Puri: a magical city where people come to experience the serenity

Puri is one of the most religious places in India. It is the home of Lord Jagannath and is considered a pious place to die. It is also one of the most visited destinations in India, and attracts visitors from all across the country. Complete with all attractions of an excellent historic destination, the city is a must visit for history and religion buff. For accommodations, one could choose from hotels near Puri railway station as they are easily accessible and also offer content lodging.

Puri is one of the most important religious sites in India. The city is of immense importance to the Hindus, as it is one of the four most celebrated and significant religious cities in India, which together are called as Char Dham. The city is most popular as the abode of Lord Jagannath, or Lord Vishnu, and is also the site where every year the world popular religious event called Rath Yatra is commemorated. The religious significance of the city is simply colossal and hard to match. Amongst the Hindus, it is believed that a death in the city or cremation after the death brings one the Moksha. Home to the world-famous Jagannath Temple that was built in the 12th century, Puri is the city receiving large continuous waves of visitors. It is believed that the religious pilgrimage is simply incomplete if one skips or couldn't manage to visit the Puri city.

The name of the city, which is Puri derives from Jagannath Puri. However, there are multiple records that testify that the city was called by several other names as well. The most significant ones include: Srikshetra, Neelachala, Shankhakshetra, and Purusottama Puri. Before the city came to be recognized as one of the major religious sites, the regions were basically thickly wooded hills that were home to the Sabaras. It was the establishment of the Jagannath Temple, which in the right sense brought the city into prominence. The Jagannath Temple is still the chief structure of the city. It is a magnificent temple build in medieval Indian architectural style, and is abode of Lord Jagannath.

The temple remains flocked by the visitors and devotees throughout the year. However, note that it is only people who are Hindus by birth, are allowed to enter the temple. But the good thing is that this restriction is broken during the Rath Yatra or the Chariot Festival. The festival is the time when the Lord Jagannath along with his brother and sister are taken to their maternal aunt's place. It is the time when the deity of the temple is actually taken out of the temple so that it will be taken to another temple. If one is planning to visit the city, the festive season of the Rath Yatra is perhaps the best time. Meanwhile, the months through October to March are also ideal for a tour of the city.

The city is located about 60 km from Bhubaneswar. It is the capital and an urban city housing the nearest airport to Puri. Besides, the Puri railway station is one of the big railway stations in the eastern-western railway route. There are frequent and regular trains to the city railway station from all major states in India. Additionally, the good thing is that there exist a number of good hotels near Puri railway station offering a content accommodation at fair prices.

When in the city, a couple of prime places that are must visit include: Jagannath Temple, Swargadwar, Balighai Beach, Sakshi Gopal Temple, Beleswar Beach, Konark, Raghurajpur Artist Village, Puri Beach, Daya River, Gundicha Temple, and Chilika Lake etc. The good thing is that there exist a number of hotels in Puri with tariff that best suit budget of many travellers, which offer content accommodation along with having the benefits of good connectivity to the popular sightseeing places in the city. One could consider them as they are ideal lodging options.

Sandeep is an experienced travel consultant, who enjoys travelling and loves to write about the destinations he has been to and shares his experience. He also writes about travel tips, world's best holiday destinations, best hotels in a destination,