwar Jagannath Ballav Math Museum
The coastal town of Puri by the Bay of Bengal is one of the busiest tourist places of India. No wonder devotees as well as ordinary tourists throng here all the year round to capture moments of pleasure. Puri tops the popularity chart as an impressive tourist destination with magnificent temples, sunny Beaches, vibrant wildlife, exotic handicrafts, grand festivals along with a host of other things. Let’s have a look.
