Puri Hotels from Rs1,811

The city and municipality of Puri is found in Odisha, east India. Its location set upon the Bay of Bengal and status as one of the original Char Dham pilgrimage sites, ensures that Puri has a great tourism industry granting visitors ample to see and do. With the Jagannath Temple stealing your gaze from the get-go to the warm waters of Puri Beach, this is a wonderful holiday destination. Puri is also known as Srikhetra, and many other ancient names held in the Hindu scriptures. It is one of the twelve Hindu heritage cities with a focus on holistic development, hinting towards the many spiritual retreats found within this holy land. Here we’ll be taking you through the top Puri Hotels and guiding you through the city’s best food, shopping and attractions.

About Puri

The view over the temple processions from the Raghunandan library alone makes the visit to Puri well worth it. This city is alive with spirituality, religion and culture, while agriculture also thrives. The blend creates a scenic, tranquil atmosphere unlike any other.

Best Place to Stay in Puri

Some of the best Puri hotels are found near Puri beach, with some luxury resorts even giving private-beach access. Most luxury Puri hotels give you great full-service spa facilities and are very close to both the beach, Jagannath, or Vishnu, Temple. Given the fact that exploring the city by foot is a great experience, Puri hotels near the beach are a popular option.

Both on the waterfront and further towards the centre of town, you can find excellent family-friendly hotels spanning multiple price brackets. From good quality three-star Puri hotels, to upmarket offers with children’s pools, diverse menus and connecting rooms, the waterfront is the place to shop for a place to stay in Puri.

Top Attractions in Puri

Jagannath Temple is also known as the Vishnu Temple due to its devotional focus towards this Hindu deity in his form as “Lord of the Universe”, or “Lord Jagannath”. Marking one of the four cardinal points of India, the Jagannath Temple is a Char Dham pilgrimage site which is decorated in a grand manner. The temple grounds at night are a truly magnificent sight, lighting up the detail of the intricate sculptures, architectures and reliefs. Tourists are welcome to view the proceedings at the main shrine from the nearby rooftop of the Raghunandan library, but may not enter the area near the shrine.

Puri Beach is an adventure all of its own. Here you can find expansive sand art which is attributed to a poet of the region during the fourth century. The craft is carried out to this day with many artists practicing daily. During the religious festival days the beach comes alive with folk dances and traditional Odissi dances, while in off season the beachfront is a great place to dine, shop or relax.

Best Place to Shop in Puri

One of the most popular forms of handicraft in Puri is applique art, whereby amazing effects exceeding that of embroidery are created using a unique method of stitching. Amazing works are created from brightly coloured fabric, formed to create devotions for various festivals and ceremonies. At the Puri market you can find a great range of canopies, umbrellas, carry bags and general textiles crafted by darijis, or Puri tailors.

What to Eat in Puri

Seafood in Puri is known to be amazing, with vegetarian and vegan meals being just as common. Puri has a great assortment of food ranging from Indian to Italian, Chinese to western favourites such as pizza parlours. Yet if you want the freshest, tastiest meals around, you can’t go wrong with the seafood.