Puri

One of Hinduism's four holiest sites, home to the Jagannath Temple, the Rath Yatra chariot festival and golden beaches, with the Konark Sun Temple along the coastal road and Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika Lake.

Puri lies on the Bay of Bengal coast in Odisha, eastern India, about 60 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar. One of Hinduism's Char Dham (four sacred abodes), it is famous for the Jagannath Temple and its Rath Yatra chariot festival each June–July, and is also Odisha's most popular beach resort. A visit falls into three parts: the town centers on the Jagannath Temple, with the Grand Road running northeast to the Gundicha Temple, plus nearby Narendra Tank, old temples such as Lokanath and the Swargadwar beachfront market; the beach stretches right from town, perfect for sunrise in the morning and seaside snacks in the evening; and around Puri, the Marine Drive heads north past Beleswar, the Ramachandi river mouth and the Balukhand coastal forest to the World Heritage Konark Sun Temple and Chandrabhaga Beach. Inland are the crafts village of Raghurajpur and the Sakshigopal Temple, while at Satapada, about 50 km southwest, boats head into Chilika Lake to see Irrawaddy dolphins. Note: the Jagannath and Gundicha temples admit Hindus only, and phones and leather items are not allowed inside. The best season is October–February; March–May is hot and humid; June–September is monsoon season, when the surf is rough and swimming dangerous, but this is also when Rath Yatra takes place and accommodation is extremely hard to book. Getting there: it's about 1.5 hours by road from Bhubaneswar airport, and Puri station has direct trains to Kolkata, Delhi and elsewhere. Allow 2–3 days, easily combined with Bhubaneswar.

Top sights

• Jagannath Temple, Puri – One of the four holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites: this roughly 65-metre Kalinga-style temple, built in the 12th century, sends three deity im…
• Konark Sun Temple – A 13th-century World Heritage Site carved as the sun god's chariot, with 24 stone wheels and seven horses; its stonework is exquisitely bey…
• Puri Beach – Golden sand stretching for several kilometres in front of Puri town; sunrise, camel rides, sand sculptures and seaside snacks offer a diffe…
• Chilika Lake (Satapada) – One of Asia's largest brackish lagoons. From Satapada, you can take a boat out to the lagoon's mouth to see Irrawaddy dolphins and the sand…
• Raghurajpur Heritage Crafts Village – A handicraft village where nearly every household is a painting studio. Pattachitra paintings, palm-leaf engravings, and the Gotipua boys'…
• Chandrabhaga Beach – A wide beach beside the Konark Sun Temple, where fishing boats return to harbor at sunrise. It is one of the first beaches in Odisha to ear…
• Gundicha Temple – The end point of the Chariot Festival, known as Jagannath's "aunt's house," where three deities stay for seven days each year.
• Swargadwar – Puri's liveliest stretch of seafront, where the Hindu "Gate of Heaven" cremation ground sits beside a market and food stalls, showing the e…
• Narendra Pokhari – Puri's largest holy tank. Each year during the Chandan Yatra, sandalwood festival, the representative deities of Jagannath are carried in d…
• Lokanatha Temple – One of Puri's five Shiva temples. Legend says the lingam, installed by Rama on his way to Lanka, stays submerged in spring water all year.
• Markandeshwar Temple & Tank – An ancient Shiva temple and holy tank in the old town of Puri. It is one of the "Five Sacred Sites" that pilgrims visit in a traditional or…
• Atharanala Bridge – A 13th-century stone arch bridge with eighteen spans, the old gateway into the holy city of Puri, still in use today.
• Sakshigopal Temple – A temple to the "witness Krishna," traditionally visited after worshipping Jagannath to "check in" and complete the pilgrimage.
• Alarnath Temple, Brahmagiri – A Vishnu temple in Brahmagiri where devotees come to worship during the fortnight Jagannath spends “recuperating” behind closed doors after…
• Ramachandi Temple & Beach – A goddess temple and beach at the Kushabhadra River mouth, where boats can be taken to the meeting point of river and sea. It is a popular…
• Konark Archaeological Museum – A museum run by the Archaeological Survey of India, just north of the Sun Temple, displaying original carvings recovered from the collapsed…
• Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary – Casuarina coastal forest lining the seaside road between Puri and Konark, home to spotted deer and migratory birds, and a must-stop on any…
• Beleswar Temple – An ancient Shiva temple on a dune beside the coastal road, said to have been built by Rama, with the quiet, uncrowded Beleswar Beach at its…

Where to eat

• Dalma Odia Restaurant – This affordable restaurant, known for its traditional Odia thalis, is a reliable choice for trying dalma and local fish…
• The Dining Car at Chanakya BNR Hotel – A nostalgic restaurant in a century-old railway hotel, recreating the English menu of the Bengal Nagpur Railway era.
• Wild Grass Restaurant – A long-running garden restaurant on VIP Road, known for Odia-style seafood and crab curry.
• Honey Bee Bakery & Pizzeria – A rooftop café in the backpacker area of CT Road, popular for Western breakfasts, baked goods, and wood-fired pizza.

Itineraries

• Odisha Temples, Coast & Chilika Lake – Connect Bhubaneswar, Konark, and Puri, then head south along Chilika Lake to the coastal town of Gopalpur.