Puri Travel Essentials

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Ideal duration: 1-2 days

Best Time: July to March Read More

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"Rath Yatra and the Beaches"

Puri Tourism

Puri in Odisha is one of the four must-visit pilgrimage sites for Hindus because of Jagannath Temple that forms the part of Char Dham in India. Puri is a beach city located on the coast of Bay of Bengal which is one of the favourites among people of West Bengal for a short trip.

Having gained popularity among hippies back in the 1970s due to the legalisation of Bhang, Puri is still a popular destination among backpackers, however, the availability of bhang is now limited. With a plethora of hotels and homestays, the local tourist like to stay near the New Marine Drive and the backpackers prefer to stay near Chakra Tirtha. The Rath Yatra (chariot festival) which takes place during the month of June-July should not be missed if you are planning to visit during this time.

Known as the resting place of Lord Shiva, the majestic history and heritage of Puri date back to the 3rd century B. C. Puri, Konark and Bhubaneshwar complete the Golden Triangle of Orissa, with their religious significance and cultural heritage being the centres of tourism in this state. There are a lot of places near Puri that one must visit, like the Chilika lake, Puri beach, Gundicha Ghar and the very famous Sun temple of Konark. Puri is soon turning into an industrial hub with major manufacturing companies coming here. 

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Beaches in Puri

Other than the famous Jagannath Yatra and various temples, Puri is also popular for its beaches. Puri Beaches are a great place to swim about or simply even lie around enjoying the lashing waves. Water lovers and pilgrims alike visit and relax at the tempting beaches in Puri.There are around five beaches of great prominence in Puri namely Balighai beach, Beleswar beach, Swargadwar beach, Puri beach, and the Chandrabhaga beach.
Puri beach or the Golden beach is considered as Hindu holy place which also organises the annual Puri Beach Festival in November. Furthermore, it is famous for sand sculptures made by Sudarsan Pattnaik, the world-famous sand artist.

Culture of Puri

Culture is a blend of mind and spirit where people exist in an environment with their growing art, customs and practices. Puri, in Odisha, adapts its culture from various festivals which are celebrated through the year. Amongst these festivals, Rath Yatra at Jagannath Temple is of great significance. In addition to these festivals, Puri extracts its culture from other festivals like the Snana Yatra, Chandan Yatra and the Car festival. The Chariot festival or Rath Yatra is however native to the state of Odisha, yet it is celebrated across India. Puri is also a birthplace of many religious cults such as Vaishnavism. The historic Jagannath culture of Puri was also sculpted out of Vaishnavism. Since Puri is situated on the shore of the state, its traditional art form includes seashell crafts. Puri’s culture is a symbolic representation of its history, architecture, literature, art and craft with a dominance of worship culture.

Shopping for Souvenirs at Puri

Puri showcases a rich tradition of handicrafts. You could choose from a variety of handicraft items such as brass items, shell products, wood carvings, handloom sarees, bangles and other handicraft and handloom items.

Restaurants and Local Food in Puri

Puri being a pilgrim city mostly offers pure vegetarian food in its restaurants. One can have local Oriya cuisine as well as South-Indian delicacies. The city is also known for a lip-smacking Chinese cuisine that one must try. Other than this, being in Puri, on must experience food from the Jagannath Temple which is known for having largest kitchen in the world and the enthralling setup serves simple yet delicious food.
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Suggested Itinerary for Puri

Day 1: Arrive at Puri. Start your day with visiting the famous Jagannath temple and its surrounding local markets. Later on, hang out and relax at Puri beach, see the sand sculptures, soak in the heat and enjoy the pleasing sunset view from the shore.

Day 2: Visit Konark, the Sun temple and its architectural beauty. Revive your energy at Ramachandi and Chandrabhaga beaches situated at a distance of 30km from Puri and engage yourself in thrilling water sports like water skiing, parasailing etc.

Day 3: Revel in at Chilika lake, especially if you happen to visit the place in winters you can find different species of migratory birds as Chilika is the largest ground which supports more than 200 species of migratory birds. Furthermore, visit the Baliharachandi temple, Nalabana bird sanctuary and Satapada beach.

Day 4: Bid goodbye to your journey by visiting Bhubaneshwar and relish the local site seeing. Catch your train/flight.

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Puri Photos

Puri, Orissa
Sri Jagannath Puri Temple

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FAQs on Puri

What is the local food in Puri?

Puri being a pilgrim city mostly offers pure vegetarian food in its restaurants. One can have local Oriya cuisine as well as South-Indian delicacies. The city is also known for a lip-smacking Chinese cuisine that one must try. Other than this, being in Puri, on must experience food from the Jagannath Temple which is known for having largest kitchen in the world and the enthralling setup serves simple yet delicious food.
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What are the places near Puri?

The top places near to Puri are Konark which is 28 km from Puri, Bhubaneswar which is located 53 km from Puri, Cuttack which is located 72 km from Puri, Dhauli which is located 41 km from Puri, Gopalpur which is located 117 km from Puri

What are the things to do in Puri?

The top things to do in Puri are Sri Jagannath Puri Temple, Chilika Lake, Puri Beach, Jagannath Rath Yatra, Narendra Tank, Lakshmi Temple. You can see all the places to visit in Puri here

What is the best way to reach Puri?

Puri is a major railway junction and is well-connected to all the major cities in the country. The nearest airport is in the capital city, Bhubaneshwar which is 56 kms away from Puri. One can hail a taxi from the airport to Puri.
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What is the best time to visit Puri?

Having a more or less pleasant climate throughout the year, Jagannath Puri is thronged by people all year round except for peak summers (April-June). The ideal months to take a trip to Puri are between October and February when neither the scorching heat nor the high humidity is present to cause any hindrance to your outdoor plans. Winters (December-February) are a bit cold, but good to enjoy the beach and visiting temples. For those who wish to seek blessings from the Gods may visit this place during Rath Yatra, i.e between June and July.

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Who should visit Puri?

Puri is a religious place and attracts lots of tourists every year. The splendid temples and shrines of Puri, along with its Rath yatra have become sacred to religious pilgrims as well. However, it is also a great place for a weekend getaway and relaxation by the beach.

What is not so good about Puri?

Can be very crowded during peak season.

What is famous about Puri?

Beautiful beaches. Ancient temples. Great place for relaxation and recreation.

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Popular Questions And Answers on Puri

Q. Is Swargdwar beach and Puri beach same and second is that where is Golden beach....?

T Balaji Patra

4 years ago
Swargadwar beach and puri beach are same. Golden beach at Chennai
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Q. Any waterfalls is there?

Binay Srivastava

5 years ago
No
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Q. Are the beaches of Puri crowded?

Snehasis Mondal

5 years ago
yes, as it is a very popular tourist spot, sometimes the beaches are crowded. But it is a very beautiful spot to have a vacation.
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Puri Reviews

Your rating

mitali patnaik

on Pratyush Ocean World 2 years ago
You really want me to share my view on this miserable park? OK its a place which is not even worth one visit. The place is run by a fraud. I doubt whether this park is open or not. The park is defunc (Read More)t since 2019 or maybe earlier. So don't ruin your outing.

Partha Khan

4 years ago
I don't even feel like counting how many times I visited Puri, but always feel like making a trip to Puri anytime of the year! The golden beach of Puri is simply amazing with big waves of the bay of (Read More)Bengal. Other spiritual attraction is of course the sacred temple of Lord Jagannath. "Link Hidden"

travel india with kavita

4 years ago
Puri, Chardham mai se ek dham hai.. Jai Jagannath famous god of puri..."Link Hidden"
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