Puri
Puri pronunciation is a city in the east Indian state of Orissa. The city is famous for its Jagannath temple. The temple was built in the late eleventh century.
Puri is one of the oldest cities in the eastern part of the country. It is situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal and is a popular beach resort, positioned in a unique place so that both sunset and sunrise can be viewed from the beach.
History
Puri is the site of the Govardhana matha, one of the four cardinal institutions established by Sri Adi Shankara Charya, the others being those at Sringeri, Dwaraka and Jyotirmath.
Puri is also famous for its annual Ratha Yatra, or "Festival of Chariots", when the deities Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra, are brought out of the temple, and placed in a chariot procession. This festival occurs on various dates of the Gregorian calendar, typically in the month of July.
The town is famous for its many Mathas (monasteries of the various Hindu sects). It also houses the relics of many Hindu Saints as traditionally it is seen as a holy place to die in or to be cremated. As a result, it has had a disproportionate number of widows. Like other old Hindu religious towns it has a lot of character that is difficult to be glimpsed or picked up on
easily by a casual visitor.
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