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North East India , Orissa, Puri
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Puri 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 temple is known for its annual Rath Yatra or Car Festival, where the "deities" from the temple are transported by huge chariots (pulled by thousands of pilgrims) to the  Mausimaa Temple. The festival apparently commemorates Krishna's return to His home in Vrindavan. The Temple was built during the 12th century A.D. by Chodaganga Deva and dominates the landscape for kilometers around. Being the tallest temple (65 metres) in Orissa, it is one of the most magnificent pieces of monuments of India. In front of the main gate stands a 16 sided monolithic pillar (11 metres high), called Aruna Stambha which formally stood in front of the Sun Temple and was brought to Puri during the 18th century A.D. 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. Because of the temple's intense religious importance, entrance is forbidden to non-Hindus. To have a good view of the temple and its compound, visitors can go to the roof of the Raghunandan Library across the street where a small donation (about Rs50) gives you wonderful views. Puri was once a thickly wooded hill inhabited by the Sabaras (Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian tribes of the Austric linguistic family). Puri is seen as a Swargadwar (Gateway to Heaven) by the Hindus, it is seen as a holy place to die in or to be cremated. It is possible (apparently) to walk along the beach all the way to Konorak but we took the easy way out and had our driver take us there. The sunny beach at Puri is certainly pleasant, watching the sunrise is a wonderful experience. It is a popular sea-side resorts where visitors can comfortably relax. Apparently it one of few beaches where you can watch both sunrise and sunset. t is located some 56km from Bhubaneswar and 36km from Konorak , we stayed at the Hotel Mayfair Beach Resort which was right on the beach.

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