We watched awestruck as the sun spread its largess into a grateful sky. Fiery reds blended with oranges, purples and pinks. We heard the murmurs of the distant fishermen as they hauled in the catch, their eyes as choppy as the blue-green water behind them. Waves roared and rolled, crashing onto the shore with a soft hiss, peeling away at the deep bronze sand beneath our feet. The cool water lapped at our feet, fizzing and bubbling like brine. The wind caressed our faces. The sun slowly drowned in the sea, a surreal timeless existence. And then – spirits soared as it sunk in – we were at Puri!!

East West Hotels – at the western end of Marine Drive

 

The temple complex of the holy Jagannath Temple – Puri

Puri - the drive destination for Team WHEELS, needs no introduction. Chosen not because we ran out of ideas but for the sheer pleasure of driving on the newly constructed, Jagannath Sadak – bypassing the otherwise congested narrow connector of old Puri. Surrendering to the expansive beach with clear blue-green waters and the hypnotic charm of Lord Jagannath’s deity in the 800 year old temple.

Route
Start from Vidyasagar Setu and enter Kona Expressway. At the end of the Kona Expressway take the slip road on left to follow the left bend and meet NH-16 (NH-6). Continue straight on NH-16 towards Kolaghat and Kharagpur. Follow the underpass before Kharagpur  to turn left and continue to drive on NH-16 (NH-6). Pass through Belda, Jaleswar, Balasore and Bhadrak and go over Mahanadi Bridge, followed by Cuttack and proceed towards Bhubaneswar.
Just after crossing the second bridge on River Mahanadi at Bhubaneswar, enter the service lane on the left leaving NH-16, following the sign board indicating Puri. 
 

The main entrance of the Jagannath Temple

Caution: Do not take the elevated road towards Bhubaneswar Town. Continue to drive for another 200 metres till you reach a four-point crossing. From here, turn left to enter NH-316 and proceed towards Puri.
After 56 km from Bhubaneswar, you will find a road on your left that connects Konark followed by a flyover across the NH-316. Within 1.5 km of the flyover, with an Indian Oil pump on your left, you will find a Y-fork. The left of the Y-fork shows the conventional route to Old Puri through congested roads. We recommend you take the right of the Y-fork that goes towards Satapada by the Jagannath Sadak – a newly constructed road, most convenient for motorists. This would connect you to the western part of the Marine Drive through Baliapanda – to the sea beach of Puri. A left turn from the Marine Drive will take you to Swargadwar followed by the famous Puri Hotel.  

Devotees – trance dance

 

The south gate of Jagannath Temple

Puri
What can be said about this exceptionally beautiful beach city of Odisha?  Puri has entranced visitors from far and wide for centuries and continues to be one of the major attractions of India! A smooth drive for 10 hours with occasional breakfast and lunch breaks and we reached East West Hotels by 6 pm. 
A high tea at the lavish terrace-restaurant of the East West Hotels overlooking the expansive beach and we were ready to build sandcastles in the yellow sands and plunge into the great deep blues. The hotel stood at the far-west, right on the beach – an ideal location for those who want to avoid crowds. We sauntered over the wet sands, the sea spread into the horizon before us. Reality checked in after we received a call from the manager and we were summoned back for a delicious dinner.
Early next morning, as we drew the curtains of our hotel rooms, we found ourselves bathed in soft crimson. We marvelled at the reflection of the sun on the sea from the bed. After a quick wash, we proceeded towards the holy Jagannath Temple. 

Jagannath Temple
The magnificent shrine of Lord Jagannath at Puri welcomes pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. This 12th century temple is a find in itself. The temple is situated in the heart of the town connected by narrow approach roads. Driving through these congested lanes by car can be challenging. We recommend you leave your car at the hotel and use autos to visit the temple. 
The temple complex is enclosed by a boundary wall. The compound has four entry gates facing the four directions. The east-facing gate is the Lion Gate, north-facing – the Elephant Gate, south-facing – the Horse Gate and west-facing – the Tiger Gate. The north gate is designated for use by God Himself. However, the Lion Gate is the main entrance for devotees. 
As we entered through the south gate, barefoot, we saw a monolithic 10 metre high pillar known as the Aruna Stambha. The world famous Konark temple was designed in the form of a stupendous chariot and this pillar with its beautifully carved Aruna (charioteer of the Sun God) seated on the top was installed right in front of the porch of the temple. When the temple was abandoned and there was no presiding deity in it, this pillar was removed from Konark and brought to Puri and fixed in front of the Jagannath Temple where we see it now as told by Shivakant Pandit, an Odiya panda attending to devotees.
We then entered the main temple and joined our hands in deep devotion as we had the darshan of the mighty Jagannath on the right, Subhadra in the middle and Balabhadra on the left. After silently offering our prayers we moved out. 
Coming out of the temple, we were astounded to see a vast kitchen area on our left. With a `5 entry ticket, we were able to take a close look at the daily activities of the temple-kitchen. From sourcing grains, vegetables and spices from the temple ration shop to washing, chopping and cooking – everything happens inside the premises. This was worth the visit. 
The khichudi bhog is prepared in earthenware vessels mounted one above the other in order of decreasing size. Interestingly, the topmost hundi gets cooked first followed by the lower ones. The huge oven where the bhog is being prepared along with the hundis is placed in a huge four-walled room. The slits on the walls allow you to peep into the bhog-hundis, which are otherwise kept hidden from public view.
There are several other temples inside the temple complex. We purchased some goja prasad of Lord Jagannath as we left to return to our hotel for breakfast.

The Beach
A trip to Puri without the customary dip in the sea would be incomplete. After breakfast, we succumbed to the call of the beautiful blue waters of the Bay of Bengal.  Quickly changing into our swimming costumes and off we went for a wild plunge. Around us were many other tourists who seemed to be having a whale of a time, bathing in the sea with their families. After about an hour of bathing and hobnobbing, we decided to head for the hotel. 
A thorough wash was followed by a sumptuous lunch and we literally had to crawl into our beds after this. When we opened our eyes, the sun had almost set. We enjoyed our black coffee as we watched the spectacular play of light at the horizon.
In the evening, we went for a stroll on the fine sands in front of our hotel. 

Dull morning hours for the hawkers at the central beach – Puri

 

Tourists ready for the great bath

 

The all new Marine Drive Road

This splendid beach is the largest in the country and stretches for 7 km. The beach can be broadly divided into 3 parts: the eastern part – towards BNR from the central parking lot; the central part – from Puri Hotel to Swargadwar; and the western part – from Swargadwar towards East West Hotels, till the end.
The eastern part of the beach is comparatively empty and not visible from the thoroughfare. You have to take the narrow by-lanes from the main road to access the beach. This beach is frequented mostly by the so-called elite and foreigners. The central part of the beach is where bathers and devotees flock in large numbers to take a dip in the sea. The waves here though choppy, are manageable. It is this part of the beach which is dotted with numerous small and big hotels.
The western part of the beach is a little more than a kilometre from Swargadwar. This part has been developed recently and is dotted with some of the best properties such as East West Hotels, Hans Coco Palms and Sterling Resort being located on the Marine Drive. The East West Hotels also has a strategic location in terms of the view of the sea and its connectivity with the highway and the old city.

The Market
From sundown, as the low tide begins, the central beach gets crammed with the ubiquitous makeshift stalls packed with attractive gift items. We drifted from one stall to another looking at the trinkets, sea-shell jewellery, apparels, sarees and linen with katki prints, conch shells, bags, toys, various other artefacts including idols and images of Jagannath. The vendors vied for our attention. We found some real bargains to carry home for our families and friends. We also explored the food stalls which interestingly displayed semi-cooked, half-done fishes and would fry them ‘fresh’ on order. 

Sea-shelled out – truly yours

 

A fun-filled camel ride

 

Fries on display – very fishy

Fascinating was the sight of the beautifully decorated camels that stood ready to take the tourists on their backs. We decided against camel-rides for ourselves thinking of possible aching nether regions later! 
It was fun strolling along the Marine Drive lined with myriad stores of apparels, sweet-meat and other gift items. The roadside stalls showcasing local cuisine were almost too tempting to resist but we managed to restrict ourselves to purchasing just some of the speciality sweets. We gathered that the chhena (cottage cheese) used is of excellent quality, but found most of the sweets a little too sweet for our palate. 
Heading back to our hotel for dinner, we decided to explore some other interesting places in and around the city the next morning.

Accommodation
Amidst the gritty sands and savage waves of the deep blue sea, at the far end of the crowded city lies the glorious East West Hotels. Ideally located on the upscale Marine Drive Road, the hotel attracts large number of tourists round the year. Two life-size statues of elephants at the entrance with its white and beige façade give it a royal touch. 
With an upbeat infrastructure comprising spacious car-parking, sprawling green lawns, swimming pool, guest rooms and banquets, East West Hotels boasts style and excellent service. The guest rooms are either lawn or sea facing. The rooms are spacious, emanate taste and elegance and are well equipped with ultra modern amenities. 

East West Hotels – a touch of royalty

 

The splendid sea facing guest room – East West Hotels

 

The chic parking lot – East West Hotels

 

The lavish lounge – East West Hotels

 

The simplistic decor of the restaurant – East West Hotels

 

The beautiful terrace restaurant – East West Hotels

 

A cozy guest room – East West Hotels

 

The azure blue swiming pool overlooking the sea – East West Hotels

Food
Food in the East-West Hotels is among the finest in Puri. Be it Oriental, Continental or pan-Indian, the food is fresh, lip-smacking tasty and served with care. The restaurant is spacious, minimalistic in décor and abounds in fresh food. Adjoining is the open terrace restaurant which gives a panoramic view of the sea. Sipping on a blueberry crush or an iced tea while sitting on the stark white garden chairs, admiring the grandeur of the mighty sea from the terrace, the chop chop chop of the incessant waves in your ears, Puri draws you in.  It is so easy to suspend disbelief, to believe you are inhabiting a world designed for just a privileged few – and you, today, are one of them…