Countless pilgrims over a millennia have taken a holy bathe while visiting the Jagannath Temple at Puri's lovely beach which is one of the best beaches not only in Orissa but also in the country.

The roaring surf around the conically hated fishermen make an charming picture to carry home. The brilliant sunshine gilds the waters as the day awakens and at eventide, creating an aura of almost unrealistic sanctity of the beauty trailing in their wake. The currents are pretty strong here, so swimmers need to take care.

Balighai Beach, about 8 km away, is relatively quieter, and if you are lucky you may even spot the residential deer browsing through the undergrowth near the beach.
 

BHUBANESWAR
Bhubaneswar, the 'Cathedral City' was once the capital of an ancient kingdom. Today this is a hustling centre for commerce and religious activity is Orissa's modern capital. Having merged its intriguing past so uniquely with its modern aspirations, it forms an fundamental link in the Golden Triangle that incorporates the holy city of Puri and Konark, for the tourists that flock to pay their honor to the religious, cultural and natural wonders that abound here.

The outstanding features of the city are the numerous temples and shrines that are spreader all around the city. The skyline of Bhubaneswar is subjugated by some of the most spectacular engineering and artistic features of its ancient tradition. The imposing spire of the Lingaraj Temple, the quiet beauty of the Vishwa Shanti Stupa and the pink transluscence of the Mahavira Jain Temple in nearby Khandagiri, inspire feelings of wonder at their absolute beauty and their cross-cultural permutations. These three alone offer an excellent impending into the ancient cultural strength of Orissa and are well-worth exploring at greater length.

The temples have after all stood demonstration to the area's history, which spans 25 centuries. The Lingaraj, the Parsurameswar, the Mukteswar and the Rajarani temples are unique in themselves for not only in their architectural beauty but also in those wonderful sculptures which enhance their presence. An interesting variation figures in the Vaital and Brahmeswar temples. Though the Lingaraj is closed to non-Hindus, it can be viewed from the viewing platform constructed alongside.

The State Museum of Bhubaneswar offers an excellent selection of archaeological artefacts, weapons and local arts and crafts and insights into Orissa's natural and tribal history. The museum has world's largest collection of palm-leaf paintings. The Tribal Research Institute Museum with its authentic tribal dwellings was created by the tribal craftsmen is a great place to get a bird's eye view of the State's tribal heritage. Here in the Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC) has about 500 acres of plantations, tissue culture and experimental laboratory and a huge lake where the migratory birds make their home. The two unique features of RPRC are its status for housing the largest rose garden in the country (an area of 20 acres) and having the largest collection of cacti (550) in Asia.

UDAYAGIRI-KHANDAGIRI
The twin hills of Khandagiri & Udayagiri is 8 km away from Bhubaneswar. It serves as the site of an ancient Jain monastery which was engraved into cave like chambers in the front face of the hill. Some of the caves have beautiful carvings as and when dating back to the 2nd century BC. 

The Rani Gumpha (Queen's Cave) is one of the largest and double-storied is ornately embroidered with beautiful carvings. In the Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave), King Kharavela has carved out the archives of his reign. 

Being situated in the heart of Coastal District Puri, which is known to be Asia's largest & biggest inland Brackish water lake, Chilika, streching across the length of the three districts of Puri, Khurdha & Ganjam. It joins up with the Bay of Bengal through a narrow mouth, forming an enormous lagoon of brackish water. Being spread over an area of 1,100 sq. km it was declared to be a sanctuary in 1987. Dotted with many pea green islands with colorful names such as Honeymoon islands and Breakfast island, Chilika is home to a rich variety of aquatic fauna. It is also a sanctuary and winter resort for migratory birds like a bird watcher's paradise. Sun rise and Sun set are memorable experiences here.  Winter is the loveliest time at Chilika, with thousands of migratory birds flying in from as far as Siberia to make their winter sojourn in strange waters . The water come alive with their raucous cries and colorful plumage as the birds battle to find space to make their new homes . While the lake's Nalabana island has been declared a sanctuary for its varied flora and fauna , Kalijai island is home to Goddess Kalijai and the venue for annual Makar Mela.

Boating and fishing facilities are available in this lake containing a large variety of fish. The lake provides a livelihood to thousands of fishermen . Chital and Black buck roam freely on the scrubby shores while Dolphins gambol playfully in the foam of the churning waters at Chilika mouth near Satapara .For crushing and visiting the islands , one can make use of the motor launches of the OTDC at Barakul and Rambha, and the revenue department at Balugaon. Private boats are also available here. OTDC organises water sports in Chilika at the Water sports complex , located at Barakul .  Hundreds of boats sail out daily on the lake's blue expanse in search of mackerel , Prawn Crabs, the sight providing an insight into the pageant of rural India at its colorful best.

          Encircled by Hills all along its arched shape, Chilika Lake's colorful changes with passing clouds overhead and the shifting sun. The water ripples languidly , occasionally rippling with a gentle breeze across from the Bay of Bengal .
            

Puri is the forerunner of the Jagannath cult in Orissa, which saw the flowering of several temples dedicated to Jagannath all over the state.

Puri is an ancient shrine, enshrining Krishna - Jagannath in the form of a wooden image. Also enshrined are wooden images of Balabhadra (Balarama) and Subhadra brother and sister of Krishna respectively. Interestingly,  the Rig Veda refers to Purushottama in the form of a wooden image, prepared from a log of wood floating on the ocean. Puri is also referred to in the Bhrama purana.

The temple of Lord Jagannath ('Lord of the Universe') at Puri is one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots in India, one of the four abodes (dhamas) of the divine that lie on the four directions of the compass. The present temple structure was built in the twelfth century by the Ganga king, Chodagangadeva, replacing an earlier structure which probably dated to the tenth century.

Long before one reaches Puri, the 214 feet (65 meters) spire of the temple can be seen towering over the countryside. This visual dominance is symbolic of the influence which the temple commands over almost every aspect of life in Puri. The huge temple compound, each side of which measures 650 feet (some 200 meters), is surmounted with a 20 foot (6 meters) wall. Within the compound is a city, or, more accurately, a universe unto itself. With 6000 direct temple servitors, a temple kitchen which feeds 10,000 people daily (and some 25,000 on festival days), and a central deity who has become the focus of religious life throughout Orissa, the Jagannath temple is truly an institution unique in the world.

Orissa has Konark as the Surya Kshetra, Puri as the Vishnu kshetra, Bhubaneshwar as the Hara Kshetra and Jaipur as the Parvati Kshetra.

Legend has it that the original image of Jagannath was found at the foot of a fig tree, in the form of an Indranila or the Blue Jewel.  Its blinding brightness, prompted Dharma to request it to be hidden in the earth. King Indradyumna, of Malwa intending to discover this image, performed severe penances, and was instructed by Vishnu to go to the Puri seashore, and look for a floating log, and fashion an image from its trunk. 

The King did discover the log of wood. Vishnu and Vishwakarma appeared in the form of artistes and prepared images of Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra from the tree. Interestingly, the wooden images being worshipped are renewed during special occasions. New images have been installed in 1863, 1893, 1931, 1950, 1969 and 1977.

Puri was  a center of Buddhist worship, before it became a center of Vaishnavism again. The Rath Yatra at Puri has its parallel with the chariot procession of the Buddha's tooth at Dantapuri.

Puri is located on the gentle slope of the Nila hill, adjacent to the sea. A sacred banyan tree is revered as a manifestation of Vishnu, the ocean - Balarama and a pool- the king Indradyumna. Pilgrims are required to offere worship first at a Shiva temple, and then at the banyan tree and then at the shrine to Balarama before proceding to worship Jagannath. Subhadra is to be worshipped next.

The Temple: The vast temple complex occupies an area of over 400000 square feet, and is bounded by a 20 feet high fortified wall. This complex contains about 120 temples and shrines. The shikhara of the Jagannath temple towers to a height of 192 feet.

Structurally the temple has four chambers. The outermost is the Bhogmandir, the next is the Nata-mandir pillared hall for music and dance, the next is the Jagamohana - or the mandapa where devotees gather for worship and the last is the sanctum or the Deul enshrining the deities.

History: The temple was originally  built by the Kalinga ruler Anantavarman Chodaganga (1078 - 1148 CE). Much of the present structure was built by King Ananga Bhima Deva in the year 1174 CE. It took 14 years to complete and was consecrated in 1198 CE. It is believed that the image of Jagannath was buried thrice in the Chilka lake for protection from invaders.

Puri represents one of the four peethas established by Sankaracharya, the other four being Sringeri in south India, Dwarka in Saurashtra, and Badrinath in the Himalayas. Ramananda of the 14th century - a follower of the Sri Vaishnava religious leader Ramanuja, is also associated with this temple. Chaitanya of the 15th - 16th centuries popularized the worship of Jagannath.

Festivals: Elaborate worship services are carried out throughout the day here. There are as many as 24 festivals each year, the most important one of them being the Rath Yatra or the Chariot festival in the month June - July.  The spectacular chariot festival involves the procession of three colossal chariots bearing the images of Jagannath, Balarama and Subhadra  through the streets of Puri.

Jagannath's chariot is a 35 feet square, rising to a height of 45 feet, with 16 wheels, 7 feet in diameter. More than 4000 people drag the chariot. Hundreds of thousands gather from all over the country to witness this festival. The chariot is dragged to the deity's summer abode where the deities are worshipped for a week, and then a re-enactment of the chariot festival, where they are brought back in procession happens. New chariots are made each year.

LINGARAJA TEMPLE AT BHUBANESWAR
Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa is a city of temples, most of which are important from architectural point of view. The Lingaraj temple is the largest of these is an outstanding specimen of the Orissa style of temple building. It is about a thousand years old. Bhubaneshwar, Konarak and Puri constitute the Golden triangle of Orissa which is visited by large number of pilgrims and tourists.

It is known Lingaraja temple was made up at first by the ruler Yayati Kesari in the 7th century. Later he shifted his capital from Jaipur to Bhubaneshwar. Bhubaneshwar remained as the Kesari capital, till Nripati Kesari founded Cuttck in the 10th century. Inscriptions from the period of the Kalinga King Anangabhima III from the 13th century are seen here.

Structurally, the Parasurameswara temple at Bhubaneshwar is the oldest, dating back to the middle of the 8th century, and the Lingaraja is temple is assigned to the 10th century. The  nata mandir and the bhog mandir of the Lingaraja temple are of later origin.

Legend has it that Shiva revealed to Parvati that Bhubaneshwar - or Ekamra thirtha was a resort favoured by him over Benares. Parvati in the guise of a cowherd woman, decided to look at the city herself. Two demons Kritti and Vasa desired to marry her. She requested them to carry her upon their shoulders, and crushed them under her weight. Shiva, then created the Bindu Saras lake to quench her thirt, and took abode here as Krittivasas or Lingaraja.

The Temple: The vast Bindu Sagar lake is the center around which are located the multitude of temples of Bhubaneshwar. The Lingaraja temple is located in  a spacious courtyard covering over 250000 sq feet and is bounded by fortified walls. Its tower rises up to 180 feet and is elaborately carved. 

The Shivalingam in the sanctum of the Lingaraja temple rises to a height of 8 inches above the floor level, and is 8 feet in diameter. The Bhagawati temple is located in the northwest corner of the courtyard. There are several other shrines and temples in this vast courtyard.

Worship: A total of 22 worship services are offered each day. Once a year, an image of Lingaraja is taken to the Jalamandir in the center of the Bindu Sagar lake.

Other temples in Bhubaneshwar are the Ananta Vasudeva, RajaRani, Mukteswara, Kedareswara, Siddheswara, Parasurameswara.