Lord Vishnu Temples

Shree Jagannath Puri Temple - One of the holiest temples in India and part of sacred chardham yatra for Hindus, Shree Jagannath Puri Temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath who is incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Unfortunately non Hindus are not allowed to enter inside the temple. Others can get a glimpse of temple's roof from the Shani temple or Raghunandan Library nearby.

Bhoga Mandap - This is the place where prasad is prepared for the devotees who visit Lord Jagannath temple. There is is large kitchen inside Bhog Mandap. Even non-Hindus can also enjoy tasty food (bhog) here.

Shree Lokanath Temple - This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord Shiva hid at this place from Shani to save himself from Sade Sati. The priests of the temple are very strict from rituals and etiquette. Shiva linga inside the temple remains half inside the water as it is believed that Lord Shiva hid under the pond. The temple was founded by Lord Rama, incarnation of Vishnu.

Swargadwar Beach - Swargadwar, means gateway to haven, on visiting the beach you will understand why it is called gateway to haven. The beach is extremely beautiful and one of the less visited by the tourists. Because of Hindu beliefs, Swargadwar beach is crowded by devotees who take a holy dip in the water of the beach.

Markandeyesvara Temple - Another popular Shiva temple in Puri. The entrance of Markandeyesvara Temple feature statue of Nataraja, a dance form performed by Lord Shiva.

Jagannath Rath Yatra

The annual Rath Yatra at Puri is the main attraction of the town. More than one million Hindu pilgrims visit Puri during the Rath Yatra. This is the only time when non-Hindus can get glimpse of idols inside the Lord Jagannath temple where they are carried in 3 giant chariots to the Gundicha Temple. It is believed that one this very day Lord Krishna and Balrama visited Mathura after invitation of wrestling match by Kanda. The 35 ft square, 45 ft high giant chariots are built every year with same tradition that has been followed since 10th century. Rath Yatra is one of the grandest festival in Hinduism, the oldest religion in the world. No tourist should miss this festival. It takes place during June/July every year. In 2012, Rath Yatra will take place of June 21, 2012.

How To Reach

By Air The nearest airport is in Bhubaneswar (56km) with daily flights from Kolkata, Delhi and several other Indian cities. From Bhubaneswar airport, you can hire a taxi to reach Puri which is cost around Rs.1000. The car journey would be around 2 hours long. You can also take bus from Bhubaneswar to reach Puri which would be less expensive.

By Train You can easily reach Puri by train. The Puri Railway station is connected well with other Indian cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, Bangalore and Kolkata. There are several hotels just outside the railway station of Puri.

By Road You can reach Puri from Orissa and other nearby states by Bus. Orissa road transport offers frequent bus service to Puri from Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Konark.