Things to do in Puri: Jagannath Temple, beaches and day trips

Two days cover the town, the beach and Raghurajpur; with three or four you can add the Konark Sun Temple, a World Heritage Site, and Chilika Lake with its Irrawaddy dolphins. Bear in mind that the Jagannath Temple only admits Hindus: everyone else sees it from outside, and it is still worth it.

What to see in Puri: top sights

Top sightsAreas to stay

Jagannath Temple
Built in the 12th century, its tower dominates the old town and is Puri’s reason for being. Inside, Jagannath is worshipped with his siblings Balabhadra and Subhadra, and its kitchen, one of the largest in the world, cooks the sacred food (mahaprasad) sold every day in the temple market. Each evening a priest climbs to the top of the tower to change the flags, a ritual you can watch from the street.
Recommended time: 1–2 h (from outside)
Tip: Only Hindus may enter, and phones and cameras are not allowed: there is a cloakroom at the gate. If you can’t go in, the rooftop of the Raghunandan Library, opposite the main gate, gives a good view of the complex in exchange for a donation.
Hotels near Jagannath Temple · 688 properties
Puri Beach, Swargadwar and Golden Beach
Miles of sand on the Bay of Bengal. Swargadwar is the liveliest stretch, with food stalls, a market and sand sculptures: Puri is the home town of sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik. Golden Beach, by the hotel strip, holds the Blue Flag and is the best kept. The lifeguards are local fishermen, the nolias, in their conical hats.
Recommended time: At your own pace
Tip: The sea has strong currents: swim only where there are lifeguards and stay close to the shore. Sunrise over the sea is the best time for a walk.
Bada Danda and Gundicha Temple
The Bada Danda, or Grand Road, runs for about 3 km from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Temple. It is the street of the Rath Yatra: once a year the gods ride out in three huge chariots pulled by the crowd and spend a week at Gundicha, their summer house. The rest of the year it is a bustling strip of shops, pilgrims and cows.
Recommended time: 1–2 h
Tip: Walk it in the late afternoon, when every stall is open. During the Rath Yatra the road fills completely: find your spot well in advance.
Narendra Tank (Narendra Pokhari)
One of the largest sacred tanks in Odisha, with a small shrine on a central island. In spring it hosts the Chandan Yatra, the sandalwood festival, when replicas of the temple deities glide around it in decorated boats for three weeks.
Recommended time: 30 min–1 h
Raghurajpur, the artists’ village
About 14 km north of Puri, every house is a workshop: pattachitra paintings on cloth, palm-leaf engravings, masks and wooden toys, with murals painted on the façades. It is also the birthplace of gotipua dance and of the great Odissi master Kelucharan Mohapatra.
Recommended time: 2 h
Tip: The artists are happy to show their technique and sell directly, with no middlemen. A genuine piece takes days or weeks to make: look at a few before choosing.
Konark Sun Temple
A World Heritage Site built in the 13th century as the chariot of the sun god, Surya: 24 stone wheels carved in astonishing detail and seven horses pulling the whole structure. The main tower collapsed centuries ago, but what remains, covered in sculpture, is one of the masterpieces of Indian art.
Recommended time: 2–3 h (plus 1 h each way)
Tip: Go early to beat the heat and the groups. From 1 to 5 December the temple hosts the Konark Dance Festival, with classical dance in the open air.
Hotels near Konark Sun Temple · 36 properties
Chandrabhaga Beach
Three kilometres from Konark, a wide beach far quieter than Puri’s, famous for its sunrises. Fishing boats pulled up on the sand complete the scene.
Recommended time: 1 h
Tip: Pair it with Konark by going at sunrise: you then reach the temple just as it opens.
Chilika Lake and Satapada
Asia’s largest brackish-water lagoon, separated from the sea by a strip of sand. Boats leave Satapada for the lagoon mouth to look for Irrawaddy dolphins, and in winter hundreds of thousands of migratory birds arrive from Siberia and Central Asia.
Recommended time: Half a day
Tip: Go in the morning, when the water is calmer. Dolphins are not guaranteed: the official boats of the fishermen’s cooperative keep their distance and usually know where to find them.

Day trips from Puri

Bhubaneswar, the temple city
1–1.5 h by car or train
Odisha’s capital keeps hundreds of medieval temples. The 11th-century Lingaraj is the largest (non-Hindus view it from a platform by the wall), and the small Mukteswar, with its carved gateway, is a gem you can visit inside.
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves and Dhauli Hill
On the edge of Bhubaneswar, 1–1.5 h from Puri
Caves carved for Jain monks more than two thousand years ago, with King Kharavela’s inscription, and Dhauli Hill, where Emperor Ashoka had his edicts engraved after the Kalinga war. On top, the white Peace Pagoda looks out over the plain.
Pipili
45 min by car, on the road to Bhubaneswar
The appliqué village: brightly coloured hand-stitched fabrics in shops lining the road, with lanterns, umbrellas and canopies like those that decorate the Rath Yatra chariots. A quick and very photogenic stop.

Puri in 3 days

Day 1
Day 1: the Jagannath Temple in the morning (or the view from the Raghunandan Library), a walk along the Bada Danda to Gundicha and, in the afternoon, Swargadwar beach with its stalls and sand sculptures. Don’t miss the temple’s flag-changing ritual at sunset.
Day 2
Day 2: Raghurajpur in the morning, then Konark along the coast road, stopping at Chandrabhaga beach. Back to Puri for dinner.
Day 3
Day 3: a trip to Chilika Lake from Satapada to look for dolphins, or to Bhubaneswar for its temples, the Udayagiri caves and Dhauli Hill.

Puri with kids

Building sandcastles and sculptures on the beach while watching the professional sand artists at Swargadwar.
The boat trip on Chilika Lake to look for dolphins.
Nandankanan Zoo, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, known for its white tigers and bus safari.
Watching the painters and carvers at work in Raghurajpur: many workshops let children have a go.

Free things to do in Puri

Sunrise over the Bay of Bengal from the beach.
The daily flag-changing ritual at the top of the Jagannath Temple, at sunset, watched from the street.
Strolling the Bada Danda and the Swargadwar night market.
Golden Beach, Puri’s Blue Flag beach.

Where to stay in Puri

Puri is split between the old town around the temple and the beach strip, where most hotels are. For a few days of beach and day trips, stay by the sea; for a pilgrimage or the Rath Yatra, near the temple.

Temple quarter
The heart of the pilgrimage: guesthouses and simple hotels a short walk from the temple and the Bada Danda. Busy and noisy; ideal during the Rath Yatra.
Places to stay in Temple quarter · 688 properties
Swargadwar and Marine Drive
The seafront with the most hotels, at every level, and the liveliest beach. Restaurants, shops and the night market on the doorstep.
Chakratirtha Road
The quieter eastern end of the beach, with guesthouses and travellers’ cafés. A good base for a few unhurried days.
Konark
A quiet village by the Sun Temple and Chandrabhaga beach, with few places to stay. Ideal for seeing Konark at sunrise without an early start.
Places to stay in Konark · 62 properties

See places to stay in Puri · 1,287 properties

When to go to Puri

October to March is the best time: warm, sunny days, a calmer sea and migratory birds at Chilika. December brings the Konark Dance Festival.

April to June is very hot and humid, and the monsoon arrives from July to September, with heavy rain and rough seas. The Rath Yatra falls in June or July, depending on the lunar calendar: it draws hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and accommodation must be booked months ahead.

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Frequently asked questions about Puri

Can non-Hindus enter the Jagannath Temple?

No. Entry is restricted to Hindus. Others can see the complex from outside, for example from the rooftop of the Raghunandan Library opposite the main gate, and watch the sunset flag-changing ritual from the street.

When is the Rath Yatra in Puri?

In June or July: the date changes every year because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar. It is the town’s biggest festival and accommodation sells out months in advance.

Is it safe to swim at Puri beach?

With care. The sea has strong currents and waves: swim only in the areas watched by the lifeguards (the nolias, in their conical hats) and stay close to the shore.

How do you get to Puri?

The nearest airport is Bhubaneswar, about 60 km away (1–1.5 h by car or taxi). Puri also has a railway station, at the end of the line, with direct trains from Kolkata, Delhi and other major cities.