Puri Travel Guide

Puri is a coastal town sitting on the Bay of Bengal near Bhubaneswar in the state of Orissa. The nearest airport is in Bhubaneswar but Puri can be reached by train and bus with Calcutta being the nearest major city.

The tourist area in Puri has plenty of guesthouses and restaurants catering to local and international visitors looking to relax at the beach. Further north up the shore is a traditional fishing village whose inhabitants daily launch heavy boats into the Bay of Bengal to cast and tend to their fishing nets. When walking along the beach near the village, it is wise… read more to walk carefully as the villagers use that stretch of sand to relieve themselves.

Puri is an important pilgrimage place as it is home to Jagannath Temple. The main temple stands at a staggering 65m and the huge temple complex is surrounded by a 6m high wall. The kitchen temple feeds 10,000 people daily with numbers rising to 25,000 people on festival days. Non-hindus can not enter the complex although good views can be had from the roof tops of the nearby buildings - for a small fee.

The most famous festival in Puri is Rath Yatra, the car festival, held in the month of Asad (June - July). During this time, 3 wooden chariots each housing an important deity are pulled in procession from Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple for a week's visit.