"Puri - Home of the Jagannath Temple " a Puri Travel Page by Willettsworld

Puri is located on the coast of Orissa in eastern India about 60km south of the state capital Bhubaneswar. I came here for a few days during the week before Christmas and found many hotels to be fully booked as Puri is a popular destination for Kolkatan's who are enticed here by the beautiful long, wide sandy beach and the quietness that goes with it. Not only is Puri famed for its beach, its other claim-to-fame is that it's the location of one of India's most important pilgrimage centres, the late 12th century Jagannath Temple. Here Jagannath, Lord of the Universe and incarnation of Vishnu, is worshipped and is hauled along on a chariot during the festival of Rath Yatra every June or July by some 4,000 temple employees. I spent a nice relaxing time in Puri and used it as a base to visit the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Sun Temple at Konark which is located about 35km east of Puri.