Overview

The abode of Lord Jagannatha, Puri in Odisha, is one of the four most important pilgrimage sites of Hindus. As the name suggests, this is the home of the Lord of the world and hence a trip to the Jagannatha temple becomes imminent. The English word ‘juggernaut’ traces its origin to the chariot procession in Puri, where thousands of people vie to pull the chariot of their beloved God. The city thrives on its image as a pilgrimage site and is mainly a temple town, tourists can enjoy the golden sunset at the Puri beach though. Tourists shop for rudraksh and sandalwood beads, ayurvedic items and pictures of Lord Jagannath at the Grand Avenue market area. Visitors can enjoy vegetarian and non- vegetarian meals in restaurants that serve all kinds of Indianised versions of international cuisine! Neighboring places of interest include Satpada, Balighai, Raghurajpur, Konark, Bhubaneshwar and Chilka Lake.

How to visit:

By road: The buses are connected to nearby states like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.

By rail: The trains are direct and well connected to Puri (PURI) train station. The station is 1 km from the city.

By air: Biju Patnaik airport (BBI) at Bhubaneswar is the nearest airport to Puri, which is at a distance of 56 km from the city centre.

Fast Facts

Location - Orissa, East India

Places of Interest - Chilka Lake, Pipili, Sakhigopal, Shree Jagannath Puri temple, Sun Temple at Konark, Ramachandi Temple

Best time to visit - October to April

Language - Hindi, English, Oriya

Festivals - Ratha Yatra, Puri Beach festival, Car Festival, Durga Puja, Ganesh Puja

Puri Location Map