Puri
Introduction
Puri, also called Jagannath Puri, is a coastal city and district headquarters in Odisha, on the Bay of Bengal south of Bhubaneswar. It is best known as the home of the 12th-century Jagannath Temple, one of the original Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus. The city has carried several names over the centuries and was locally known as "Sri Kshetra", while the temple itself is called "Badadeula".
Pilgrimage shapes much of the city's life, and the temple town holds many Hindu religious mathas, or monasteries. The temple's history is a turbulent one: Puri and the Jagannath Temple were invaded numerous times by Muslim rulers seeking its treasures, and Odisha, including Puri, was part of British India from 1803 until independence in 1947. Although princely states no longer exist, the heirs of the House of Gajapati still perform the temple's ritual duties.
Before you go
Puri blends pilgrimage and seaside leisure, so plan for both a sacred site and a beach destination. It is one of the Char Dham, and the Jagannath Temple is a fine example of Kalinga architecture. The long golden-sand beach is the other main draw, with a fine sea view and water rough enough to suit surfers. Odia is the main language, though Hindi and Bengali are widely understood, and speakers of other major Indian languages will generally manage. Before you go, prepare for practical hazards. If you stay in cheap hotels or guest houses around Swargadwar or New Puri, keep an eye on your belongings, and avoid the beach after 8PM. Skip the mouthwatering seashore food stalls selling fish, mutton, chicken kebabs, chops and cutlets; even strong stomachs struggle with them, so eat in hotels instead. Be wary of pāṇḍās in temples, who press visitors for money in the name of God and are hard to challenge; carry small change so you can give a little and move on, and avoid the innermost sanctum of any living temple. Keep away from monkeys and do not lure them with food. If you fall seriously ill, head to Kalinga Hospital in Bhubaneswar, since Puri's hospitals are very basic and not clean; your hotel can arrange a local doctor if needed.Getting there
Puri has no airport of its own; the nearest one is in Bhubaneswar, roughly 60 km away. From there you can continue by train or bus to reach the town.
Rail is the main way in. Puri is well-connected by railways, with trains from Howrah, New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar, and it is a major railhead on the East Coast Railway, bifurcated from Khurda Road. Puri railway station sits in the heart of the town, close to most hotels. On arrival, the Odisha State Tourist counter at the station is a good first stop for advice; the staff are usually very helpful and speak English, and the MCO Booth is also quite helpful. By bus, Puri is about 1½ hours or 60 km from Bhubaneswar.
Getting around
Puri is a compact temple town, and the railway station sits in the heart of it, close to most hotels and within walking distance of many of the places you will want to reach. For anything beyond a comfortable stroll, you can rely on cycle rickshaws, auto-rickshaws or electric rickshaws. The golden rule for all of them is to agree on a price before you set off, and to confirm it twice, as drivers frequently try to charge more than what was agreed.
- Cycle rickshaws – a slow but atmospheric way to cover short distances in town.
- Auto-rickshaws – a common choice for slightly longer hops; always settle the fare first.
- Electric rickshaws – another local option, subject to the same rule about agreeing the price in advance.
If you want more independence, there are places on C.T. Road where you can hire a Royal Enfield motorbike, a good option if you plan to drive along the coast to Konark to see the Sun Temple. On arrival, the Odisha State Tourist counter and the MCO Booth at the railway station are both useful for local advice.
Where to stay
Most visitors to Puri stay in the hotels clustered around Swargadwar rather than along C.T. Road, and these places tend to be affordable while still offering quality service. New Marine Drive Road is the main strip, with sea-facing options such as Hotel New Sea Hawk and Hotel Pulin Puri, both close to Swargadwar beach. A little further along, Hans Coco Palms Resort sits in a quiet spot with a swimming pool and its own private beach, though canopies are limited and there are no lifeguards on duty unless you hire one. Balananda Tirthasram & Restaurant offers family rooms with sea views from every balcony, and you order and collect meal coupons each morning for lunch and dinner. Gochikar House on New Marine Drive Road has sea view rooms and a travel desk, while Hotel Sairam on C.T. Road, a short walk from Golden Beach, provides neatly furnished sea-facing rooms and friendly staff.
If you prefer a private beach, Hotel Vijoya International on Chakratirtha Road sits on a clean stretch of shore with tent facilities, and offers pickup and drop from the station. Nearby, Hotel Sea Queen Inn has an Ayurvedic centre next door for massages and therapies, and Krishna Resorts runs an eco-friendly pure vegetarian garden restaurant. Mayfair Puri is a beach resort with spa services and its own private beach with lifeguards, while Sterling Resort lies away from the crowds with a swimming pool, gym, spa and conference hall, and organises tours to Raghurajpur and Chilka Lake. Puri Beach Hotel gives you a full sea view from most balconies. Closer to the railway station, Railway Hotel requires you to show your ticket, and Shree Vishnu Darshan Holiday Home sits on Grand Road at Marchikote Chowk. Toshali Sands Resort spreads across acres and keeps a Russian language interpreter on staff.
Food & drink
In Swargadwar you'll find plenty of places to eat, including a branch of Kolkata's popular Dada Boudir Restaurant opposite the Bharat Sevashram Sangha Library, serving authentic Bengali food. Sweet shops cluster here too: Ganguram Sweets in front of Handloom Gardens is the oldest of several shops sharing that name and has no branches, while Original Nrusingha Sweets is the oldest among the shops called Nrusingha or Nursingha Sweets. Near the Iskcon temple in Swargadwara, Kakatua is a sweet shop and restaurant named for the cockatoo outside it. For vegetarian meals, Shyama is a pure vegetarian restaurant opposite the Jagannath temple on the Grand Road, above the shops on the corner, and Krishna Resorts on Chakratirth road serves Gujarati and Marwari thali. If you want Chinese food, try Chung Wah at Hotel Lee Garden on VIP Road near Netaji Subhash Chowk, and Wild Grass, also on VIP Road near Netaji Subhas Chowk, is a theme restaurant serving local delicacies. Beyond Swargadwar, there are many restaurants in New Puri and CT Road as well.Three days in Puri
Day one: Start in Puri, the coastal town in Odisha known as Sri Kshetra, and make your way to the Jagannath Temple, also called Badadeula, one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Note that non-Hindus cannot enter the temple, so if you are not Hindu, view it from outside and explore the surrounding streets instead. Later, head toward the Bay of Bengal and the Swargadwar area by the shore. In the evening, walk through New Puri, which has a quieter character than the temple end of town.
Day two: Travel to Bhubaneswar, the state capital, which is reachable from Puri by rail. The East Coast Railway connects Puri with Howrah, New Delhi and Ahmedabad, so you can plan your onward or return journey around those routes. Spend the day in Bhubaneswar before returning to Puri for the night. Keep in mind that Kalinga Hospital is in Bhubaneswar if you need medical care during your trip.
Day three: Return to the temple area of Puri and observe the life around Jagannath Temple, remembering that the Gajapati and the history of Kalinga shape the town's identity. Odia is the main language, though you will also hear Hindi, Bengali and Indian English among pilgrims and visitors. If you have time before leaving, sit by the Bay of Bengal one last time. Skip anything that requires entering the temple if you are not Hindu, and be respectful of the pilgrims for whom this is a sacred destination.