Puri is one of the famous religious places in India. It is well known for it Jagannath Temple in India and outside India. Millions of tourists and devotees visit this place each year. Puri hosts one of the mega-events in the Country every year and this mega event is known as Rath Yatra or Cart Festival. It witnesses more than 1.1 million gatherings in a single day. Puri is popular for its beaches, seafood, marine drives, and more. If you are planning for a short trip to Puri then this guide is just for you. We have identified the best places to visit in Puri in 2 Days.
Puri attracts people from all parts of the country. This place is not only a religious place but also a holiday destination. It is filled with luxury hotels, budget hotels, and delicious food.
How to Reach Puri?
Puri is located at a distance of 60 km from Bhubaneswar, the capital Of State Odisha. You can fly directly to Bhubaneswar Airport (Biju Patnaik International Airport) from other parts of the country. From Bhubaneswar, you can travel to Puri by Road or Train.
It is 1.5 hours’ drive from Bhubaneswar by road and takes approximately 2 hours by train. You can travel by local private cabs or City buses (both Govt and Private). Local city buses take another 30 minutes to reach puri.
You can hire local cabs directly from the airport which will cost you approximately Rs.2000 including taxes. The buses are cheaper options which cost only Rs.65. The cheapest option is to travel by train and it will cost you around Rs.50 for a local ticket.
You can also travel by Online Cabs like Uber and Ola. The charge for them is nearly about Rs.1600 (only drop off) including toll taxes.
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Places to Stay in Puri
Puri is filled with 1000’s hotels for every budget and need. You can rent a room for as low as Rs.200 and some luxury hotels like Mayfair will cost you Rs.15,000 per night. Some of the popular and expensive hotels in Puri are:
- Mayfair Heritage
- Sterling Resort
- Pride Ananya
- Toshali Sands
- Hotel Holiday Resort
- Hotel Chariot
Popular Tourist Places in Puri
In our endeavor to make a working list of a few places that can be covered in 2 days, we have found some popular religious, historical, and natural places.
8 Religious Puri Tourist Places
Puri is full of temples and religious shrines. We have identified the top 8 religious places to visit in Puri 2 days. These 8 places are as follows:
Shree Jagannath Temple
Shree Jagannath Temple is among the most popular Puri tourist places. Every tourist or devotee starts his journey with a visit to the temple. The 3 deities Jagannath Temple are Lord Jagannath, Elder Brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra. The temple compound consists of several other small temples and some of the popular amongst them are Mahalaxmi Temple, Bimala Temple, Mahavir Temple, etc. You can travel to the temple by auto, bus, or on foot. It is in the heart of the city and you will be amazed by the magnanimous size of the temple.
Gundicha Temple
The next on our list is the Gundicha temple. This temple has immense importance during Rath Yatra because Maa Gundicha is the aunt of Lord Jagannath. The Rath Yatra or Cart festival is about Lord Jagannath visiting her aunt’s place with brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra. Gundicha temple is on the opposite end of the grand trunk road at around 5 Kms from the temple.
Bata Mangala Temple
Bata Mangala temple is located around 7 km from Puri town. This is a temple of Maa Mangala. While coming from Bhubaneswar towards puri you will first encounter the Bata Mangala temple. Pay a visit to the temple while coming into Puri.
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Lokanath Temple
Lokanath temple is located within the premises of Jagannath Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple has immense importance as Lord Jagannath himself is a devotee of Lord Shiva.
Sakhigopal Temple
Sakhigopal Temple is located in the heart of Sakhigopal Town. This town is located approximately 20 km far from Puri. Sakhigopal temple is dedicated to Deity Gopinath.
Pancha Tirtha
Pancha Tirtha is one of the most popular Puri visiting places. Your trip to Puri is not complete unless you take bath in the Panch tirtha. Pancha Tirtha consists of 5 water sources named Markandeya Sarovar, Rohini Kunda, Indradyumna Tank, Swetaganga Sarovar, and the sea (Bay of Bengal).
Alarnath Temple
Lord Jagannath every year during the Asadha Month (Odia Month) takes the manifestation as Alarnath Dev. This holy place is located at a distance of 22 Km from Puri and among the top 10 Puri tourist places.
Lingaraja Temple
Lingaraja Temple is located in Bhubaneswar also known as the city of temples. It is a holy shrine of Lord Shiva. This temple is a national heritage and is famous for its delicate work on rocks. Lingaraja temple is located at a distance of 65 km from Puri town.
These are the 8 religious places in our list of best tourist places in Puri. After completing our spiritual journey to temples now is the time to see some historical Places.
4 Historical Places in Puri
We have identified 3 places with historical significance and are very popular tourist attractions. These 3 places are as follows:
Konark Temple
Konark temple is not only popular in Puri but it is in the world. UNESCO has declared the Konark Temple as a historical heritage site. This temple is also known as the Sun temple. Konark is located at a distance of 38km from Puri town.
Dhauli
Dhauli Shanti Stupa is located on Dhauli hill. It is a symbolical representation of the Kalinga war fought between King Ashok and Kalinga (now Odisha) Sena. Dhauli has located around 50 km from Puri tow but nearer to Bhubaneswar.
Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves
Khandagiri and Udayagiri are famous places for caves. It has many caves carved out during the 1st century BC for Jain monks. Khandagiri and Udayagiri hills are located in Bhubaneswar at around 65 km from Puri.
Applique Work in Pipili
Pipili is famous for its applique work and it is a great skill where artists create designs with their hands. Must add this place to your itinerary as one of the popular Puri visiting places.
6 Puri Tourist Places to do fun and Enjoy
After completing our journey of Historical places now it is time for fun and entertainment. 5 places which are given below are the best places to visit in Puri in 2 days and to spend some quality time with your family. Those 5 places are:
Puri Beach
The Puri beach is one of the cleanest but crowded beaches in India. This beach is a shoreline of a 2 km stretch. It has bad of sand where you can keep clothes, sit, relax, and enjoy the sea (Bay of Bengal) taking a sip of coffee/tea and buying conch shells. You can bathe or play in the sea.
Chandrabhaga Beach
The Chandrabhaga beach is located at a distance of 36 km from Puri town. This beach is unlike Puri beach where you can take bath or play.
Marine Drive
The marine drive falls between the road connecting Puri with Konark. This stretch of road is approximately 10 km long but it has breathtaking views with the sea on one side and trees on the other side. It is one of the best places to take photographs with trees on both sides covering the road.
Satapada
Satapada is a popular tourist attraction, especially for the Dolphins. The meaning of Stapada in Odia means ‘Seven Villages’. This place is located at a distance of 48km from Puri. You can hire a local cab from Puri and it is a1 hour drive on NH203.
Chilika Lake
Chilika Lake is one of the important places to visit in Puri in 2 days. It is a big attraction for photographers, wildlife activists, ornithologists. Although this place attracts tourists all around the year, but most of the tourists visit this place in winter. Chilika lake is approximately 40 km from Puri town. Apart from bird watching Chilika lake is known for Boating, Kalijai Temple, and Seafood delicacies.
Nandankanan Zoo
A tour is never complete without looking at the wildfires. Nandankanan zoo is a perfect place especially for kids to get close to the wild animals. This place has got all types of wild animals like tigers, Lion, elephants, bears, snakes, and many more. You can also enjoy their jungle safari (A ride into the jungle with Guides) to see animals in their natural habitat. Nandankanan zoo is located in Bhubaneswar and it is approximately 80 km from Puri town.
Tour Itinerary of Places to Visit in Puri in 2 days
Here is a probable tour itinerary of someone who wants to Puri Tourist Places in 2 days.
Day 1 = Starts from Shree Jagannath Temple/ Puri Golden Beach/ A visit to Konark Sun Temple/ Marine Dive/ Chandrabhaga Beach.
Day 2 = Starts with Visiting Bhubaneswar Lingaraja Temple/ Nandankanan Zoo/ Khandagiri and Udayagiri Caves/ Satapada Dolphin Center/ Chilika Lake/ Pipili Applique Works.
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