Puri

Best time to visit

October to February

Puri's climate is characterized by hot and humid summers, with temperatures often feeling oppressive, and mild winters with occasional chilly mornings. The city experiences a distinct monsoon season from June to September, bringing heavy rainfall and relief from the summer heat.

Getting there & around

• Air — Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar (BBI), about 60 km away, roughly 1.5 hours by road.
• Rail — Puri railway station (PURI), about 3 km from the temple, is the terminus with direct trains from major cities. Khurda Road Junction, further out, is where many long-distance trains stop instead of continuing into Puri.
• Road — NH-316 connects Bhubaneswar to Puri via Pipili, about 60 km.
• Road — Autos and cycle-rickshaws cover the town. Bada Danda (the Grand Road) is closed to vehicle traffic around Rath Yatra.

Before you go

• The temple restriction is real and enforced - plan around it rather than arriving to find out. Currents off Puri beach are strong
• the local convention is to swim only near the nulia lifeguards in their conical hats. Rath Yatra draws one to two million people and accommodation must be booked months ahead. Published temple timings vary widely across aggregators
• use the SJTA source.

Famous eateries & specialties

• Mahaprasad above all - the cooked Sankudi and the dry Khaja and Gaja. Beyond it: Odisha Rasagola
• chhena poda
• dalma
• pakhala
• and the khaja that travels home.

Emergency numbers