Puri

Puri sits on Odisha's eastern coast, anchored by the 12th-century Jagannath Temple where priests perform dawn-to-dusk rituals. Each July, massive wooden chariots roll through the streets during the Rath Yatra festival, drawing crowds who help pull the ropes. You can watch fishermen mend nets on sandy shores stretching 7 kilometers along the Bay of Bengal, or browse Grand Road market stalls selling stone carvings of Hindu deities. Thirty-five kilometers northeast, stone chariot wheels mark the Konark Sun Temple’s alignment with sunrise positions. Between October and March, Chilika Lake becomes a temporary home for flocks of greater flamingos and black-tailed godwits migrating from Siberia.

Visiting Jagannath Temple

The 58-meter spire of Jagannath Temple rises above Puri’s low-rise buildings, its stone walls carved with figures of dancers and warriors. Every morning before sunrise, a priest scales the temple’s outer wall to replace the flag on its iron wheel, continuing a practice started in the 12th century. Temple cooks use 32 wood-fired clay ovens to prepare daily meals for the deities—steamed rice, lentil stews, and coconut-based sweets—later distributed as Mahaprasad to visitors. While the inner sanctum remains accessible only to Hindus, you can witness rituals at the Lion’s Gate entrance where priests carry offerings on brass trays. The temple’s most dramatic event occurs in summer when three 14-meter-tall chariots carry Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra statues through the city.

Understanding Rath Yatra Festival

Preparations for Rath Yatra begin months in advance, with artisans using 1,200 pieces of wood to construct the festival’s three chariots. On the main day, thousands gather to pull the chariots along Grand Road using four thick hemp ropes, each longer than a football field. The largest chariot, Nandighosa, requires 18 wheels and takes two weeks to build using traditional joinery techniques. Temple staff sweep the route with coconut fiber brooms during Chera Pahara, a symbolic cleansing ritual performed before the deities’ journey. After nine days at Gundicha Temple, the statues return to Jagannath Temple in a night procession illuminated by oil lamps and accompanied by drummers.

Exploring Puri’s Shoreline

Puri’s main beach runs parallel to Marine Drive Road, where you can buy freshly fried fish pakoras from carts or watch crabs scuttle across tidal flats. Lifeguard towers dot the central stretch between Digabareni Square and the closed Swargadwar pier, with red flags marking unsafe swimming zones. For calmer waters, local buses go to Chandrabhaga Beach near Konark, where sand artists create temporary sculptures during December’s festival. Near the Sun Temple, lifeguards advise against swimming due to strong currents but permit walking along the hard-packed sand at low tide. Beachside vendors rent umbrellas for 50 rupees per day and sell bottled water chilled in ice buckets.

Day Trips to Konark Sun Temple and Chilika Lake

Builders designed the Konark Sun Temple to resemble a giant stone chariot, complete with 24 carved wheels that functioned as sundials when aligned with shadows. Erotic sculptures on the temple’s lower walls depict scenes from ancient texts, while upper sections feature detailed carvings of musicians and celestial beings. Shared taxis from Puri’s Gundicha Bus Stand take 45 minutes to reach the temple, passing through Pipli village where artisans sew colorful cloth hangings. At Chilika Lake, two-hour dolphin-watching boat trips depart hourly from Satapada jetty between 7 AM and 3 PM, often spotting Irrawaddy dolphins surfacing near fishing nets. Winter brings migratory birds like purple herons and ospreys that feed in the lake’s shallow marshes.

Eating in Puri: Temple Food and Local Specialties

Jagannath Temple’s kitchen produces over 100 varieties of food daily, including sweet rice porridge and steamed cakes made from grated coconut. Small restaurants near Markandeswar Tank serve meals on stainless steel thalis—expect rice, fried okra, dal with roasted cumin, and mango pickle. Along the beach road, try chhena jhili (fried cheese balls in syrup) at Narendra Bhojanalaya or crab masala at family-run Palm Beach Hotel. Street vendors near the bus station sell tepid cappuccinos in clay cups and banana-leaf packets of puffed rice mixed with chopped onions. Remember, the temple area prohibits meat and alcohol, but coastal restaurants outside the perimeter serve prawn curry and fried pomfret.

Shopping for Crafts and Textiles

Artisans in Raghurajpur village paint intricate scenes from the Ramayana on dried palm leaves using brushes made from mongoose hair. Puri’s Station Square Market stocks handwoven ikat sarees dyed with indigo and turmeric, along with brass replicas of the Jagannath Temple spire. Government-certified shops like Boyanika near the railway station sell fair-trade cotton scarves and tribal bead necklaces without haggling. For smaller purchases, beachside stalls offer conch shell souvenirs and wooden puzzles depicting temple architecture. Avoid vendors near Swargadwar who sometimes illegally sell items made from peacock feathers or turtle shells.

Getting Around and Cultural Tips

Puri Railway Station has direct overnight trains from Kolkata (Howrah Junction) with AC three-tier berths costing 1,200 rupees. Auto-rickshaws follow fixed rates—expect to pay 30 rupees from the train station to the beach or 100 rupees for a one-hour temple area tour. Temple entry requires removing shoes and belts; storage lockers near Lion’s Gate charge 10 rupees per item. November to February brings cooler temperatures (18-28°C), ideal for cycling along the beach road rented bikes. During Rath Yatra, roads around the temple close to vehicles, so book hotels within walking distance like Toshali Sands or Mayfair Heritage.