Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Puri Beach
Puri Beach
Anyone who has spent his childhood in the city of Kolkata would remember that Puri was one of the
most preferred choices of weekend getaways. In fact, for some, the Puri beach was the first ever sea
beach they visited as children. Located on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, the Puri beach is home to
some of the most stunning views of the ocean and at the same time is a part of the city which is also
famous for its religious significance. Apart from being a popular weekend getaway for the population
living in the neighbouring cities of Odisha and West Bengal, the other thing that attracts travellers from
all parts is the annual Puri Beach Festival, which is co-sponsored and organised by the Indian Ministry of
Tourism, the Odisha state government, the Development Commissioner of Handicrafts, and the Eastern
Zonal Cultural Center in Kolkata.
The Puri railway station is located at a distance of just two kilometres from the Puri beach, thus giving
access to tourists to travel to the places near Puri beach, including the town of Bhubaneswar, which is
just 60 km from the city of Puri. What sets the Puri beach apart from the rest of the beaches in any other
part of the country is its popularity among both tourists and devotees.
While tourists visit the Puri beach for its undeniable charm, its sun, sand and stunning views of the Bay
of Bengal, the devotees flock to this place because they believe the waters here to be holy and that they
wash away the sins of the person who takes a dip. Besides, the Puri beach for years, has continued to be
the sacred venue for an endless number of pilgrims who visit the place to pay homage to Lord
Jagannath. One of the most unique attractions of the Puri beach that attract tourists not only from the
neighbouring towns and other parts of the country but from other parts of the world as well, are the
renowned sand sculptures that are created on this beach by using its very sand by internationally famed
sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik. The subjects of his artworks are generally inspired by sculptures covering
the temple walls, characters and episodes from the mythology and also the contemporary events.