Five days in Puri and Bhubaneswar : A Complete Travel Guide
Hello all,
I have been so consistently inconsistent that sometimes I forget that I do write here. Sometimes I try to remember the purpose of this place. Sometimes I find motivation from here, and sometimes I just drift into endless nostalgia. The last feeling is the best one—the happy memories of our past.
I just read one of the most beautiful prologues of a short book, and just a prologue made me read the book in one go….
People think the past dies when we leave it behind.
It doesn’t.
It waits.
It hides in songs we once loved, in streets we once walked, in the smell of rain, in old doorsteps, in names we no longer speak out loud.
It sleeps quietly, patient and stubborn, until life makes the mistake of opening the window.
– Riya Kulkarni ( After a long time)
And as we are not travelling frequently and as our Sunday outings are also now on hold, I dwell in my past. opening the book once again, turning page after page, relishing those memories and living those moments, fraction by fraction. They are like the last bite of your favourite chocolate. You know it is going to finish, so you just try to cherish them slowly, not trying to swallow fast. enjoying it till the last lingering taste in your mouth….I also have abiding memories of my Puri and Bhubaneswar travel, and I realized I haven’t shared the itinerary of our five wonderful days along the East Coast Golden Triangle. Though nowadays AI does all the work and will make an exclusive itinerary for you, here I am sharing how we spent those wonderful five days :
Day 1:
Considering you have reached Bhubaneswar the previous night or early morning, you can start your day fresh with new hopes, to gain new perspectives…
Heritage walk: in the lanes of the city of temples, and revive the cultural heritage in your heart and soul by visiting these beautiful temples. It will take appx 2-4 hours, depending on your taste and your speed.
Kala Bhoomi museum: Visit this fabulous museum showcasing the breathtaking craftsmanship of artisans of this unique state. You can also have a delicious lunch in the canteen.
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves: After this, you can go to these amazing ancient caves with rock-cut temples dating back to the 2nd century BCE. There are a total of 33 caves (18 in Udayagiri, 15 in Khandagiri). The caves were carved for Jain monks. The views from the top are amazing. If time permits, don’t miss the sunset.
Head to Puri….
Day 2:
Morning Visit to Jagannath Puri Temple : What can I say about this place? If he is calling you ought to visit him, and you can’t visit without his wish! It is as simple as that. The only word that comes to mind is divinity. Pure divinity…that’s the feeling we get when we enter the temple premises.
Afternoon: Visit to Chilika Lake : Chilika Lake is the largest and one of the most serene brackish water lagoons in Asia, located in Odisha near Puri, and you can’t miss a visit to this tranquil lake while you are in Puri and watch the dolphins if you are lucky…
Day 3:
Morning: Spend a lazy morning at the beach. There are a few amazing beaches in Puri. Main Puri beach, the pristine Blue flag beach, and the serene Golden Beach and Balighai Beach.
The Konark Sun Temple. : After lunch, head to the third part of the Golden Triangle.
The architect marvels with temple dedicated to the Sun God built in the Kalinga style in 3th-century and which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Go in the evening to witness beautiful hues reflecting on the temple during sunset.
Day 4:
Morning: visit the artistic village of Raghurajpur because no visit to Odisha is complete without visiting the essence of the state – that is, its art and craft culture. You will visit the homes of amazing artisans. They will show you their art, craft and their methods. It is simply fabulous.
In the evening, you can spend leisurely at the beach, or if you are a shopaholic like me, don’t miss this chance to shop in this culturally rich state, where you can just get anything from paintings to sarees to fabrics to idols to jewellery … You name the craft, and they have it for you.
Day 5:
Morning : Head to Bhuvneshwar. You can visit another artistic village of Pipili while returning, where you can see amazing appliqué art. It is more commercial than Raghurajpur. The simplicity of Raghurajpur has our heart.
You can also visit the Dhauli pagoda, located on the Dhauli hill overlooking the Daya River. if possibly, avoid visits during the afternoon hours during harsh sunlight. The atmosphere is calm and peaceful, even though the place is crowded because of the pristine white and serene pagoda.
the next, we went to the Ashoka Rock Edict: This is a 2500 years old inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka. This site is of historical significance; they have built a large, beautiful garden in the surroundings to give it more touristy vibes. The semi-carved body of the elephant just near the entrance is supposed to represent Buddha.
And finally, say goodbye to this wonderful state with tons of beautiful memories.
Where to eat?
Ananda Bazar
Don’t miss the bhog sold at Ananda Bazar, which is the large kitchen complex at the Jagannath Mandir. This “mahaprasad” is truly a feast for the soul. made with the rice, daal, pumpkin, eggplant, sweet potatoes, milk, and dates, this Bhog is purity at its best and the true essence of India. We can get it after 2 pm once it is offered to the gods. In the evening, we can get it after 8 pm.
Also try Sukha Bhog including Gaaja, Khaja, Magaja Ladoo and Suji halwa.
Chung Wah
One of the best chinses restaurant. The Lee family has run the place for 52 years. It serves many authentic and classic Chinese dishes.
Street food:
Also, don’t miss the street food on the main road of the temple, especially sweets like Chena Poda, Rasgola, Chena gaja, Khaja and Boondi.
And you have to try the famous Chandan Lassi.
Where to shop?
Priyadarshini Handloom:
For authentic weaves of Odisha, you can definitely go to this place in Puri. It’s an excellent shop with an extraordinary collection of beautiful sarees, both in cotton and silk. They have a huge collection of fabric and stitched clothing, also made from authentic Sambalpuri fabrics.
Boyanika:
In Bhubaneswar, this is your one-stop shop for handloom. It is run by the Odisha Government and primarily by weavers’ cooperative societies of Odisha. All products are authentic handloom and pure with a trademark. They also do a thorough quality check so that you can get authentic handloom products directly from weavers. This makes the store one of the most reliable for authentic handlooms.
Utakalika
Again, it is run by Govt and here you can get handicraft items also along with handlooms. They have an exquisite collection of handicrafts, including wall hangings, figurines, diaries, bags, and jewellery. You can get authentic Dokra crafts, paper mache craft and wooden products along with silver filigree jewellery.
Kalinga filigree jewellery:
They have Exclusive collections of filigree and oxidise silver jewellery. The intricate designs of silver filigree will blow your mind. Their prices are also reasonable, with a wide variety of designs.
For other handcraft items and paintings, try to buy directly from artisans during your visit to Raghurajpur and Pipili villages.
So, indulge yourself in this historically, spiritually, culturally, and artistically rich state and gather tons and tons of memories…
Our guide and tour planner was: Grass Root Travels: Mr Pulak: 9437022663
Thank you…
Very nice article as always 👌
Thank you…
Wow superb nice trip…very well explained
Thank you…
Amazing ✨
🛕
“This was such a beautiful read! You managed to capture exactly how it feels to stand on the golden sands of Puri while the temple bells ring in the distance 😊 👌
Thank you…
Wow…. superb……loved the rich heritage,temples,sea, everything beautiful about this place,after reading will sure plan this trip in next vacation…thank u safar with Sasha for continuous blogs,making out vacation trips simpler…
Thank you meetadidi..