One of the four celebrated religious centers of India, Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath needs no introduction. According to tradition Puri was once a thickly wooded hill inhabited by the Sabaras (Pre-Aryan and Pre-Dravidian tribes of the Austric linguistic family). The sunny beach at Puri is one of the finest in the world. Watching the sunrise in a symphony of colours is a wonderful experience. It is one of the most popular sea-side resorts where visitors from any part of the globe can comfortably relax.
The Temple of Lord Jagannath built during the 12th century A.D. by Chodaganga Deva dominates the landscape for kilometers around. Being the tallest temple (65 metres) in Orissa, it is one of the most magnificent pieces of monuments of India. In front of the main gate stands a 16 sided monolithic pillar (11 metres high), called Aruna Stambha which formally stood in front of the Sun Temple and was brought to Puri during the 18th century A.D. Some of the other important temples are Gundicha, Lokanath, Sunaragauranga, Daria Mahabir and Tota Gopinatt. There are also a number of holy tanks like Narendra, Markandeya, Sweta Ganga and Indradyumna. There are many Monasteries locally known as Mathas also of touristic interest.
Puri District is a coastal District on the eastern part of Odisha, India. This District needs no introduction, being the abode of Lord Vishnu, most popularly known as Lord Jagannath. This District derives its name from the heritage city of Puri, one of the four pilgrimage centres of India. Covering an area of 3051 sq/kms, the District may be divided into two dissimilar natural divisions-the Littoral tract and the Level alluvial tract. It is also located at 19’ 28 N Latitude 26’ 35 N, 84’ 29 E. Longitude 86’ 25 E. Its altitude is at sea level. The population of the District is 15, 02, 682 (as per 2001 Census) and the density of population is 431 people per sq. km. The rural population is 12, 98, 654 and the urban, 2, 04, 028. SC population is 2, 73, 917 and ST is 4, 482. The District is quite literate in the sense that its literates number 1, 024, 523 as against the illiterates numbering 4, 78, 159. Paddy, wheat, mung, biri, kulthi and groundnut are some of the major crops grown in the District.
