Puri

Puri is a city in the east Indian state of Orissa. The city is famous for its Jagannath temple. The temple was built in the late eleventh century. Puri is one of the oldest cities in the eastern part of the country. It is situated on the coast of Bay of Bengal and is a popular beach resort, positioned in a unique place that both sun set and sun rise can be viewed in the beach.

The word puri in sanskrit stands for city but it is derived from Jagannath puri (in shortway). In fact the correct answer for the term is puri is derived from purushottama (one of 108 shatktipeethas puroshottama). It is the only shrine in India, where Goddess Durga/sati/Parwati abode with Lord Krishna Jagannatha.

Puri is the site of the Govardhana matha, one of the four cardinal institutions established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, the others being those at Sringeri, Dwaraka and Jyotirmath.

Puri is also famous for its annual Ratha Yatra, or "Festival of Chariots", when the deities Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra, are brought out of the temple, and placed in a chariot procession. This festival occurs on various dates of the Gregorian calendar, typically in the month of July.

The town if famous for its many Mathas (monasteries of the various Hindu sects). It also houses the relics of many Hindu saints as traditionally it is seen as a holy place to die in or to get cremated in. As a result, it has had a disproportionate number of widows. Like other old Hindu religious towns it has a lot of character that is difficult to be glimpsed by a casual visitor.

Attractions of the Puri city are: