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The holy city of Puri, 60 km from Bhubaneswar, is one of the four
holiest points of pilgrimage for Hindus.
The reigning deity of the city, Lord Jagannath, whose temple
was built way back in the 12th century, is not only of great religious
significance to the people of Orissa but is revered by thousands
of pilgrims who seek His blessings from every part of the country.
This intense veneration of Jagannath, or the Lord of the Universe,
reaches its zenith during the annual rites of the Rath Yatra in
the months of June July, when the images of Lord Jagannath, His
sister Subhadra and brother Balbhadra are transported through
the Grand Road (Bada Danda) of Puri in traditionally decorated
massive chariots that are dragged by thousands of devotees to
the Gundicha Ghar where they sojourn for a week. The process is
repeated when they are returned amidst intense religious fervor
to the temple. Though the temple is closed to non-Hindus, the
activities of the Jagannath Temple are so immense that they create
enough colour and interest for tourists to participate in the
bazar element of the proceedings outside the temple precincts.
The other important feature of the town is its beautiful beach
which, for centuries, has offered pleasure to both pilgrims and
swimmers. This picturesque beach is one of the most delightful
white beaches in the country and is becoming a pleasure haunt
for tourists from all over the globe. Though the surf here is
pretty exciting, the under-current can be a bit tricky, so tread
carefully... The areas both within and outside Puri offer excellent
shopping and the nearby artist villages of Pipli (for the famous
appliqué work), Raghurajpur (for pata and palm-leaf paintings)
and Balakati (for bell-metal work) bring shoppers directly in
contact with the craftsmen at work. It can be quite an experience.
Places to visit
Raghurajpur
The artists village of Raghurajpur, 16 km from Puri, is famous
for its patachitras created by traditional chitrakaras, who have,
for centuries, also churned out palm-leaf etchings with exquisite
detail. Quite a few of the craftsmen are winners of national awards.
Satapara
Satapara, a retreat in nature on Chilika Lake, is opened up to
the tourists. For its location near the confluence of the lake
with the ocean and proximity to Puri (48 km), it is an ideal spot
to enjoy Chilika. The thrilling sight of dolphins round the year
and abundance of migratory and resident birds in winter make it
a preferred place for a vacation with nature.
Choudwar
Choudwar, a growing industrial area was once the capital of Somakuli
Keshari Kings of Orissa. Eight prominent Siva pithas were established
by the Keshari dynasty in the vicinity of Choudwar which is now
in ruins. Tradition records that it was the capital of Virat,
the brother-in-law of Kichaka. The five Pandava brothers with
their consort Draupadi took shelter in Choudwar in their secret
exile.
Chhatia
Popularly known as Chhatiabata, Chhatia is a sacred place of
pilgrimage. The shrine of Lord Jagannath at Chhatia is a modern
piece of Orissan temple architecture. Nearby one can find the
archaeological remains of Amravati-Kataka, one of the five important
forts of Chodaganga Deva. Amaravati with the back drop of the
hill "Dhania" presents an attractive sight.
Jajpur
Otherwise known as Vaitarani Tirtha, Jajpur with Goddess Viraja
(Durga) as its presiding deity is one of the sacred places of
pilgrimage in Orissa. The place has its unique importance in India
as Navigaya Kshetra where pinda is offered for the satisfaction
of the ancestors. The shrine of Sweta Varaha (the white boar incarnation
of Vishnu) along with hundreds of other shrines here made Jajpur
a Tirtha par excellence. The "Dasavamedha Ghat", the
flight of steps leading to the Vaitarani where the ten horse sacrifices
were performed is a great sanctified spot for the Hindus.
Ansupa
Ansupa the small but picturesque lake holds a prominent position
in the tourist map of Orissa and offers an asylum to the migratory
birds in winter. The play of the shadow of Saranda mountain and
surrounding bamboo and mango groves on the rippling waters of
Ansupa make it a real thing of beauty. One can have a boat journey
or go for fishing in the lake.
Ansupa is 70 kms from Cuttack and 20 kms from Raja-athagarh station,
connected with regular bus service.
Ratnagiri Lalitgiri Udayagir
These three hills comprise a remarkable buddhist complex. Hieun-T'sang,
the Chinese pilgrim found it to be the seat of a flourishing Buddhist
University called "Puspagiri". Extensive ruins of brick
pagodas, sculptured stone portals and esoteric Buddhist images
testifying its ancient glory have been unearthed. Ratnagiri is
the gem of this complex. The magnificently carved door jambs of
the Vihar and superbly finished Buddha images from perhaps the
greatest concentration of Buddhist sculpture of the post-Gupta
period. Ratnagiri is 70 kms, Lalitgiri is 55 kms and Udayagiri
is 60 kms from Cuttack.
Dhavaleswar
A small island in the Mahanadi, the temple of Dhavaleswar is
situated on a hillock. Though a new structure, sculptures of 10
/ 11th century A.D. are found in the temple premises.
Temples
Jagannath Temple
It is the earliest Ganga monument of Orissa, but it must be noted
that the ganga temples of much earlier dates are still to traced
in the Andra regions, the original seat of power of Gangas. There
is adefinite mention in all the later copper plate records of
the successor of Chodaganga that he was the bulider of this great
temple at Puri. According to some evidence sources that Chodaganga
had began this huge structure and one his successor Ananagabhimadev
III completed it or added the Jagamohan to it. The height of the
Jagannath temple of Puri as calculated as 215 feet 8 inches. It
is therefore the loftiest religious edifice of Orissa. At present
the thick coat of plaster which had covered the structure for
centuries has been removed.
As is usual in all great temples of the period, the monument
stands on a high platform which is connected with the ground level
by a height of 22 very very big steps. The edifies is masive and
strong and is a product of accummulated experience of the past
in temple architecture and this factor has enabled it to with
stand the ravages of time.
Rath Yatra
Once every year, in the months of June-July the famous Rath Yatra
or car festival is held at Puri. It celebrates Lord Jagannath’s
legendary return to his kingdom on earth. The beach festival is
celebrated in the later part of March or early April, and showcases
the best of Orissa’s folk and classical dance forms, music
and handicrafts. Nava Kalebara is a local festival of an immensely
significant religious ritual, when the three temple deities Lord
Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra change their external forms.
New idols are carved out of specially sanctified sandalwood trees,
following certain regulations.
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