About Rath Yatra Festival Puri :
Puri combines its dual identities of a relaxed seaside resort and of an important pilgrimage centre with great ease, and the visitor will enjoy both aspects equally. Puri is one of the four holiest places in India for Hindus, and the presence of the Jagannath Temple (see Directory: Sacred Places) has dominated life there since at least the twelfth century. Throughout the year, the temple is a pulsating center of pilgrimage. The pulsations turn to electricity each summer, when the temple statues are taken on an annual pilgrimage themselves, carried from the temple in immense 40-ft chariots, in the spectacular Rath Yatra festival. Although the temple precincts are off-limits to non-Hindus, everyone can enjoy the lively bazaar area surrounding the temple, and can peer into the temple itself from the roof of the Raghunandan Library opposite. In addition to the bazaar area near the temple, superb shopping can be done in and around Puri by visiting the area’s traditional painters and stone carvers (see Arts and Crafts Listing). The beach area has been a popular seaside resort for decades, and some of the older hotels capture the charm of bygone days. There are also new hotels of great style and comfort, and it is quite possible to spend an entire vacation based at one of these lovely places, using Puri as a base for excursions to other parts of the state and returning to the solace of the sea in between.
General Information about Rath Yatra Festival Puri :
Location: Puri
State: Orissa
Capital: Bhubaneswar
Language: Oria, Hindi, English
Temperature: Max 42˚C, Min 28˚C (summer), Max 25˚C, Min 8˚C (winter)
Best Season: October to March
Area :16 Sq. Km (City)
Distence : 300 Sq. Km
How to Reach Puri :
By Air :
Bhubaneswar serves as the most convenient entry point for traveling to Puri by air. The capital city of Orissa is linked with all the major cities of India, such as Kolkata, Delhi and Hyderabad, by direct flights.
By Train :
Puri has a good railway network also. Regular trains operate from the railway station in the city, connecting it with almost all the major cities of Orissa as well as the rest of the country.
By Road :
Puri has a good network of roads, connecting it with the major parts of India. For getting to Puri from some other city of Orissa, it is best to travel by road as it is a very convenient and inexpensive option. Government State Transport and Orissa Road Corporation buses regularly ply between Puri and Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Chilka, Konarak, Chennai, Sambalpur and Visakhapatnam.