Puri city guide
One of the four holiest places in India, Puri is washed by the sea, and embraced by causarina - fringed beaches. It is said that one obtains 'moksha' from the cycle of birth and rebirth, if one stays here for three days and nights. Puri is the hallowed seat of Lord Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), Subhadra and Balabhadra. One of the four holy dhams of Hinduism, Puri is possibly one of the very few religious sites which combines the outdoor pleasures of sea and divine beaches with the religious sentiments of 'darshan'.
A place, known by many names over the centuries - Nilgiri, Niladri, Nilachal, Purushottam, Sankhakshetra, Srikshetra, Jagannath Dham, Jagannath Puri - Puri is dominated by two great forces, one created by God, and the other by man.
Jagannath Temple
This 65 metre high temple is one of
the awesome monuments in Puri. This 12th century temple built by Chodaganga to
commemorate the shifting of his capital from south to central Orissa, stands in
a compound on the Niligiri Hill. It is surrounded by 20 feet high wall within
which lie several small shrines. The rest of temple consists of a traditional
porch, shrine, hall of offerings and a pillared hall of dance. What is truly
wonderful about this temple is that there has never been any
caste-discrimination here. On one end of the road that leads to the temple is
Lord Jagannath's summer temple with the Gundicha Mandir. It lies within a
walled garden at the end of Grand Road, where the deity is enshrined for a week
on a simple throne. Like the Lingaraja temple in Bhubaneshwar, this temple too
is not open for Non-Hindus who contend themselves by viewing it from outside
it's precincts.
Ananda Bazar - This bazaar is the largest food market in the world and every foodie's dream come true.
Gundicha Mandir - Known as the Garden House, the smaller sanctum, houses the deities during the Rath Yatra. The walls enclose a garden, in which the temple is built. It is also known as the Aunt's house.
Puri Beach - Sunrise and sunset on the seas of Puri are awesome spectacles, and visitors can ride the waves in catamarans. The beaches are ideal for sunbathing but swimming is not recommended due to the strong currents unless you are a very strong swimmer.
Balighai Beach - 8 kms from Puri, is Balighai Beach, at the mouth of the river Nuanai, a popular picnic spot, bordered by lovely causarina trees.
Satyabadi (Sakshigopal) - The shrine of Lord Sakshigopal is only 20 kms away from Puri. the sacred feet of Shri Radha can however be only seen on 'Anala nawami' day.
Bada Danda - This place is an ideal site for some extensive shopping.
Festivals
The Chandan Yatra is held to celebrate the Hindu New Year. The Snana Yatra, celebrating Lord Jagannath's ritual bath is held on the day of the full moon in June (Jyestha). The original deities are taken out for public viewing. During the Jhulana Yatra, proxy images of the deities are carried out in grand processions for 21 days, to cruise in beautifully decorated boats in the Narmada Tank.
And, of course, the prime attraction for tourists all over India and abroad, is, the Rath Yatra, which falls in the month of June- the ideal time to visit Puri.Lord Jagannath with his sister Subhadra and brother Balabhadra take an annual vacation to the 'Gundicha Ghar', a smaller sanctum, 2 kms from the main temple. This journey constitutes the Rath Yatra Festival. The three deities, in separate raths (wooden chariots), are pulled by devotees to the Gundicha temple. These raths are elaborately dressed in a riot of colours, the colours symbolising the significance of each deity.
Rath Yatra Festival
The Rath Yatra and Nava Kalebara,
are the famous festivals of Puri. Both these events are related to the reigning
deity, Lord Jagannath. The Nava Kalebara festival is an immensely
significant religious ritual, wherein the idols of the three deities -
Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra change their external forms. New idols are
carved out of specially sanctified Chandan-Neem trees, within strictly
prescribed regulations. The 'daru' (wood) is then transported to the temple in
all pomp and splendour.
At this point the Vishwakarmas (wood sculptors) step in and work for 21 days and nights, in strict secrecy, giving final shape to the idols. The new idols are then enshrined after transferring the 'Brahma' within each idol into their new form. This is again done in strict accordance to the religious norms.
Puri Beach Festival is celebrated annually in early November, in Puri.Orissan craft, cuisine and cultural evenings are the highlights of the event.