A place with many names over the centuries- Nilgiri, Niladri, Nilachal, Purushotam, Sankhakshetra, Srikshetra, Jagannath Dham, Jagannath Puri- Puri is dominated by two great forces, one created by God, and the other by man. A very large part of Puri's population is connected with the Temple in one way or the other

Most people go to Puri go to Puri for religious reasons- it being one of the four most holy Hindu 'Dhams'. But a very large number also go for both adventure as well as restful holidays. Puri not only has scores of hotels, but also hundreds of holiday homes owned by various organisations and business houses. A new attraction is the annual Beach Festival which has been included in the list of National Festival. The week-long fest is a mix of cultural events, sports shopping, food and fun, generally held in November. Lord Jagannath Temple is a virtual city within its compound surrounded by two walls with four gates on four sides.

Puri is popular all the year round and must be receiving the maximum number of domestic and foreign tourists as compared to any other destination in the eastern region. Loknath Temple 3 km from Jagannath Temple, is the next most important temple in Puri. Gundicah Ghar 2 km from Jagannath Temple. Indradyumna Tank situated to the north west of the Gundicha Temple, is the most sacred and the oldest of Puri's five sacred tanks. Atharmala Bridge the 13th century bridge over Matia stream at the entrance of Puri town.