Located on the coast of Odisha, Puri is a heritage city under Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) of the Indian Government.
LOCATION
Located in the Bay of Bengal, Puri is a coastal city in the eastern state of Odisha. It is located 60 kilometres away from Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Odisha.
MYTHOLOGY
Puri is one of the four ‘Char Dham’ sites sacred to Hindus. The Jagannath Temple, another sacred site for Hindus, has a story attached to it. It is said that the king of Puri at the time wished to make a temple with beautiful idols to honour Lord Jagannath. The sculptor he chose only agreed to carve the idols if no one ever entered when the idols were unfinished, and only came to see them when they were finally ready. The king agreed, but one day his curiosity got the better of him and he entered the temple. To his surprise, the craftsman had disappeared, and the idols were left unfinished. These idols are without limbs and proper details even today because there is beauty in unfinished things also.
SIGNIFICANCE
The Jagannath Temple is the main attraction of this city. 80% of the city’s economy comes from its tourism. Jagannath Temple is said to have the largest kitchen in the world with a capacity to serve about 100000 people at a time. Puri is especially full of pilgrims during the Rath Yatra, a festival commemorating the Lord Jagannath. Raths are large chariots pulled through the streets by devotees. The chariot of Jagannath is what gave rise to the English word juggernaut.
ARCHITECTURE
The majestic Jagannath Temple is a brilliant example of architecture in Puri. The temple consists of four structures, the main hall, the porch, the audience hall, and the hall for residual offerings. All four structures are built in an east – west alignment. A major part of the temple is located underground, which adds to its wonder.
AT DIFFERENT TIMES
The Jagannath Temple in Puri has been invaded several times over the centuries, dating back to the year 798 by the rulers of the Rashtrakut empire. After Adi Shankracharya established one of his four famous institutions in Puri in 810 AD, it became more known. During the era of the British Raj, the summer residence for the English East India Company was located here, in years 1913-14.
ARCHAEOLOGY
Many Jain and Buddhist relics have been excavated from sites near Puri and Bhubaneshwar. There are Buddhist sculptures and scriptures found dating back to the 3rd century BC.
DEMOGRAPHY
Puri has a population of 200,564 according to the 2011 population census. It has a sex ratio of 927 females for every 1000 males and an average literacy rate of 88.03%.
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