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| Puri - The Land of the Lord | |||
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 n India, Jagannatha, the Lord of the Universe, resides in Puri. It is a small town, indeed a fishing village, about 2-km wide and 4-km long, with its antique blend of green and serene ambience.
Tourists coming to Puri head to the Cakratirtha Road or plain CT road, along the beach, dotted with holiday homes, tourist hotels and restaurants, where they can find an accommodation to suit their pocket and taste. The sea beach is really within walking distance from most locations but people generally prefer the idle pace of cycle rickshaws. Puri is very pleasant - it has one of the best beaches for swimming in India and hence is a popular destination for young foreign tourists. It is located in the Indian State of Orissa, in the east, on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is located about 180 kilometers south of Calcutta and 59 kilometers from the capital, Bhubaneswar. The nearest airport is at Bhubaneshwar, the state capital. Private buses and minibuses to Puri are available from Bhubaneshwar, Konark, Berhampur, Taptapani, Sambalpur and Calcutta. Puri is also linked to other cities in Orissa and the country by train. So the first thing any visitor to this town will do after reaching, is to head for the sea for a splash or swim. Washed by the waters of the Bay of Bengal and embraced by causarina-fringed beaches, the sea here is generally rough and the sand is very soft. Puri has a long stretch of golden beach with superb surf, shallow enough to walk out a long distance. Sunrise is particularly striking. However, the currents here can be treacherous at times. One has to take great care and avoid swimming out too far. Here one finds the 'Nuliahs' - the simple Indian 'bay-watchers' who will take you a little deep in the water for a great experience. They do so for a little fee and are very experienced when it comes to dealing with any kind of emergency. Alas the beachfront has grown haphazardly. There are restaurants with no sea view, there are shops selling liquor, but no bar where one can sit and watch the sea. New developments have taken place along the newly constructed Marine Drive where tradition is being given a quiet burial. Five years from now this will still be a sea side town with all amenities but what about the real Puri? 
Puri is also an ancient temple town, considered to be the abode of Lord Jagannatha. No body really knows since how long the Lord has been worshiped here. Puri Township surrounds the 800-year-old temple of Lord Jagannath. The temple occupies central pride of place in the town. When you walk through the narrow lanes around the temple, you will realize that the sea was inconsequential to the early growth of the town.
Everything grew around this magnificent piece of architecture. The present temple structure was built by King Choda Ganga Deva, who belonged to the Ganga dynasty that ruled over ancient Puri in the 12th century. The main temple is one of the tallest monuments in the country rising to 214 feet with a raised platform measuring 10 acres. Here is located, one of the four holiest points of pilgrimage for Hindus. Until recently, almost the entire temple was covered in white plaster, and the early European sailors marked it as a navigation point and referred to it as the 'White Pagoda' in contrast to the "Black Pagoda" of Konark, further up the coast. The Grand Road, called Bada Danda is the scene of the great Festival of the Chariots or Ratha Yatra. The Bada Danda is a modern freeway and extends from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple, a few kilometres away. Commemorating the journey of Lord Krishna from Gokul to Mathura, the Rath Yatra is celebrated on the second day of the bright fortnight of Asadha (June-July). The image of the Lord is placed in a heavy chariot and hundreds of devotees pull the chariot. The journey takes several days, and thousands of pilgrims participate. At the time of the 'Ratha-Yatra' festival, Lord Jagannatha goes to the Gundicha temple, to return only after one week. Perhaps many people will be surprised to know that the English word juggernaut, with its connotation of a force crushing whatever is in its path, is derived from name Jagannath, meaning, "lord of the world." The Puri Beach Festival is celebrated annually in early November. Orissan craft, cuisine and cultural evenings are the highlights of the event. Puri is the beginning of myriad attractions in the eastern state of Orissa. Once here, you have a choice of places to visit--the beaches: Chandipur and Gopalpur-On-Sea; the cultural extravaganza: Chhau Dance, Konark Dance Festival, Orissi dance, Puri-Rath Yatra, Tribal Handicrafts; the animal sanctuaries: Nandankanan Zoo, Simpilal Tiger Reserve; ancient temples: Jagannath Temple, Sun Temple, Lingaraja Temple; also the Udayagiri & Khandagiri Caves and more. Bhubaneswar Weather: | |||
