Puri

Puri

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Forty miles by road south of Bhubaneswar lie Puri, one of the four holiest places in all India. Puri, located on coast of Bay of Bengal, is called as religious capital of Odisha. Tourism in Puri centers round holy temples, sea beaches, architectural splendor, forest reserves, short cruises and dolphin watching. Its religious significance and serene sea-beaches attract Hindu pilgrims, Bengali holidaymakers and foreign tourists in large numbers. For the pious Hindu, a pilgrimage to Puri is an obligation and it is said that if one stays here for three days and nights he will gain freedom from the cycle of births and rebirths. The city is always full of pilgrims and the shrine which draws them there is the enormous Jagannath Temple— Shrine of the “Lord of the Universe”. The temple, set in a huge compound on the Nilgiri or Blue Hill, is not open to non-Hindus, but a good observation post can be found on top of any high-rise building in the vicinity. From here, a non- Hindu may see not only the goings-on in the temple compound, but also some of the courtyards of the surrounding religious boarding houses where ‘sadhus’ perform their rites and sacred ablutions.

“The great spiritual army marched its hundreds, sometimes its thousand miles along the roads, across the unbridged rivers, and through pestilent jungles, those who took to the road had spent their strength long before the holy city was reached,” wrote Hunter. Indeed, before roads and railways were built, this is how devotees through the ages reached Puri.

Puri offers perhaps the best sea and surf bathing in all India. The long stretch of golden sands of the Puri beach is immensely popular with visitors throughout the year. The spell of the ancient city spreads up to the beach despite an elegant look given to it by the colourful tourists. On the beach for a relaxing swim, you will also admire the lithe fishermen, called Nunias’, at work wearing their conical silver straw hats. They guide bathers through the high and rhythmically rolling waves. Also on the beach is The Swarga Dwar or “Door of Paradise”. It is used as a cremation ground and when the ceremonies are finished here the pilgrim bathes in the sea to wash away his sins.

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