Puri is a tremendously popular destination in Orissa. The coastal town on the Bay of Bengal is dotted with numerous temples, ashramas, maths and of course the sea which are the main tourist attractions in Puri.

Puri is most famous as the abode of Lord Jagannatha. Myths, legends lie entangled in the temples of Puri. Rath Yatra (Chariot festival) is a fantastic spectacle in Puri.

Travel.mapsofindia.com here outlines a few tourist attractions in Puri.

Jagannath Temple: The temple is the biggest of all tourist attractions in Puri. Legend has it that the King Indradyumna who ruled the territory decided to built the temple upon seeing the deity Lord Jagannatha in dream. Following several difficulties, the temple was built and an old Brahmin agreed to carve the image on a sacred piece of wood. But the artisan left the job incomplete since he was disturbed in the middle of his task. The artisan is believed to Lord Krishna in disguise.

The Temple is an example of superb architectural skill of the period. The rock-hewn temple has tall shikharas (spires). The pillars that support the building are embellished with scenes from the life of Lord Krishna.

Gundicha Temple: Towards northeast direction of the Jagannath Temple, lies the Gundicha Temple (16th - 17th centuries), which feature among the tourist attractions in Puri. Unlike any other Orissan temples, it is almost a dome with Vishnu's wheel on the top. During rath Yatra festival, Lord Jagannatha remain for seven days in Gundicha Temple popularly known as HIS aunt's house.

Swargadwar: The place along the seashore is a sacred place and one of the tourist attractions in Puri. Sri Chaintanya Mahaprabhu, the Vaishnava prophet here merged into the sea and passed away. A dip here in the sea is believed to open the doors to heaven.

Other tourist attractions in Puri include: Jagannath Ballav Math, Chaturdham Veda Bhawan, Bedi Mahavir, Ardhasani, Chakra Tirtha, Dasavatara Math and so on.

Pipli, Raghurajpur and Chilika Lake are only short excursions away from Puri and are worth a visit.

Travel.mapsofindia.com offers online booking of hotels and tour packages to Puri and all over India.
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