A random scroll on Instagram showed us a video of Puri on the feed. Booking the tickets and planning an itinerary were all done in the next few hours.

A friend and I were traveling from Visakhapatnam. We booked a ticket in the Vivek Express. It starts at 10 at night from Visakhapatnam and reaches Khurda Station at 6 in the morning. The train was late, and we reached Khurda at around 7. We did not get the tickets for the direct train to Puri and hence, booked it till Khurda. There are several trains that run between Khurda and Puri. Based on our schedule, we chose the next available train to Puri. It takes just one hour to reach Puri from Khurda.

Day 1:

We reached Puri and promptly checked into the hotel. The hotel was close to the temple, and it took us around 10-15 minutes to reach there. After checking into the hotel, we freshened up. We had our breakfast, got ready, and decided to go to Konark first. The distance from Puri to Konark is around 32-35 kms. We took a scooty on rent, which costed us 600 per day. The route from Puri to Konark is quite smooth and well maintained. There is a particular stretch which is covered by thick canopy on both sides and is breath taking. Similarly, another stretch passes beside a beach and offers beautiful views. There were families having a small picnic there and enjoying the seashore. The beach here is almost with no crowd and offers a serene and a relaxing vibe. The Puri-Konark marine drive is definitely a must go.

We reached Konark Sun Temple in 100-120 minutes. There is ample parking space available at the temple. The washrooms are well maintained. There is a restaurant too, which offers delicious food. Guides are available. If one is interested in learning about the place in detail, opting for a guide is quite helpful. We, though, didn’t take the guide and explored the place on our own.

Konark Sun temple:

The Konark Sun temple is a UNESCO world heritage site and is dedicated to the sun god. The construction of this 13th century temple is attributed to the king Narasingha Deva 1 of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. The temple depicts the pinnacle of the Kalingan architecture. The original temple is destroyed to a large extent and much of it is now in ruins. Due to its blackish appearance, it is known as the Black Pagoda. The design of the temple shows a large chariot being pulled by seven horses. The chariot has 24 wheels i.e. 12 pairs of wheels, denoting the 12 months of the Hindu calendar. The wheels can show the time of the day accurately. With the help of a guide, one can learn about this feature. The temple is also famous for its erotic sculpted images of the maithunas. There is also a museum at the entrance to the temple. One can learn a lot about the temple history by visiting this museum. The majestic structure standing midst the green gardens, depict the rich cultural heritage and architectural finesse achieved by our ancestors. It is a must-visit site for anyone visiting Odisha.

The temperatures were soaring that day. We were completely exhausted due to the ride. The ride and exploring were tiring. We spent an hour at Konark, clicked some pictures and proceeded further. If time permits, I will definitely recommend, that anyone visiting the place should spend time exploring it in detail. Appreciate every piece of architecture there. Also, a guided tour would definitely be helpful.

We exited the temple complex, had our lunch and started our journey back to Puri. After reaching Puri, we were completely drained out and had a short nap. We recharged ourselves with a strong coffee. Then, after a quick bath, we got ready. We headed for the darshan of Lord Jagannath. We reached there in about 10 minutes by traversing through the traffic in narrow lanes. As soon as we reached the Puri temple complex, we were welcomed with a heavy spell of rain. We were drenched out completely within a few minutes. Yet, braving the rainfall, we searched for counters to keep our mobiles and chappals. The temple has a lot of counters, where one can safely keep their chappals and mobiles.

Lord Jagannath temple:

The famous Jagannath temple is one of the four Char Dhams, with the other three being Dwarka, Rameswaram and Badrinath. The presiding deity of the temple is Jagannath, accompanied by Balabhadra and Subhadra.

The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra. During this event, the three principal deities are moved around in elaborately decorated temple cars. They bless the devotees who gather in large numbers. According to records, the temple was originally built by King Indradyumna of Avanti. King Anantavarman Chodaganga of the Eastern Ganga dynasty re-built it in the 11th century CE. The temple showcases the richness of Kalinga style of architecture.

The temple complex has four entry gates. The counters for depositing mobiles and chappals are located at all the gates. The Singha dwara or the Lion’s gate forms the main entrance. There are multiple small temples, dedicated to different gods and goddesses within the temple complex. One of the significant ceremonies to witness in this temple is the Dhwaja Parivartan or the Chunar Seva. This is a flag changing ceremony, where two trained individuals ascend the temple tower and change the flag every day. The individuals skillfully ascend the tower with no safety equipment. This is performed every evening between 5 to 6 PM and is done without fail.

We completed our darshan in about 45 minutes. Afterwards, we collected our phones and chappals. Then, we walked around the temple. We clicked some photos and had our dinner in one of the many restaurants in the temple streets. The food available in the restaurants of temple streets is completely vegetarian.

We reached the hotel and ended our first day.

Day 2:

After having a much-required rest, we woke up late in the morning. We had our breakfast, quickly got ready and bought some sweets for our families back home. The sweet khaja in Puri is one of the maha prasadams and is quite famous. We had our return train at 15:30 hrs from Khurda and had to reach the station by then. We only had the plan of visiting Sakshi Gopal or Sakhi Gopal temple that day. We bargained with 2-3 toto (Electric rickshaw) drivers. We learned about the duration of travel from Puri to Sakhi Gopal. Then, we decided on a plan. We quickly checked out from our hotel. We booked a toto for 2000 rupees. This included the darshan at Sakhi Gopal temple and a drop at Khurda railway station. That was the only way in which we could cover the temple. It was also essential for reaching the Khurda station on time. Otherwise, many trains are available from Puri to Khurda. One can choose any of them for a hassle-free travel. The distance between Puri and Sakhi Gopal temple is around 20 kms. One can conveniently take a scooty to reach there. Also, a railway station is available at Sakhi Gopal. Sakhi Gopal station falls in the route of Puri to Khurda. Based on our convenience, we opted for a toto ride.

Sakhi Gopal temple:

Sakhi Gopal temple is a lesser-known temple to the people from other states. We were fortunate enough to learn about this temple from one of our friends. The temple is called Sakshi Gopal because Lord Krishna himself is said to have come to this place. He came to act as a witness to his devotee. The temple is small and beautiful. We had a quick darshan and proceeded with our onward journey to reach the railway station.

We reached the station with one more hour left for the arrival of the train. If time permits, one should prefer eating at restaurants outside the station. There are not many food options available in Khurda station. Yet, due to our time constraints, we had no choice of having our lunch somewhere outside. We looked for something to eat in the station itself and found Jan Aahar outlet. It had meals and the taste of the food was decent enough. We had our lunch and waited for our train to arrive. Finally, we boarded the train on time and reached our hometown by night.

Thus, we ended our trip with happy hearts. Jai Jagannath!

Points to note: