IHR Must Dos

• Do the Panchatirthas: The five sacred bathing places of Puri are collectively known as the Pancha Tirtha. They are Indradyumna Tank, Markandeya Tank, Rohini Kunda, Swetaganga and ‘Mahodadhi’the Sea. A visit to Puri, it is believed is inconsequential until the ceremony of Pancha Tirtha is performed. That is bathing in the five holy Tanks. Thus by visiting the Lord’s abode and bathing in the Pancha Tirthas you are assured of Salvation ( Jiva Mukti).
• Partake Mahaprasad of the Temple: The Jagannatha Temple kitchen is unique it can cook and feed around 1lakh people daily.without any problem. That makes it perhaps the largest kitchen in the world. This Mahaprasada (Holy Food) is the most famous dining in Puri. Every day the traditional 56 varieties of cooked and uncooked dishes are prepared and offered to the deities and then sold to public in a large compound called Ananda Bazaar. This is done after 2 pm at nominal rates. The food is satvik and must be eaten in plantain leaves without wasting a single morsel. One must try the “ Abhada” prasad atleast once. Made with an array of lentils,vegetables and rice this is an amazing dish.
• Watch the sand art at the beach: This is one must do on the Puri Beach. The art of making sculptures in the sand started a few years back by a local college dropout Sudarshan Patnaik is now an acclaimed art form at the golden beach of Puri. Sudarshan Patnaik has now become an internationally renowned artist. You can see the enthusiastic artists making sculptures of various personas, events or creating awareness about environment or social causes all on the sands. The gallery of sand art on the beach can be observed by any one in the afternoons. The timings are from 4-6 P.M. If you are keen to learn this interesting art form you can enroll at Golden Sand Art Institute an open air institute in Puri Beach located behind Mayfair Hotel. A basic 7-10 days familiarization course is available to the tourists can take.
• Splurge on the Sweets: If you are a sweet aficionado then Puri is the right place to be. Puri boasts of some fine sweets like Khira, Rasagolla/Rasgulla, Gaja and Chanapora. There are plenty of sweet shops in and around Puri selling these stuffs.
• Enjoy the sunrise and sunset: Puri may lack the sophistication of the Kerala or Goa beaches but never the less is an interesting place with huge number of visaitors thronging the beaches all the year round. However, enjoying the sunrise and sunset remains one of the best thing to do in Puri. All you have to do is get up early around quarter to 5 will do and enjoy the warm sunrise over the sea. Then have a dip in the sea and enjoy your time. Same holds true for sunset also. Place yourself in a vantage position and observe the sun going down and finally disappearing into the sea.
• Take great snaps of the temple: As photography is prohibited inside the Jagannatha temple, some intelligent guys have come out with a brilliant idea. There is a library called Raghumandan Library located opposite the main entrance of the Temple on the Grand Road. This library has an open verandah up some stairs. From there you can have a majestic view of the temple. This viewing opportunity is off course not free and you have to shell out some donation.
• Buy Souvenirs: Puri offers little knickknacks that you can take home as souvenirs. Stalls selling various things can be found outside the Jagannath Temple and all the way down Grand Road. The small but colourful figures of Jagannath,   together with his brother Balbhadra and sister Subhadra is quite appealing because of their unique shape and appearance. Then there are the Patta Chitra and the sambalpuri and Katki saris. Also between Puri and Bhubaneshwar a village called Pipili also offers shopaholics especially women to have a field day.
• Take a safari at Nandankanan zoo and Wildlife Park: Your visit to the Puri can be termed as incomplete if you do not visit the Nandankan zoo and National park. You can enjoy the experience of seeing these animals in almost natural habitats by undertaking exciting White Tiger Safari and Lion safari in specially protected battery operated zero pollution buses.
• The Puri Beach Festival: Puri Beach Festival is a must attend for all fun loving people. Held every November the festival is a celebration of the spirit of Orissa. From traditional cultural shows to fashion events and rock shows Puri Beach festival caters to every type of sensibilities.
• Take a tour of Ashramas and Mathas: If you have some time in your hand then hire a cycle rickshaw or an auto rickshaw and ask him to take you to various important Ashrams and Mathas of Puri. Puri due to its spiritual appeal has been a favourite of ascetics who made it their sadhna bhumi. So you can visit the Sankaracharya Pith, Sri Chaitanya Math, Bharat Sevasram Sangha Ramkrishna Mission etc to spend some time solemnly. Undertake these visits no matter if you are not much into religion.