Puri is no palm-fringed paradise – the beach is wide, shelves quickly with a nasty shore break and is shadeless. But Model Beach, part of a sustainable, community-run beach-tourism initiative, offers a 700m stretch of sand that’s easily Puri’s finest and cleanest. Palm umbrellas provide shade, and a team of cabana boys and lifeguards known as Sea Riders hawk fixed-price beach chairs (per hour ₹20) and massages (₹100 to ₹200); they are also responsible for keeping the beach clean.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
18.07 MILES
Conceived as the cosmic chariot of the sun god Surya, this massive, breathtakingly splendid temple was constructed in the mid-13th century, probably by…
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1.17 MILES
This mighty temple is home to Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), an incarnation of Vishnu. Built in its present form in 1198, the temple – closed to non…
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27.18 MILES
In about 260 BC, 11 of of Ashoka’s 14 famous edicts were carved onto a rock at Dhauli, 8km south of Bhubaneswar. Above the edicts, the earliest Buddhist…
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29.59 MILES
Hidden among rice fields 15km south of Bhubaneswar, this small but serene 9th-century open-roofed temple is dedicated to yoginis (female tantric mystics)…
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22.33 MILES
This colourful village, 16km southeast of Bhubaneswar, is notable for its locally made brilliant appliqué craft, which incorporates small mirrors and is…
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18.16 MILES
This museum contains many impressive sculptures and carvings found during excavations of the Sun Temple.
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1.12 MILES
These hallowed cremation grounds are the final earthly stop for some 40 deceased Hindus who are cremated here daily. You can watch or walk among the open…
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1.08 MILES
The world's saddest library — featuring a few rows of dusty, locked bookcases — does a lucrative trade by offering great views of Jagannath Mandir for non…
Nearby Puri attractions
1.08 MILES
The world's saddest library — featuring a few rows of dusty, locked bookcases — does a lucrative trade by offering great views of Jagannath Mandir for non…
1.12 MILES
These hallowed cremation grounds are the final earthly stop for some 40 deceased Hindus who are cremated here daily. You can watch or walk among the open…
1.17 MILES
This mighty temple is home to Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), an incarnation of Vishnu. Built in its present form in 1198, the temple – closed to non…
1.26 MILES
The largest of Puri's holy tanks, this is where locals bathe on a daily basis. It's also where a replica deity of Jagannath is brought on an annual basis…
1.53 MILES
This bathing place, where Vishnu is said to have resided as a neem tree, is particularly interesting in the mornings, when locals come here for their…
18.07 MILES
Conceived as the cosmic chariot of the sun god Surya, this massive, breathtakingly splendid temple was constructed in the mid-13th century, probably by…
18.16 MILES
This museum contains many impressive sculptures and carvings found during excavations of the Sun Temple.
22.33 MILES
This colourful village, 16km southeast of Bhubaneswar, is notable for its locally made brilliant appliqué craft, which incorporates small mirrors and is…