Puri is nostalgia…………

Tripoto
7th Oct 2017

I visited the religious town of Puri during the Autumn of last year. It was in the month of October. That is usually a feasible time for most Bengali families for a family vacation. Being the time for the Durga puja vacation, they get a good number of days to visit and enjoy their stay by the beautiful beaches of the Bay of Bengal.

So, now you know why Puri is synonymous to nostalgia when I give you these simple insights of every middle-class Bengali household. As a child, visiting Puri was a recurring event. Our family could manage at least one visit a year to Puri.

With nostalgia strewn all over the place, I won’t present this blog to you in my usual way. For it is going to be more of the pictures I took visiting the city. Till the autumn breaks in, you will surely be ready to pack your bags to invade the famous places of Orissa. And if I am unable to convince you do so, I would certainly feel disheartened.

Photo of Puri, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Day one was all about checking into the hotel, strolling on the beach, and having some delicious seafood.

Photo of Puri Beach Resorts, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Puri Beach Resorts, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Puri Beach Resorts, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Puri Beach Resorts, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Puri Beach Resorts, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

After a good night’s sleep, the next agenda was to wake up early in the morning and catch the sunrise. We weren’t really lucky the first day, but the experience was funny. With so many likeindeed people, all eager to take a glimpse of the sun peeping out, together watching this phenomenon was of a different kind. But the clouds played the spoilsport!

Photo of Golden Beach, Orissa by tanwistha gope
Photo of Puri, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Puri, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Mom wanted to see the ritual of flag hoisting at the Jagannath Temple around the evening. So, we thought of using the entire day to visit the other famous places.

Gundicha temple—is Lord Jagannath’s aunt Gundicha’s place, and hence the name. The temple comes to life during the Rath Yatra. As per beliefs, Lord Jagannath, along with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra spend 7 days at this acclaimed place.

Photo of Shree Gundicha Temple, Puri, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Shree Gundicha Temple, Puri, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Chandravaga beachits a virgin beach on the coast of Bay of Bengal near the mouth of the Chandravaga river in Orissa. A perfect stop on the way to the Konark temple.

Photo of Puri is nostalgia………… by tanwistha gope
Photo of Chandrabhaga Beach, Sahukhanata, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Konark—one of the most eminent architectural marvel of Eastern India. The Konark temple is an epitome of the proud Kalinga architecture. Every frame standing tall, proudly show casing the master artistry.

Photo of Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Konark Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Shanti Stupa Dhaulagiri—also known as the Peace Pagda, Dhauligiri lies at a distance of 7 Km from Bhubaneswar. After the Kalinga war, with a shattered body and a soul, as the Great Ashoka climbed up the Dhauligiri and looked around, he felt shattered. The scene of death and destruction horrified him. As he realized the uselessness of running after the earthly things, he gave up everything and welcomed Buddism, from here.

Photo of Dhauli Shanti Stupa, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Dhauli Shanti Stupa, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Dhauli Shanti Stupa, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Dhauli Shanti Stupa, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Mukteshwar temple —dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered as one of the significant temples of Orissa. Of the many masterpieces of the Kalinga architecture, this temple is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful.

Photo of Mukteshwar Temple, Baniari, Orissa, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Mukteshwar Temple, Baniari, Orissa, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Mukteshwar Temple, Baniari, Orissa, India by tanwistha gope

Raja Rani templethis temple apparently has no deity associated with it. Story says that the temple was a pleasure resort of an Oriya king and queen (raja and rani). However, more realistically, the temple got its name from the variety of sandstone used to make it.

Photo of Rajarani Colony, Rajarani Temple, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Rajarani Colony, Rajarani Temple, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Kedar Gauri temple—devoted to Lord Shiva (Kedareswar) and Goddess Gouri, this temple is situated right behind the Mukteshwar temple. The main attraction of this temple is the 8-feet statue of Hanuman and Goddess Durga standing on a lion.

Photo of Kedar Gouri Temple, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Kedar Gouri Temple, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Kedar Gouri Temple, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope
Photo of Kedar Gouri Temple, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Lingaraj temple —dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is one of the oldest temples in Orissa. Also considered as the largest temple in Bhubaneshwar. A beautiful piece of the Kalinga architecture. Shiv Ratri is the main festival celebrated annually in the Phalgun month when millions of devotees visit the temple.

Photo of Lingaraj Temple Bhubaneswar, Lingaraj Nagar, Old Town, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India by tanwistha gope

Jagannath temple —an important pilgrimage destination and one of the four great 'Char Dham' pilgrimage sites. A site that beholds mystery in every inch. One of those mysteries is the ritual of replacing the flag atop the temple dome, every evening. Every day a priest climbs the walls of the temple with a height equivalent to that of a 45 storey building, to change the flag atop the temple dome. We were lucky enough to be able to see it. With no permission to carry a mobile phone or camera, we couldn’t capture the moment. I was happy enough to have captured a glance of the temple from one of the gates.

Photo of Jagannath Temple, Pujariput, Koraput, Orissa, India by tanwistha gope

With a satisfied visit at the temples, the day came to an end. Not literally though, cause we got back to the hotel, freshened up and left for the beach. Kids still taking ride on the camels trading around, and groups siting on the beach enjoying the cool breeze; it was a beautiful sight. A perfect backdrop for a perfect family vacation to come to an end.

Photo of Golden Beach, Odisha by tanwistha gope
Photo of Golden Beach, Odisha by tanwistha gope

A huge smile came on my face, as the sweet seller came along. It’s a usual sight on Puri beach. You can find them moving around caring rosogolla, chhanar jalebi, roshbora, chhanar gaja, samosa, chop, and some other variety. My happiness had no bound. We immediately ordered one of each and started gorging on them. And now, my Puri visit came to an end.

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