Orissa - Tourism - Puri @ whatisindia.com

Puri - City of the Lord
A heaven on earth is the common description of Puri. Both the devout and the pleasure-seeker bestow such praise on the place. The world's biggest Vishnu temple dividing the skyline through a host of smaller temples overlooking Puri's wide, sprawling, clean, sunny, buoyant, and vibrant beach, which too is one of world's finest of its kind are its chief attractions. Puri is also famous for the greatest of the temple festivals, the Rath Yatra or the Car Festival which falls in June/July.

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According to tradition, Puri was originally a densely wooded hill inhabited by Sabaras, a pre-Aryan and pre-Dravidian tribe. Chodaganga Dev, the illustrious ruler of the Ganga dynasty, built the present Jagannath Temple in the twelfth century A.D. Kapilendra Dev, Purusottam Dev and Prataprudra Dev, all rulers of the Surya dynasty, left their distinctive marks on the history, art and culture of Puri. Jagannath worship flourished even during the Moghul and Maratha periods. The British occupied Puri in 1803 and soon took over the administration of the temple. Modern Puri--its hospitals, its government buildings, its light house, its schools and colleges, its beautiful villas and hotels along the sea front was built during the British rule.

Ardhasani (3 km)
About 3 km from the Jagannath temple, on the Grand Road, is a small white-washed temple for goddess Ardhasani or Mausi Ma. A Subhadra image is worshipped here. The Puranas describe how the goddess used to drink half of the flood water at the time of deluge, thus saving the creation. On his way back from the Gundicha Temple during the Car Festival, Jagannath is offered here a delicacy known as podapitha (fire-baked cake).

Atharanala (3 km)
A marvel of medieval Orissan architecture the Atharnala or the bridge with eighteen arches was built by Bhanu Deba of the Ganga dynasty in the thirteenth century. It is a ferruginous stone structure and is still used as the gateway to the holy city Puri. During the nineteenth century the British Government collected pilgrim taxes here detaining millions of eager devotees enroute for days together.

Bedi Mahavir (2.5 km)
A small sea-side temple containing the image of the monkey-god Hanuman, a devotee of Rama. The legend goes that once Hanuman went on a short visit to Ayodhya. In the meantime seawater entered the city, causing considerable damage. The devotees prayed to Jagannath who asked Hanuman to explain his absence. On hearing about Hanuman's unscheduled visit to Ayodhya, Jagannath got his hands and feet tied with rope (bedi) and asked him to be vigilant on the seashore day and night. There is a popular belief that since then, the sea has not ventured into the city.

Chakhi Khuntia's House (4 km)
Chakhi Khuntia, a priest of Jagannath, fought the British during India's First War of Independence in 1857. Khuntia was the family priest of Queen Laxmi Bai of Jhansi who led the heroic revolt against the British. His house is situated in Harachandi Sahi. His descendants still live here and a visit to the house can, however, be arranged through the people living there.

Chakra Tirtha (2 km)
This place on the seashore is believed to be the house of the father of Laxmi, the consort of Jagannath. A small but beautiful temple houses the images of Laxmi and Nrusimha. The belief goes that in ancient times a sacred log of wood came floating in the sea out of which the Jagannath triad were carved. To many, this is also the very spot where vishnu saved the elephant from the clutches of a cruel crocodile.

Emar Math (3.5 km)
A prosperous monastery near the Lions' Gate dedicated to the sacred memory of the saint-philosopher Ramanuja, an exponent of Vishishtadwaita Vedanta or qualified monism. The monastery has its famous Raghunandan Library containing many palmleaf manuscripts. A non-Hindu visitor can have a clear sight of the Jagannath temple complex by climbing a flight of steps and reaching the third floor. Permission for doing so, is, however, to be obtained from the library on any day of the week except on Sundays and other public holidays.

Gandhi Ghat (2.5 km)
A statue of Mahatma Gandhi installed near the Light House at the sea shore commemorates his associations with Puri. Gandhiji's ashes as well as that of Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were immersed in the sea here. On his visit to Puri in the first half of the century the Mahatma wanted to take a band of his harijan followers to the Jagannath temple. But the orthodox priests objected to such entry. So Gandhi left Puri without entering the temple. His wife Kasturba and his Secretary Madev Desai went inside but had to face Gandhi's displeasure immediately after.

Gundicha Temple (1.5 km)
Gundicha Temple or the garden house of Jagannath is towards northeast direction of the Jagannath Temple. A major part of the present precinct was built during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The compound has two walls, one outer and another inner in the middle of which stands the main shrine. Unlike any other Orissan temple design it is almost a dome with Vishnu's wheel on the top. The inner and parts of the outer walls are full of murals and paintings belonging to the sixteenth century. A beautiful Garuda idol adorns the eastern most corner of the temple. The images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are annually taken in a chariot procession to the place. The Jagannath triad stay here for seven days. The pious believe that a sight of the Lord here is equal to thousand visits to the main Jagannath temple. Many devotees from North India consider this spot as the birth place of Sita, the consort of Rama. Gundicha temple has two gateway temples - one for Jagannath's entry and the other for his exist. In front of the latter one sees a stretch of land known as Saradhabali or the sand of divine love. It is so named because the devotees flock around Jagannath and his car here out of sheer love and devotion.

Guru Nanak's Places (3.5 km)
It is very near the sea on the way to Swargadwar from the Temple. It is believed that when Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, came to Puri he soon sat on the spot and was lost in mediatation in which state he remained for days together. The two disciples who accompanied him were starving. When the Guru's mediation came to an end, the disciples were extremely thirsty. But how to get fresh water on the sea shore ? The Guru dug the sand and fresh water gushed out immediately. The well dug by Guru Nanak, popularly known as Dedhasura Bhaibohu Kua, is still to be seen here and this place, the Bauli Math is visited by the devout round the year.

Holy Lakes
The city of Puri is famous for five holy lakes - Markanda (4 km), Shweta Ganga ( 4 km), Narendra (2.5 km), Indradyumna (2.5 km) and parvati Sagar (4.5 km). The first one is located in the north. The ancient Markandeshwar Shiva Temple situated on the bank of the lake makes Puri one of the fifty-two sacred Shiva places of the country. A few inscriptions found on the steps to the lake and the Markandeshwar Temple, are of great interest to historians. The second lake Shweta Ganga is towards the south of the Jagannath temple. Shweta Ganga means the White Ganga. It is believed that once in a year the blue water of the lake turns white when Ganga manifests hereself in the lake. The third lake Narendra is known to North Indians as the Chandan Talab. Here the Chandan Festival of Jagannath is held. Chaitanya, the great exponent of the cult of devotion, used to take his bath thinking the lake to be Krishna's Yamuna. The fourth lake Indradyumna is near Gundicha Temple. Numerous turtles living in the lake entertain the pilgrims. They are believed to be the very people who carried stones on their back for the construction of the Jagannath temple. The fifth lake Parvati Sagar is near the Lokanath Temple. Pilgrims enter the Shiva temple here after sprinkling water on their heads.

Jagannath Ballav Math (3 km)
Opposite the Municipal Market is situated Jagannath Ballav Math, a monastery which perpetuates the memory of Ray Ramananda, the administrator-turned saint of Orissa who lived during the sixteenth century. The garden behind the monastery building has a beautiful temple in the middle dedicated to Hanuman, the monkey-god who is believed to be protector of the trees and plants grown here.

Jagannath Temple Complex (3 km)
The Jagannath Temple Complex which spreads over an area of about 4,20,000 sq.ft. has four distinct sections - the outer section, the outer compound, the inner compound and the main temple. The outer section has four gateways and each such gateway has four temples. The eastern gate, known as the Lions' Gate, has a black stone pillar in its front having the idol of Arun (Sun) on the top. This tall pillar which is about 12 metres in height is made out of a single block of stone. On entering the temple through the eastern gate or Lions' Gate the visitor comes across the mural of Patitapabana, literally "Savior of the Fallen". It is a representation of the Jagannath image.

Baisi Pahacha
On entry the visitor ascends the twenty two steps which have Jaina significance. On its left side is situated Jagannath's kitchen which has provision for cooking food for about two lakh people at a time. On its right is the Ananda Bazaar or the Market of Joy where Mahaprasad of various kinds are sold : rice, dal, curry, cakes, sweets, etc.

References:

http://orissa.gov.in

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