Trifter

To the eastern part of India and in the state of Orissa there is a very old city. People call it Puri. Puri is a common word in Sanskrit Language. This word is meant for city. This city is situated just by the side of the Bay of Bengal (19.8°N 85.85°E / 19.8; 85.85).  Tourists have long been allured by the beautiful view of the sunrise and sunset from here at Puri which has one of the most popular beach resorts of the Indian subcontinent. In India religious sites are spread over everywhere. Hence, for the Indian travelers or for the tourists who visit India, places of interest are generally intricate with the flavor of religious these and those. Puri has wonderful seashore ornamented with golden solid beach. But majority of the Indians are drawn to Puri for the temple of Jagannath the Lord.

The Temple of Jagannatha

The name and fame of Puri for a greater section of the Indians, however, has been attached with an annual festival, that is, the festival of chariots, popularly known as Ratha Yatra (Ratha means chariots and Yatra means going). In the huge temple of Jagannatha there are three deities placed side by side in the main shrine. They are Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra. These deities are made of wood and the most peculiar feature of them is that they do not have limbs. The festival of chariots occur in the month of July every year when the deities are taken out of the temple and are chaired in a huge chariot and are made to move some distance in a gorgeous and colorful procession. The Hindus of India, thousands in number, throng to the site to attend the festival and each of them attempts to find a chance to pull this wooden cart at least once.

King Chodaganga of the Eastern Ganga dynasty was the ruler of this region by the twelfth century. He started the construction of the temple of Jagannatha and this marvelous piece of architecture was completed during the reign of Anangabhima Deva of the same family.

The temple of Jagannatha is a huge one. On the zenith of the conical tower, at a height of fifty eight feet from the surface of the sea, the flag and wheel of Lord Vishnu have been set. Lord Vishnu is the supreme among the Hindu deities. The temple has been surrounded by a pair of strongly built walls.

On the backyard of the temple of Jagannatha one will find sands and sands. Actually the temple was built on the sands only. The Bay of Bengal used to wash its floor with endless waves. At present the sea has shifted more than one kilometer away from the temple. 

Non-Hindus are not allowed to step into this temple even now. Indira Gandhi, the most powerful of all the Prime Ministers of India, was not allowed as she was not from the Hindu community.

Puri has been centers for many other religious institutions of the Indian Hindus. The most important of them is the one founded by Shankaracharya (788 CE – 820 CE). Yes, Shankaracharya is famous for his contribution to the rejuvenation of the Brahmanyatantra (authoritative name of the Vedic religious faith in India) in his time.

ENIGMATIC SPECTACLE OF ORNAMENTED PURI

Destinations centering Puri

Puri is not only a pilgrimage center. Centering Puri tourists can move to the following interesting destinations:

The Sun Temple Konark

Bhubaneswar, capital of the state Orissa and the site for the Lingaraja temple

AND

Udaigiri and Khandagiri, the ancient Buddhist caves

Dhauli Hills, an experience with the Rock Edicts of King Ashoka and presently a Buddhist temple

Nandankanan, reserve forest for the tigers

Lake Chilika, a very beautiful lake with an area of 450 square miles

The Spot

Puri is well connected with different parts of India and abroad.

By Airways:

Kolkata/Chennai/Mumbai/Delhi to Bhubaneswar (Bhubaneswar to Puri, 60 km by train/bus/taxi)

By Railway:

Railway Station Puri Jn. Kolkata(Howrah)/ New Delhi/Ahmadabad/Chennai to Puri/ Khurda Road Jn.

IMMEDIATE Telephone SERVICES

Fire Station 101 # Ambulance 102 # Railway Inquiry 131 # Shree Jagannath Temple Garad 222001

Pantha Nivas 222740, 222562 # Pantha Nivas, Konark 236831 # B.N.R. Hotel 222063 # Railway Guest House 227900

Konark Office 236459 # Court Guest House 222782 # Yatri Nivas, Konark 236820, 236821 # Circuit House 222036

Circuit House, Bhubaneswar 2402288, 2400101 # Circuit House, Cuttack 2305043