essay on puri in bengali
Answers
Explanation:
A hill outside Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika, deepest Africa.
Famous scholar-explorer Henry Morton Stanley enters a tent, where he meets a dapper gentleman sipping tea and reading The Statesman.
“Dr Livingstone, I presume?” he asks.
The gentleman puts down his newspaper and Stanley suddenly realizes that his brown skin is natural, and not the result of too much time spent in the sun.
“It’s Dr Lahiri, actually,” he says. “Livingstone’s in that tent over there. May I tempt you with a biscuit, old chap?”
-- From Legends of the Bengali Traveller: Part Four (2004, Banamali Naskar Publications)
Dr Lahiri of this tale, while exceptional, was by no means an aberration--the Bengali traveller is one of the hardiest species on the planet, and found in the unlikeliest places. Armed with map, muffler and monkey-cap, Bengalis rival even the Japanese in their endless quest to tread every inch of the world map and comment on how nothing is even remotely comparable to Calcutta.
And the twin pillars of Bengali-traveller respectability, the shallow pools in which they make their first waddling forays before they swim the ocean of discovery, are Darjeeling and Puri. No Bengali is a true Bengali, let alone a traveller, unless he or she has set foot on these scenic spots.
I am, alas, a blot on the face of Bengal, but a humble, penitent blot trying to erase itself. I had been to neither of these must-visit spots before this trip--and I still cannot call myself a true Bong until I have made that trip to Darjeeling. But that is a tale for another day. Today’s saga is one of sun, sea and sand, of a sacred city in Orissa loved with an almost religious fervour through the centuries by generations of intrepid travelling Bengalis.
Puri is not a city that seeks out tourists--it doesn’t need to. People flock to it in hordes. The magnificent Jagannath temple dates back to the 12th century and is one of the most sacred Hindu sites in India. Millions attend the Rath Yatra every summer, when giant idols of Jagannath, Balbhadra and Subhadra in wooden chariots are pulled from the Jagannath Temple to the Gundicha Ghar on the Grand Road, the city’s main thoroughfare.
But I had no intention of visiting the temple and being fought over by evil, vulture-like pandas. About ten minutes after checking in at the BNR hotel, Puri’s most famous institution after the temples, I felt the inevitable urge to feel sand between my toes. Well, there was some sand in the loo, but that didn’t count--I needed to walk the beach where my ancestors have frolicked down the ages, to try and get a whiff of the magic in the air that kept them coming back every year, armed more children and bigger tiffin-carriers.
So to the beach I went, and the first thing I saw was a completely unexpected camel. How did a camel get to Odisha? I asked Madhav, its owner, and learnt the answer. It walked. I never saw anyone actually ride that camel during my brief stay in Puri--it just walked around in a forlorn sort of way, dreaming of dunes.
The beach itself is very beautiful--the sand is golden brown and firm, the sea is choppy and wild, and the sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, filling the sky with pink and orange fire.
It’s a very crowded beach, though. The BNR hotel is on Chakratirtha Road, where the beach is relatively empty; closer to the temple, on the stretch of sand called Swargadwar, a series of budget hotels compete with each other for the Ugly Building of the Year awards.
The part of the beach in front of Puri Hotel, overlord of the budget hotels, is best avoided. It’s more of a scrum than a beach; hordes of giggling families leap in and out of the water’s edge, spreading litter and shrieks; distended, engorged bellies float on the swelling as if independent of the bodies attached to them. Small boys run around trying to sell fake pearls, and a large market stands behind it all, where you can buy a variety of garish souvenirs, gape at horrors of shell and plastic, and eat mouldy, sandy and utterly tasteless chaat. Nearby, fishermen are hauling in the day’s catch; I watched the men of the noble vessel ‘Great the Asok’ examine the contents of their net, throwing away huge, menacing-looking jellyfish as crows gather round, clamouring harshly for eyeballs. Nearby, a vast open drain pours assorted filth into the Bay of Bengal.
Explanation:
Puri (About this soundlisten (help·info)) is a city and a Municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and is situated on the Bay of Bengal, 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar. It is also known as Sri Jagannatha Dhama after the 12th-century Jagannatha Temple located in the city. It is one of the original Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus.
Country
India
State
Odisha
District
Puri
Government
• Type
Municipality
• Body
Puri Municipality
• Collector & District Magistrate
Balwant Singh, IAS
• Superintendent of Police
Uma Sankar Dash, IPS
• Member of Parliament
Shri Pinaki Misra, (BJD)
• Member of Legislative Assembly
Jayanta Kumar Sarangi, (BJP)
Area
• Total
16.3268 km2 (6.3038 sq mi)
Elevation
0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total
201,026
• Density
12,000/km2 (32,000/sq mi)
Language
• Official
Odia
Time zone
UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
752xxx
Telephone code
06752,06758 (06758 for Nimapara & 06752 for Puri)
Vehicle registration
OD-13
Website
puri.nic.in
Puri is known by several names since the ancient times, and was locally known as "Sri Kshetra" and Lord Jagannatha temple is known as "Badadeula". Puri and the Jagannatha Temple were invaded 18 times by Muslim rulers, from the 4th century AD till the early 19th century with the objective of looting the treasures of the temple. Odisha, including Puri and its temple, were part of British India from 1803 till India attained independence in August 1947. Even though princely states do not exist in India today, the heirs of the Gajapati Dynasty of Khurda still perform the ritual duties of the temple. The temple town has many Hindu religious mathas or monasteries.
The economy of Puri is dependent on the religious importance of the Jagannatha Temple to the extent of nearly 80 percent. The 24 festivals, including 13 major ones, held every year in the temple complex contribute to the economy; Ratha Yatra and its related festivals are the most important which are attended by millions of people every year. Sand art and applique art are some of the important crafts of the city.
Puri has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme of Government of India.