Puri is located in the state of Orissa. It is situated on the sea shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is the one of the oldest city in Eastern India. Puri is famous for its beach and is very important pilgrim centre because people come here to visit Jagannath temple. It is one of the four Holy Kshetras of India including temples at Rameshwaram, Dwaraka, Badrinath and Puri. Jagannath Puri, is the abode of Lord Jagannath or Purushotham, the Lord of the Universe or the Supreme Personality of the Universe. The Temple of Lord Jagannath built during the 12th century A.D. by Chodaganga. It is the tallest temple (65 metres) in Orissa.  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.
The Annual Rathayatra  festival celebrated in Puri is considered to be very auspicious and has been attracting lakhs of devotees and pilgrims because they want to see the Lord on the Chariot on the Rathayatra day. The sunny beach at Puri has a beautiful combination of golden sand and rough sea. Both sunset and sunrise can be viewed from the beach. Tourists may plan for leisure crusing, bird and Dolphin watching, sightseeing communing with nature. Puri is very famous for its handicraft, Pipli (for the famous appliqué work), Raghurajpur (for pata and palm-leaf paintings) and Balakati (for bell-metal work). The areas both within and outside Puri offer excellent shopping and bring shoppers directly in contact with the craftsmen at work. It is a lovely experience.