Extending over five ‘kosas’ (approx 16 km), Puri resembles a right oriented conch shell. The ‘Dakshinavarta Sankha’, which is why it is called the Sankha Kshetra. Originally, Jagannath was secretly worshipped as Nila Madhava by a Sabara chief. Indradhumma, the king of Malwa, an ardent devotee of Vishnu, wished to see the Lord in his most perfect form. He was told in his dream that the deity could be seen thus in Utkala, as Odisha was originally known. Thus the Odisha style temple of awesome grandeur, the shrine of Jagannath was born & stands on a raised platform & soars to a height of 213 ft, dominating the ladscape for miles around. Only Hindus are allowed inside the temple.

Places of interest: Pipli (Wall Hangings), Sakhi Gopal (Temples),Khandadhar (Water Falls), Rourkela (Steel City), Kalahandi & Keonjhar (Tribal Life), Chilika Lagoon (River Dolphins & Migratory Birds), Gahirmatha (UNESCO World Heritage site & Olive Ridley Turtles), Simlipal (Forest), Nandan Kanan (Zoo), Bhitarkanika(Crocodiles)  Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Tikarpada Nature Camp &more…. 

At a short distance: Chandipur• Gopalpur (a sea to walk on) • Digha (Goa of the East) • Mondarmoni • Tazpur • Shankarpur (Casuarina Trees) • Mohona • Gadiara( 3 rivers meet ) Sajnekhali • Peechkali • Namkhana •Dhamakhali• Bakkhali (Tropical Cocktail) • Henry’s Island• Frazergunj (fishing Harbour)  & more

Must try cuisine: Authentic regional Odia food & Bengali (Fish / Crab / Prawn – curry / Vegetables & Rice) preparations.