Every year, thousands of followers throng to Puri to attend the great Rath Yatra festival. Though the festival is indeed the major highlight, there are many other places to see in Puri that deserve a place in your itinerary. Whether it is the villages and temples of cultural heritage, the beaches, the markets, or the brackish water lagoon, Puri is definitely worth exploring.
Being declared a Heritage Village in 2000, Raghurajpur is recognised as the village that protects the art forms of Odisha. Most of the families are engaged in crafting artwork manually. Tourists may visit the artists, see them working and learn the process along with purchasing their creations. In addition, there are some families who give art lessons for extra money. This is the place of birth of the famous Odissi dancer Kelucharan Mohapatra.
This museum was established by Sudarshan Sahoo, an internationally renowned sculptor. The museum exhibits handcrafted works made from stone and wood, along with a large number of handmade crafts, paintings, and fibreglass sculptures. One of the highlights of the museum is a Japanese-style Buddhist temple. The Sudarshan Sahoo Museum is one of the most underrated places to see in Puri.
Pipili is well known in Odisha for its appliqué crafts. The shops in Pipili provide beautiful embroidered wall hangings, handbags, pouches, bed sheets, pillow covers and various other ornamental things depicting deities, birds, animals, and flowers. There are also food stalls in Pipili, where people can have something to eat while shopping.
One of the best instances of temple architecture in India, the Sun Temple of Konark is a 13th-century monument dedicated to the Sun God. Constructed around 1250 by Narasimha I, the king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, the Konark temple is shaped like Surya’s stone chariot with 24 wheels and seven horses. While only one horse survives in its original glory, the beautiful sculptures depict dancers, maidens, royal hunting and battlefields. It is one of the most popular places to see near Puri.
The Chilika Lake is considered the largest brackish lake in Asia and stretches across Puri, Khordha, and Ganjam. The Satapada region is widely regarded as the best place to view the Irrawaddy Dolphin, an endangered species. Visitors can also take a boat ride to Kalijai Temple, located on an island.
Astaranga Beach is famously known as the 'colourful sunset' beach. The beach is also a fishing spot, where a busy market opens up in the morning. One can have a picnic, go swimming or just laze around on the beach.
Visitors in Puri should not miss this vibrant shopping location, located adjacent to Swargadwar Beach. In addition to Sambalpuri, Bomkai and Ikat handwoven sarees, as well as the Pipili applique products and Pattachitra artwork, the shopkeepers here sell carved wooden idols of Lord Jagannath and shell-based handicrafts.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. There is a belief that Lord Vishnu appeared before villagers as a witness during their marriage ceremony. There is also another story, which states that the temple was built in honour of King Vajra, who is Lord Krishna’s grandson.
Thought to have been built in the 13th century, the Shiva temple is known for its magnificent stone carvings. The temple’s entrance is adorned with a remarkable 10-armed Nataraja figure. The main temple itself houses intricate carvings of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, and Lord Ganesha. There are also small temples dedicated to various forms of Shiva inside the main complex.
Gundicha Temple is also a significant site of worship during the famous Rath Yatra celebrations. In this yatra, Lord Jagannath, Balaram, and Subhadra spend a week in this temple. It is believed that the unfinished idols captivated Queen Gundicha. She asked King Indradyumna to construct a temple at this location. There is another belief that Lord Jagannath promised his aunt, Gundicha, to visit her every year, and hence Rath Yatra began. For anyone extending their trip, it remains one of the most meaningful places to see in Puri.
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