Tag: Puri Resort

Puri Tours

General Information and Tips About Puri

  • The standard time in Puri is GMT + 5 ½ Hours
  • Govt of Odisha tourist offices are available at Railway station, Jagannath Temple, Sea Beach, Bus Stand and also in various tourist destinations.
  • The summer is very hot and humid at Puri. Do carry sunglasses, sunscreen lotion and a hat.
  • The winter is not too cold at Puri. Do carry light winter clothes with you.
  • You will find beggars in all tourist destinations, it is not mandatory to help them, try to avoid them as far as possible. Do not let them hassle you, and do not encourage them by giving them money.
  • Change currency only from official money changers.
  • Cyber cafes with Internet facility is available in some places of Puri.
  • Always respect religious shrines and places of worship.
  • Non Hindus are not allowed to enter into Lord Jagannath Temple.
  • In case of any trouble, immediately contact the nearest Police Station.
  • Make sure to remove your footwear when visiting a place of worship. All most all temples in Puri will not even allow you to carry leather articles like wallet, belt etc inside. You can deposit them in the temple shoe stand and collect it on your way out.

Safety Tips

  • While travelling in/to various tourist places of/around Puri in local buses, trains etc. be aware of pick picketers and snatchers. Though it is not a frequent activity but many cases reported every year. Never leave your luggage, briefcase or other items unattended.
  • Don’t keep your wallet in the rear pocket. Keep it in an inside jacket pocket or side trouser pocket.
  • All valuables and important papers (jewelry, passports, return tickets, etc) should be kept in your hotel’s safe deposit box. Never leave them unattended in your room. Avoid carrying large sums of cash on your person.
  • Don’t take the advice of taxi drivers for the purpose of accommodation.
  • You should be aware of the local laws and customs prevailing in India. This will help in making your trip hassle free.
  • Never ever purchase air/ rail/ bus tickets through strangers or unauthorized travel agents/ tour operators, also known as touts. They are not at all reliable. Buy tickets from the authorized centers only.

Health And Medication

  • Avoid drinking water from an unknown source. When in doubt purchase Bisleri, Kinley, Aqua Finaetc mineral water bottles from any shop.
  • Even when you are visiting restaurants or hotels, insist on bottled (mineral) water. You will not face much trouble as almost all the restaurants and hotels keep bottled water.
  • You can find vendors selling fresh coconut water everywhere in Puri.
  • Avoid foods that have been laid out in the open, avoid sweets and candies from local markets. Try and avoid spicy food, especially if you’re not used to it. Enjoy your food inside the hotels and restaurants.
  • Pharmacies or chemists are available in every place of Puri. In case you need to consult a doctor, ask for help from your hotel (most have doctors on call) or go to any hospital/clinic.
  • Never forget to carry your essential medication with you. The brand names can differ and your specific brand of medication may not be available in Puri.
  • Never eat cut fruits sold by the roadside vendors. Always eat fruits you can peel. Wash the fruits properly with water well before eating them.
  • Sun in Puri can be ruthless in the summer months. Keep a good sunscreen lotion and sun block cream to avoid sun damages.

For more details, you can contact the hotel management at Hotel Holiday Resort or visit www.puriholidayresort.com

Budhhist Monastery

Puri is a land of remarkable culture and tradition. Along with the main temple Jagannath, there are number of other places in the city and also spread in its adjacent boundaries. Pipili,Konark, Chilika are some famous place, but today we are going to explore a hidden gem- Kuruma.

Kuruma, a small village in Puri, is located at a distance of 8 kilometers to the south-east of the sun temple of Konark. Kuruma is alternatively spelled as Kurum. The place is famous for the ancient Buddhist site. This site was built between 9th – 10th centuries A.D. It is situated on the left side of the Konarka–Kakatapur road and can be approached by a road branching from the Bali Dokan chowk and is about 2 kilometers from the chowk. The exact geographical location of this village is LONGITUDE 860 07’ 24” E and LATITUDE 190 53’ 62” N. Scholars are of opinion that this was one of the sites containing Buddhist stupas described by HiuenT’sang.

The site was first reported by Brajabandhu Das, a local school teacher and subsequently excavated by Odisha state Archaeology from 1971 to 1975. Prior to this excavacation, a stone slab containing the beautiful image of Lord Buddha was found on the bank of a tank at one end of the village. Here Buddha is seated cross legged with right hand in Bhumisparsa mudra while the left hand placed over his left knee. The image also wears a beautiful crown and a beautifully carved necklace. Besides this Buddha image, other two images were also found near the tank. One of these figures is identified as ‘Heruka’. Local people call this image as ‘Dharma’ (the Sun God) and another image is identified as ‘Yama’ (the God of Death). This Buddhist monastery is having twelve blocks, three in each cardinal direction and an open large courtyard at the center.

The monastery is abandoned now but the images retrieved from the site now worshiped within a small shed. Tourists may visit the room of teacher Sri Brajabandhu Das near to the UGME school, where some of the excavated specimens like script on stone, ancient coins etc. are kept under his supervision. From archaeological point of view Kuruma is not vary famous, but from tourism point of view it is an important place due to its close proximity to sun temple of Konark.

Stay connected at www.puriholidayresorts.com to know more about interesting places in and around Puri.

Pipili

Puri has a very wide and distinctive selection of handicrafts. Best known is probably the gorgeous applique work of Pipili. Pipili is on the way from Puri to Bhubaneswar. It is 40 kilometers from Puri, at the junction where the Konarkroad branches from the Bhubaneswar to Puri road. It is a small village. On the main road at Pipili there are many shops selling Applique work products, tourist visiting Puri buy these products from Pipili. It is famous in Odisha as well as in India for it’s applique craft. Each and every family of the village engaged themselves in this applique craft. Most of the people of the village depend on this applique craft for their day to day life. Applique, a French term, is a technique by which various cutting pieces of coloured fabrics are applied to the surface of another foundation fabric. Applique works of Pipili is also known as patching cloth design and in local language this handicraft is known as ‘Chandua’.

Samiana(Canopies) and chhatris(umbrellas) that bear magnificent appliques and designs of great artistic skill are manufactured at pipili and Puri. It is a hereditary craft. Brightly coloured patches of fabric, cut into animal and flower shapes, are sewn onto bed covers, cushions, wall hangings etc. The art form typically depended on four basis colors, red, white, black and yellow to produce a striking effect. In recent years, green too has been applied vigorously enlivening the craft even more.

Any type of worship or sacrificial work is incomplete without pipilichandua. Canopies, chhatries and tarasas made in applique process are increasingly finding place in festivities. In every religious geity be it the car festival or the minor event of festive, shamiana or the canopies are displayed significantly. Wide scale use of shamiana are seen in the various festival of Lord Jagannath. Since the Lord’s rituals are more of the nature of the daily routine of human being, fan, umbrella of applique work are in rampant use to save the deity from the scorching heat of Sun or the rough weather. In chandanyatra the entire procession is taken out displaying and covering the deities with chattris of applique work. Further, the chandua another marvel of applique work has become a household commodity in almost every religious work.

Besides used in the religious function, with the touch of a little modernity, garments of varied designs are also made with it. Ladies item like frock, blouse, purse, handbags etc. are in great demand among tourists. Screens of bigger size with applique touch are also been made depicting the different characters of religious myth for interior design or decoration of houses.

Make sure you visit this hub of arts and crafts when visiting Puri. For more such interesting places near and in Puri, stay tuned with Puri Holiday Resort – your accommodation partner in Puri.

For more details visit www.puriholidayresort.com

The ‘Beach Festival’ of Puri is organized by the people of Odisha, the citizen of Puri, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) and sponsored by Department of Tourism (Govt. of India and Govt. of Odisha).

Puri Beach festival unravel the majestic grandeur of divergent art, craft & Culture from different states, particularly the ethnic pristine splendor of Odishan glorious culture heritage amidst the exotic ambience on the golden pastures of the Bay of Bengal. Top performers from other states have been invited to present their rich talents. That performance could see by the foreign and domestic tourists to attract them to visit again and again. The basic idea of Puri Beach festival is to present the art, crafts, culture, cuisine and tourism potential of the state on a single platform and to attract world focus on it. Further the motive is to promote Odisha in and outside of the country. A variety of sports such as beach kabadi by girls, country boat race among the nolias, kick-boxing, tea-kwno-do, wushe, karate, Indian style of wrestling, beach volley ball by both boys and girls, fire bonati and malkhamb are some of the attractions which would keep both the domestic and the foreign tourists busy and enchanted all through the 7 days of the festival.

Puri Beach Festival

Besides the sports events the other major attraction is the culture based program.Since Odisha is a place with varied culture, the different traditional functions emphasizing its culture are displayed in its wide form. Representatives from different part of the state participates and perform their own cultural theme which includes dance, song, orchestra etc. in a lively way. The great oddissi dance projecting the saga of widely accepted Ramayana, Mahabharata, Dasavatara, prahalladbadha etc. are performed by different established group in dance form. The marital art of Mayurbhanj is displayed in Chau nurtya.The paikas of Khurda who are known in the pages of history for their valor, are also reflected in the dance form by the traditional paikas as Paikanrutya. In addition to this, members from other part of the country & foreign as well takes part to show their cultural ability.

The major attraction which is exclusive is the ‘Sand Art’. Sand art is a new concept which is carved out from heap of sand. The different monumental structure of ancient India, are projected in sands. The famous picture of AlasaKanya or the tiresome lady which is found over the walls of ancient temples like konark, Jagannath temple is well shown in the sands.

The HRAO has taken step of presenting this festival to attract not only foreigners, but also a huge domestic tourists traffic who would be eager to come to this state on one platform. They would be able to enjoy our rich cultural heritage, handicrafts, handloom, cottage industries, and the lack of memories and moments that would be everlasting in the minds of the tourists who visit Odisha during the festival. HRAO:The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha may be just about over one and half decade old,being ‘born’ in 1984,but in its short life it has contributed in a most significant manner to the growth of the hospitality industry in Odisha.The growth of the HRAO is an index of the expansion of the hotel industry in Odisha.Today,there are almost 200 members of the Association and the membership is growing.HRAO was formed basically to help the members in running a smooth and successful business and to promote tourism in Odisha.

Know more about Puri with us – Hotel Holiday Resort

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