Beach Holidays In Puri Jagannath,orrissa
a state of mind popularly known as Puri Paralysis
. Its other major claim to fame is that it is the home of the Lord of the World, Lord Jagannath, whose awesome chariot procession through the streets gave English language, the word "juggernaut", the unstoppable force. The Rath Yatra or chariot procession is the only frenzied activity that transpires here when the gods who reside in the Jagannath Temple are ceremoniously transported to a garden retreat and the town is flooded by vast multitudes seeking salvation.Puri better known as Jagannath Puri is home to the Lord of the World, Lord Jagannath. So a trip without visiting the famed Jagannath Temple would be considered a waste.
Historically Speaking
The earliest history of Puri has it that it was once a thickly wooded hillock inhabited by the Sabaras, a Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian tribes of the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family. The sacred Buddhist site called Dantapura (town of the tooth) may also have been here, as legend has it that Buddhas
tooth was kept here before being spirited off to Sri Lanka. Till the seventh and eighth centuries, the city was a provincial outpost along the coastal trade route linking eastern India with Southeast Asia. Shankaracharya, the Hindu reformer, declared Puri as one of his four mathas (centres for the practice of a new ascetic form of Hinduism). Learned and holy men came here to debate the new philosophies from across the whole subcontinent, a tradition that is still carried on to this day. The kings of the Ganga dynasty consolidated the religious and political importance of Puri in the beginning of the 12th century. In 1135, Anantavarman Chodaganga founded the great temple in Puri, and dedicated it to Purushottama, one of the thousand names of Vishnu, the Preserver in the Hindu Trinity. The Gajapati rulers changed the towns name to Jagannath in the fifteenth century. Puri remained a temple town, a holy place till the British realised its potential as a seaside resort. Since then, Puri has developed into a pilgrimage cum holiday destination with the Rath Yatra, the annual festival at the Jagannath Temple still the main draw.
Shopping
Grand Avenue, Puri''s broad main street is lined with shops and stalls that sell rudraksha (holy seeds) and sandalwood beads, Ayurvedic cures and the images of Lord Jagannath. Another local speciality is the amazing "religious maps" of Puri where the pilgrimage sites are traditionally represented
with a conch shell made up of seven concentric layers. Otherwise soap -stone, seashell, pattachitras and palm leaf paintings, horn work, woodcarvings and solapith work can be purchased from the government run emporia and shops in Puri. Down the road towards the railway station is Sudarshan workshop, one of the few traditional stone carvers'' yards left in Puri. The sculptors and their apprentices seem more interested in pursuing their art than selling it to tourists, but if you are keen on buying a souvenir then go to the factory shop next door and purchase large religious icons carved out of khondalite, the multi-coloured stone used in the Sun temple at Konarak.
Events
Puri''s annual "Car Festival", the Rath Yatra is held in the full moon phase of the Oriya month of ''Jestho - June/July in the Gregorian Calendar. Then, the town is chockfull of pilgrims who come to celebrate the return of the three gods to their mothers home, a journey through the streets of
Puri on a colossal wooden chariot/car hand pulled by king (the erstwhile Raja of Puri) and commoner alike. The more secular visitors include thousands of tourists who come to observe the procession of the colossal Jagannath chariots. The chariot festival begins during the full moon phase when about five thousand devotees drag the 'raths to the Garden House or Gundicha Ghar, the gods summer retreat. The gods take a nine- day holiday after which in a repeat yatra, the gods get back to the temple to ''perform their duties of listening to the people and granting them their hearts desires''!
Night Out
A range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food is served at the restaurants of the upmarket hotels. Chinese, Indian and European Continental figure on all the menus, though visitors might not always recognise the taste of the food served! Seafood is fresh from the waters of the Indian Ocean. Inexpensive
eating options are limited to the handful of cafes that dish up local food in platefuls. Vendors on and around the beach serve Indianised versions of fast food like burgers and noodles and of course, all the Indian favourites.
Sights
Situated on the eastern coast of Orissa, Puri is a splendid beach resort with golden sunshine, miles of yellow sand, blue waves and white surf. Sit under an umbrella, sip coconut water, swim in the shallow sea or surf ride the huge waves or check out the fishing village of the Nolia community. The
Jagannath Temple dedicated to Krishna is one of the four dhams or holy places venerated by Hindus and mandatory pilgrimage for the devout. This temple complex was built during the 12th century A.D. by Anantavarman Chodaganga as a place to offer prayers to the God Vishnu. The main features of the temples are its sculpted figures from Hindu mythology and its tapering 65m high spire. The Jagmohan, the inner sanctum has images of the black hued Jagannath (an incarnation of Vishnu, the god Krishna), his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. It is said that the prasad or the sanctified food served at the temple is the tastiest morsel cooked in Puri. The temple is strictly off limits for non-Hindus. The area surrounding the temple complex is fairly interesting with the Raghunandan Library, directly opposite the main gate of the Jagannath Temple. This library houses a dusty and neglected collection of rare palm leaf manuscripts and religious texts. Towards the south lies one of the most auspicious cremation grounds for Hindus, the Swargadwar or the gateway to heaven. Other temples in the town are the Gundicha, the Lokanath, the Sunaragauranga, the Daria Mahabir and the Tota Gopinath temples. Puri is also dotted with holy tanks like Narendra, Markandeya, Sweta Ganga and Indradyumna.
How to get there by Air
The nearest national airport in the state is at Bhubaneshwar. There are frequent flights from Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad. Puri is 62 km away, a distance that can be covered by road or by rail.
How to get there by Rail
Direct express trains link Puri with Delhi, via Varanasi or Agra. There are trains to Calcutta and Guwahati too. Puri has a branch line of South Eastern Railway network connecting the southern Indian states to Puri. From other places in India, trains arrive at the nearest major junction at Bhubaneshwar,
62 km away or at Khurda Road, 44 km from Puri.
How to get there by Bus
Puri and Bhubaneshwar are well connected by road; with frequent and fast state transport buses and minibus services that do the journey in few hours. Cars, Jeeps and other private vehicles also ply on the same route as do luxury buses run by Orissa Tourism Development Corporation.
Best time to Visit
While one can visit Puri any time of the year, winter months from November to February are the best times to visit as the weather is at its balmiest best. If you dont mind being part of a crowd of thousands of people and are seriously devout, then come here during June and July when the Rath Yatra
takes places. It is the annual Chariot Festival of the Jagannath Temple when devotees throng this town to pull the Lords chariot. The rainy season (June to September) is best avoided as the southeast monsoon really pours its heart out.
Hotels in orrissa
Puri has a host of hotels mainly located on the beach. All hotels in Puri are situated near the beach, quite close to the Railway Station. The up market top-end hotels have comfortable rooms with facilities like air conditioned rooms, health clubs, well manicured gardens, swimming pools, restaurants
etc and rooms that overlook the sea. Hotels that cost a little less are older establishments with wide verandas and balconies facing the seafront. The cheapest places are small lodges that offer basic rooms with lockers, fans but little else. It is better to book rooms at the hotels in advance especially so if you plan to visit the city in June/July when the Rath Yatra takes place. The budget hotels are Padma, Lee Garden and Dolphin. In the luxury category are Toshali Sands, Hotel Hans Coco Palms, Surya Beach Inn and the Sterling Days Inn Resort.
Nearby Places
Balighai, 8 km from Puri is a popular picnic spot at the point where the River Nuanai meets the sea. Brahmagiri with the shrine of Alarnath and the shrine of Baliharachandi on the solitary sand dunes near the River Bhargavi is only 25 km away. Satyabadi or Sakshigopal is 20
km from Puri and a trip to Puri is considered incomplete if one does not visit the shrine of Lord Sakshigopal(Krishna) here. Raghurajpur, a famous artists village in Orissa is 16 km from Puri. Besides art pattachittra and talapattachittra, this village is the hometown of Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra, one of the most renowned exponents of Odissi, the lyrical classical dance genre born in the temples of Orissa and handed down from generation to generation in the Guru-Shishya (teacher-disciple) tradition. Birapratapur and Ganganarayanpur are two traditional Brahmin villages, situated inland amongst the coconut palms, paddy fields, muddy lakes and rivers. Thatched houses of baked clay and wood, painted with gay designs, and small temples are the main attractions of these quaint villages that worship Lord Vishnu.
For more information for this Destination please check india Travel Guide
budget hotels in Hyderabad
by: Raman Mankotia Architectural Tours Of India Discover The Bystanders Of Rich Indian History Beach Holidays In Kerala A Volcanic Birthday, Beach Getaway, No Way! Create Your Halloween Costume Greater Trick Than Treat Beach Holidays In Ganpatipule,maharashtra,india Macau International Musical Festival - Vibrations Of The World Kerala Tours Refreshing Holidaying Opportunity Summer Tomato Care Trip Plannert Residents Of Washington Terrace Very Much Aware Of Groundwater Problem Traveling In Pregnancy Satellite Direct Australia Some Denver Waterways Too Contaminated For Safe Summer Play