Puri - Realm of Sri Jagannatha

 

  The grand Carnival of Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri (Pic: PTI)

In our country, Tourism is driven by some underlying objectives, like Summer relaxation in Hills, Weekend fun on beaches, Picnic fun at some garden or lakes but an objective which dominates all of these are Religious Visits. These visits are performed with a greater objective of getting close to the almighty. In India, we have Char Dham Yatra, Shirdi Yatra, Vaishno Devi, Astvinayak Yatra, Dwadash Jyotirling Yatra, Ajmer Shariff and many more which have great importance in the life of people. 

 

In this travel, We will take you to one such Destination !  

 

PURI, a small town on the east coast state of Orissa, India. The place is better known as Sri Jagannatha Dhama as it is home of one of the most applauded religious hot-spots, the 12th-century Jagannath Temple. Being a coastal town and its vicinity to metro cities like Kolkata and Bhubaneswar, it attracts huge travelers who may visit Puri for a relaxation opportunity. It is said that around 70-80% of economy of Puri is dependent on the temple and activities around it. Puri is famous for many folklore, many miracle stories and it also can be visited for a gastronomical experience. 

 

 

Places to Visit

 

Jagannath Temple: An ancient temple, whose origin can be traced to 10th century Ganga Dynasty, but it is said the real story dates back far in history, as far as Mahabharat. The idol of the temple is made of wood which is replaced every 12th year in a grand ceremony. The temple opens at 5am and closes at midnight. From 7-8pm, the visitors are allowed close to the idol, so during this period you can experience massive crowd. In front of the main entrance, the "Singhdwar", there is a 16 sided monolithic pillar, known as Arun Stambh which was earlier at Konark Temple. You can find family of macaques around the temple. So, keep some precaution with kids. Please note, Non hindus are not allowed to enter the temple. 

 

Warning:

Unless you are planning to perform some religious procedure in the temple, keep your distance from the priests or so called Pandas. There are many experiences of visitors, stating that the pandas will not miss an opportunity to squeeze out some money from you in the name of taking you close to the idol, VIP visit, etc. So, do what i did. Just follow the line. 

 

Jagannath Temple "Singhdwar",with 16 sided monolithic pillar (Arun Stambh)

 

Gundicha Temple: The more famed name in folklore is Masi maa temple. It is at the end of Grand avenue road of Rath Yatra. Mostly not visited by many, this temple gets all the attention only during Rath yatra days. I will suggest a few minute at this spot, may be just for photography from outside

 

Swargodwar Beach or simply Puri Beach: Swargodwar means Gateway to heavens. One of the most beautiful coastlines in eastern India. The beach is quite sandy and has a golden tinge. I would suggest an early morning visit. When you are at beach, after you are done with all bathing activity, try the Tea in earthen pots and most importantly, with Samosa. You will find many vendors on cycle selling Samosa( local name "Singara") and Sweets like Rosogolla . A must try. In the evening, you can find fish fry of your selected fish on the coastline. 

 

Swargodwar Beach

 

Narendra Pokhari: A beautiful location, basically a lake which is considered holy. So, most visit the place for a touch of the water. A number of ghats are constructed to access the lake.

Walk on the Marine Drive Road: If you are staying by the beach, in the evening or may be after dinner, you can have a gentle walk here. The cool breeze will soothe your body. Also, Enjoy the street foods like Jhaal Muri, Ice creams, Fish Fry, Egg Rolls etc. 

 

 

How to Reach here

 

Being in Love with Indian Railways, my primary suggestion is always Train. Puri has its own station and many cities are well connected with trains. In case, there is no direct train or you don't want to use train, then reach Bhubaneswar, the capital city of State of Orissa. You can reach Bhubaneswar by train or flight. 

From Bhubaneswar, you can have a wonderful road trip of around 65km to reach Puri. The roads are beautiful and comfortable. For a cheaper option, State transport(OSRTC) buses are available that can cost you around Rs 80-100/-.

Once in Puri, you can cover most of the town by Walk or by Auto rickshaws. So, no expenses there.

Puri Railway Station

Where to Stay

 

Being a busy tourist destination, all range of stay options are available. There are royal stay options like Mayfair and Chariot. The stay options on the Marine drive, which are sea facing can have a good price tag. During, my visit i opted for Hotel Pushpa of Berries group. It was light on the pocket, very good rooms, good hospitality but it has no sea views or beautification, but the beach was 50 steps from hotel, so that was adjustable. So, select the stay as per your budget, but it is recommended to stay close to beach for a good vacation experience.

Entrance of Hotel Pushpa

 

Who should Visit ?

 

Puri is open for everyone. Though the temple is only open for Hindu believers, but the city is open for anyone who finds relaxation on beach and yes you are supported by good and pocket friendly food. 

No. of Days:  1 Night, 2 days minimum is sufficient

Expected Expense:  Rs 3000/- per person minimum can give you a comfortable visit

 

 

Must Try

Dalma Puri at any local restaurant at the non-commercial areas or outer Puri. These eateries may look not so neat, but taste will make you ignore that. If you are a cleanliness freak, in that case, try the same dish at multi-cuisines in city area.   

Singara, Tea and Sweets from Cycle vendors on Puri Beach. I can bet, the taste of these Samosa and Rosogolla can easily beat the taste of same sweet in nearby Sweet shop.

 

Sweets of Puri Temple: There is a section attached to temple, named Ananda Bazaar, where they sell all kinds of Mahaprasad, sweet items that are offered to the lord. This includes the Khaja, a kind of fried layers of flour coated with suger and jaggery. You can try the Khichhdi as well. Frankly, i will not assure that you will like it but it is a thing about devotion. So, do try and share your opinion.

 

 

The Sweets and Samosa at Puri beach 

Experience of Lifetime:

 

The Rath Yatra, which draws nearly a million people from across the world and sees frenzied devotees pull the raths (chariots) of the three deities – Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra takes place every year in the month of June. The english word "Juggernaut" is derived out of the name "Jagannath". If you can bear a gathering of that level (refer the 1st picture), then this is the dare task for you !

 

The Folklore:

There are many cultural folklore and miracles associated with the temple of Lord Jagannath. The most famous of the stories connects Shri Krishna from Dwarka and Jagannath Idols of Puri.  It is said that Shri Krishna and Yadavas were cursed due to the massacre of Mahabharat. It is said that Shri Krishna was killed by a hunter, who took him as a deer. Seeking forgiveness, he did all the last rites on the coastal side of Dwarka . It is said that the Heart of Shri Krishna got washed away in sea and reached Puri as a log of wood. This was collected by King Indradyumna. The maker of the world, Vishwakarma visited the king as an old Artisan and offered the king that he will make a beautiful idol using the log under condition that he should be given a closed room and no one should disturb him until he finish in 21 days. But on 14th day, there was complete silence in the room. The queen got worried and pressurized the king to open the door. As the door opened, the Artisan got angry and he vanished leaving the idols incomplete with no arms. But, accepting his mistake, the king placed the same idols in the temple and rest of the history is known to all.

 

If you have different story, or another detailed folklore. Do comment.

Until then, Happy Exploring !