Puri- Things to know before you visit Jagannath Puri

Image Source: By Djrusty – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Puri is also known as Jagannath Puri, It is a city in the state of Odisha. This place is located 1 hr 30 min and 60 km away from the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is a pilgrimage site and generally famous for the temple of Lord Jagannath temple, considered to be one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus.

There are many temples in Puri. You can also enjoy the wonderful beaches in Puri.

Airport – To reach Puri by air the nearest airport is Biju Patnail Airport in Bhubaneswar.

Railway Station – Puri railway station is a terminal railway station that is well connected to the other states of the county.

By Road – Puri is well connected by the roads with its neighbor cities. The main bus stand is the Puri bus stand which is 2 km away from the Jagannath temple.

Places to visit in Puri

·         Jagannath Temple

It is the most famous temple in the city and one of the major Hindu temples in the country.  This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna. It is also known as Vaikunth Dham.

Non – Hindu peoples were not allowed to enter the temple. Christians and Muslims are not allowed in the temple. Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist people who are a citizen of India are only allowed.

Once Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came to visit Jagannath temple but she did not get permission to enter the Temple according to the Priest she is a Parsi because she was married to a Parsi man and Parsi are not allowed in the temple. 

Interesting Facts

• Non- Hindus are not allowed into the temple is written outside the temple in five different languages.
• The Flag on the top of the Jagannath temple always flutters in the opposite direction of the wind.
• When you enter into the temple you cannot hear the voice of sea waves and when you came out you can hear them.

·         Puri Beach  

It is located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal and is the sacred place for Hindus. Puri’s first beach festival was held on 29 October 1993. Thousands of visitors came across the globe to attend this festival.

This beach is a common sight to see the sand art and provide a mesmerizing view of the place.

·         Shree Lokanath Temple

This Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It has to be said that the Shiva Lingam was placed in the Temple by Lord Rama. The amazing fact about this temple is the Shiva Lingam it is underwater and the legend that Goddess Ganga flows through it.

Jagannath Rath Yatra

Image Source: By I, G-u-t, CC BY 2.5

·  I held once a year in the rainy season. This Rath Yatra starts on Asadha Sukla Dwitiya day. Three Chariots are made for Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra.

  The chariot of Lord Jagannath is known as Nandi Ghosha, Balabhadra’s chariot is known as Taladhwaja and Subhadra’s chariot is known as Darpa Dalaan.

The preparation of these Chariots start’s months ago. Lord Jagannath with Balabhadra and Subhadra came out in the main street. Thousands of people from all around the world came to see this Rath Yatra.

·         Raghurajpur Artist Village

This village is located 12 km away from the Shri Jagannath Temple which takes around 25 min to reach there.  It was established in the year 2000 and it is a handicraft village.

This is famous for its Pattachitra painters, which attracts a lot of tourists. Here you can also see papier mache toys, tussar paintings, palm leaf engravings, stone and wood carvings.

·         Chilika Lake

It is 40 km away from the main city Puri.  Chilika is one of Asia’s most important wintering grounds for migratory birds and greater flamingos are among the earliest visitors every winter.

They are believed to come here mainly from the Kutch region of Western India where they breed, for them the journey to Chilika is perhaps not such a difficult one other migrants are known to travel thousands of kilometers to get here. Many come from as far away as Europe and Central Asia. 

All of the Chilikas birds are not migrants some are permanent residents like the little Cormorants.

Konark Sun Temple

You can also visit the Historical Konark Sun temple which is 34 km from Puri and it will take around 48 min to reach there.

For more information you can read my another blog which is totally dedicated to the Konark Sun Temple.

Also Read: Things to know about Konark Sun Temple