Hotel Gandhara

Puri

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Gandhara continues to steamroll the competition with its friendliness and amazing value. The 200-year-old pillared heritage building has three wonderfully atmospheric fan-cooled rooms. Pricier and modern AC rooms are in a new block at the back of the garden, overlooking a mango-tree-shaded swimming pool that wins full marks for cuteness.

The wi-fi is super quick (for India), you get newspapers slipped under your door and there are beers (₹200) waiting for you in a fridge. Chef Bulu does an amazing job plating simple yet tasty Indian and Western dishes.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Carved wheel of the Sun Temple at Konark.

    Sun Temple

    17.4 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…

  • Devotees at Lingaraja temple, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, India. (Photo by: IndiaPictures/UIG via Getty Images)

    Lingaraj Mandir

    29.96 MILES

    The 54m-high Lingaraj Mandir dedicated to Shiva dates from 1090 to 1104 – though some parts are more than 1400 years old – and is surrounded by several…

  • Jagannath Mandir

    Jagannath Mandir

    1.62 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…

  • Dhauli

    Dhauli

    26.77 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…

  • Chausath Yogini

    Chausath Yogini

    29.14 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)…

  • Model Beach

    Model Beach

    0.7 MILES

    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,…

  • Pipli

    Pipli

    21.93 MILES

    This colourful village, 16km southeast of Bhubaneswar, is notable for its locally made brilliant appliqué craft, which incorporates small mirrors and is…

  • Archaeological Museum

    Archaeological Museum

    17.49 MILES

    This museum contains many impressive sculptures and carvings found during excavations of the Sun Temple.

View more attractions

Nearby Puri attractions

1. Model Beach

0.7 MILES

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,…

2. Narendra Tank

1.37 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…

3. Raghunandan Library

1.54 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…

4. Jagannath Mandir

1.62 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…

5. Swargdwar

1.79 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…

6. Markandeya Tank

1.86 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…

7. Sun Temple

17.4 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…

8. Archaeological Museum

17.49 MILES

This museum contains many impressive sculptures and carvings found during excavations of the Sun Temple.