The temple of Shree Jagannatha is one of the tallest monuments in the entire sub-continent of India and its height is about 214 feet from the ground (road) level. It stands on a ‘raised platform of stone, measuring about ten acres. It is located in the heart of the town and presents an imposing sight. The temple is bounded by two compound walls, the outer one known as Meghanada Prachira & the inner one known as Kurma Prachira. The present temple was built in the 12th century A.D. The temple structure is full of excellent carvings and lovely pieces of sculpture and is a fine specimen of Kalinga style of architecture. It is now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. Only orthodox Hindus are allowed to enter into the Temple. But the others can see portions of the enclosure from the top of the Emar Matha building, located near the east facing gate of the temple.
The largest crowd in Puri is seen during the Car Festival of Jagannatha which takes place every year sometime in June-July. Jagannatha of Puri is strikingly different from all other deities worshipped by the entire Hindu world, mainly for the reason that Jagannatha represents all the gods and goddesses known to the entire Hindu world, either directly or indirectly. He is considered to be the highest object of worship by the followers of all the religious cults that come within the purview of Hinduism. For example, he is Siva for a Saivite, Ganapati for a Ganapatya, Kalika for a Sakta and so on and so forth. This kind of integration of religious cults and creeds belonging to Hinduism is not to be seen anywhere else.
The main temple in Puri located on a gigantic raised platform believed to be the base of a small hill known as Nilagiri or Blue hill is surrounded by about 30 other temples dedicated to various gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. The kitchen of the Puri temple evokes a sense of wonder in any body from any portion of the world, which come to know of it. Within a short notice of a few hours, the temple can lavishly feed with first-class boiled rice & dishes of different tastes to thousands of people at a time. It is perhaps the biggest hotel of the world.
The second great attraction of Puri is the sea beach acclaimed to be one of the best sea beaches of the world. A number of beach complexes have developed on the sea at Puri & nearby. The sea at Puri is shallow and is therefore, highly suitable for sea-bath. But on particular days of the year, care should be taken to avoid a rush against the waves. The nolias (fisherman of the sea) will help in taking bath in the sea. To enable thousands of people to take bath at a time, there are four big sacred tanks in Puri. They are Indradyumna, Narendra, Markanda and Swetaganga. The Narendra in particular is associated with the famous Chandana Yatra of Jagannatha. Puri is an epitome of Indian philosophy, culture and religion known as Hinduism and a visit to this ancient city is a rewarding experience.
| Time Zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| State | Odisha |
| Country | India |
| Located at | Eastern Coast of Odisha |
| Coordinates | Latitude: 19° 48' 0 N Longitude: 85° 50' 60 E |
| Distance from Bhubaneswar | 60 KM |
| Mode of Transport | Road (Bus and Taxi), Rail |
| Nearest Domestic Airport | Bhubaneswar - 60 KM |
| Nearest International Airport | Kolkata |
| Best Time to Visit | October to March (Climate wise) |
| Best Time to Celebrate | June-July (During Car Festival) |
| Summer Temperature | Maximum: 36 °C to 40 °C Minimum: 27 °C |
| Winter Temperature | Maximum: 25 °C Minimum: 15 °C |
| Clothing | Light cotton in summer and Light woollen in winter |
| Local Language | Odia |
| Other languages | Hindi, Bengali and English |
| Codes | Pincode: 75200x Telephone STD Code: 06752 |