4 Best Beaches in Orissa

At a distance of 36 km from Konark, 58 km from Bhubaneswar, 82 km from Cuttack, 390 km from Rourkela, 407 km from Jamshedpur, 434 km from Vizag, 495 km from Kolkata, and 522 km from Ranchi, Puri is an ancient temple town situated along the coast of Bay of Bengal in Odisha. Puri is one of the places of original holy Char Dham Yatra of Hinduism and also one of the top places to experience Odisha Tourism.

Earlier called as ShriKhetra, Purushottama Khetra, and Jagannath Puri, Puri is home to the world famous Sri Jagannath Temple. Often referred as the spiritual capital of Odisha, Puri forms the Golden Triangle of Orissa along with Konark and Bhubaneswar. Puri became an important center of pilgrimage with the arrival of Gangas in the 12th century and emerged as one of the centers of Vaishnavism. Anantavarman Chodaganga, one of the powerful rulers of Puri, established the Purushottama Temple and later came to be known as the Jagannath Temple in the 15th century.

According to history, Puri and the Jagannath Temple were invaded 18 times by Hindu and Muslim rulers from 4th century AD till the early 19th century. Puri was declared as the capital of Odisha under the British till 1816 CE. In 1828 CE the whole territory was separated into three regions, Katak, Balasore, and Jagannath Puri. In 1936 CE Odisha was divided from the state of Bihar and Puri was formed in 1948 CE.

Dedicated Lord Vishnu, Lord Jagannath Temple is one of the prime places to visit in Puri and is a ...

At a distance of 5 km from Konark Bus Station, Konark Beach is a stunning beach located in Konark, Orissa. Also known as Chandrabhaga Beach, it is regarded as one of the finest beaches along the east coast and also one of the popular Konark Tourist Places.

The Konark Sea Beach is named after Chandrabhaga River which joins sea here. The lengthy stretch of sylvan sands and soothing blue sea rushing in, undulating waves makes the Konark Beach one of the beautiful places to visit in Konark. A leisurely stroll along the beach side is a lovely experience. Tourists can also enjoy beach activities like sun bathing, surfing and many more. Though this is a great spot for sunbathing, the presence of strong currents makes swimming unsafe. A panoramic view of the sunrise is the other captivating attraction of this beach. A light house, close by Chandrabhaga is an added attraction to this place.

Konark Beach is well-known for the yearly Magha Saptami Mela, a seven day festival. It takes place during 7th full moon day of Magha Month every year and many visitors come to this beach on this day to take dip in the sea and offer prayers to Sun God.

At a distance of 34 km from Konark, Astaranga is a stunning beach in Puri district of Odisha. Situated near the mouth of Devi River, it is one of the famous and beautiful tourist places in Konark.

It lies on the coast of Bay of Bengal and is famous for the lovely and long sandy beach. It attracts lots of visitor to enjoy the natural scenery of the beach. The sunset at Astaranga Beach is incredible for tourists. In Oriya language 'Asta 'means 'Sun set' and 'Ranga' means 'Color', So 'Astaranga' means 'Colorful Sunset'.

Known as famous fishing center of Puri, the small market sits near the beach where the fishermen sell out their catches to the waiting vendors. The crowd in the early morning consisting of the boatmen returning with their nets from the sea and the intending buyers give a perfect picture of man's co-existence with nature. The famous shrine of Pir Jahania is located near the beach.

At a distance of 17 km from Puri and 25 km from Konark, Beleswar Beach is a serene beach situated at Beleswar in Puri district of Orissa. Also known as Baleshwar Beach, this place is one of the striking beaches in Odisha and also one of the popular places to visit in Puri.

The beach is located at the mouth of Nuanai River and the sight of the river draining into Bay of Bengal is spectacular. The beach and the forest cover that stretches all along the beach provides a good place to relax. Sunbathing, swimming and water sports are popular ways to spend time on the beach. Watching the sunrise and sunset is a popular tourist activity.

The Baleshwar Beach is renowned for its Shaivite shrine and also holds religious significance for the followers of Lord Shiva. The Mahashivaratri festival is celebrated with great fervor at the temple and is visited by thousands of devotees during the festival.