The perfect way to spend a day in Puri

I spent 2 years in Bhubaneswar, Odisha due to my job. Since it is the capital city of this state, it is quite developed and also a peaceful city. Odisha is a coastal state and hence a lot many beaches to explore. Puri is one of the most visited cities in this state. It is a holy city and also home to the famous Jagannath temple. 

Throughout my 2 years of stay, I have been to Puri numerous times. Anyone who visited me or any of my friends in Bhubaneswar, it was a mandatory request from them to take them to Puri. And believe me, every trip had pretty much the same course. Bhubaneswar -> Chilika lake -> Jagannath Temple -> Puri Beach -> Back home.

Chilika Lake

We booked a car from Zoomcar and left our place at around 6 AM. It is a 3-hour ride to Chilika lakeshore (Satapada). Chilika lake is famous for being one of the only two lagoons in the world where you can find Irrawaddy dolphins. You can see them in the mornings and evenings. Hence, we planned to reach by 9 AM so that we can see these near-extinct creatures.

But of course, we arrived a little late. At around 10 AM. There were not many people around. Bright blue coloured boats with mostly pink flags on them filled the shore. The flags are a sign of which company those boats belonged to.

First, I had to have coconut water. The best thing about living in coastal areas is that you get to have fresh coconut water anytime you want. Then, we bought our ride ticket from the only company on that shore. Remember to bargain. We literally got them to agree on Rs.100 from Rs.400. Finally, we were off. 

The ride includes sailing around the lake and taking us to an island (Barkuda Island) where we can lay off and have lunch. After lunch, we will be taken back to the shore. People on the shore told us to buy some snacks to feed the birds while on board. And we were in luck. While we were feeding the birds (which by the way came from nowhere when we raised a few snacks in the air), a dolphin came across in our sight. 

It came near our boat multiple numbers of times, as if curious. Such a wonderful moment it was. Happy to have had the chance to capture just a tiny bit of that memory.

Barkuda Island

It took us about an hour and a half to reach Barkuda island. Just when we got off, a fisherman approached us with a basket full of molluscs. He literally opened up one and there we found a pearl inside. It was definitely a scam to get us to pay hugely for them but they were actually so beautiful. I did buy one, but my suggestion, DO NOT be tempted to buy one. There is no guarantee that they are real or not.

Somehow, the water near this island was of beautiful colour. It was clearer also. The guide escorted us to a place with sheds and chairs to sit. They don’t have much to offer as an option for food. And don’t get me started on the price. Way too expensive. 

We ordered some grilled prawns, crab curry and of course Maggi (instant noodles). After riding in that boat under such scorching sun, it was a relief to sit under a shed with sand under your feet and such a wonderful view. While we were enjoying our meal, the cook gestured us towards a slope and suggested that we go there. Well, if a local is suggesting us something, then we ought to follow it. Right? And damn, he was right.

We had our fun of clicking pictures on that slope. Took a whole hour there. It was just so peaceful. There were no other tourists in sight. Just us and a few fishermen going on about their lives. Eventually, we decide to go back as it would take time too and we had some other places to be too.

Jagannath Temple

With our stomachs filled, we didn’t have to halt anywhere in between and headed straight for Jagannath Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Vishnu. It is of great importance to devotees as it is one of the Char Dham in India. It is also the place where the annual Rath Yatra (Chariot festival) takes place. 

There is huge security when entering this temple. No footwear, no electronics, no metals like belt buckles or watches. You can find lockers near the entrance of the temple. We opted to put them in our car and park in paid parking. There are high chances of robbery here. Because people know that we are not allowed to carry expensive stuff like phones and cameras inside.

It is a huge temple. And you will definitely be greeted by a long waiting line to see the idol of Jagannath. It is always amazing to look at the architecture of the temple. With all those intricate details on the walls with significance, God knows what. It is a temple and you should always try the food there. It is said that the food prepared inside the temple is meant to be holy. 

Just the one thing that I was not satisfied with is that we had to pay for the food. I mean, it’s a holy place. Why should one have to be able to pay to have food in the house of God? Anyways, we purchased our food and found a spot to sit and eat. No matter what I say, the food was just WOW. With rice kheer (pudding prepared in milk with sugar) bagging the star. After eating to our heart’s content, we started for our last destination of the day- Puri beach.

Puri Beach

It is just a 10 min drive from Jagannath temple to this famous beach. It is just like any other beach. With street food consisting mostly of seafood fresh from the sea, stalls with a variety of things to sell like handmade crafts and clothes, camel ride, horse ride and also ferry. We spent the whole evening enjoying the sunset and headed back home.