Now, I am sure, most of you know Puri like the back of your hands but this is for those (un/)fortunate few who don’t and also for the ones who like to put up with my non-stop whining...here I am back from a quick weekend getaway to Puri and I’m bursting to vent out.
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| A Full-Moon Night at the Beach ^_^ |
The first in my list of what not to do in Puri would be - visiting there on any public holiday, long weekends and especially the Odia/Bengali New years! If you are one who loves a good, chirpy crowd, feel free to go ahead but if you are one like me who gets easily scared, better step back. You might find a massive % of our ever growing population squeezing their way to this hugely popular tourist destination!
Nonetheless, it has been ages since I have been to a beach and ages since I have done an overnight train journey (courtesy: super duper flying machines!), so I was kind of looking forward to it. I do love a wild sea!
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| Beach Buzz at one end ! |
Now, second in my list would be to throw out a word of caution on visiting the famous Puri temple, one of the char dhams of India. Enter at your own risk, people!
I was there this year on the 15th April (which marked the beginning of the Bengali New year and was the day after the Odia New Year) and I can tell you this much, I have indeed been gifted a new life! It's a miracle I came out alive. It's a miracle that I could be squashed from so many different angles at the same time and still manage to breathe!
It was a grinder! Once you go in, you can't turn back. You can’t force your way back with an ever swarming crowd coming at you with a tremendous zeal from the opposite side (unless it’s a Rohit Shetty movie of course!). So what do you do? You go with the flow and then you're ping-ponged around by a mob set in a chaotic whirl. After a good while of sweat-breaking, body-rubbing, flesh-pulping exercise, you will find yourself thrown out of the temple by the motion of the crowd. You then search for all your body parts. If everything is still intact, you're a miracle on your own!
I don't know if I felt Jagannath's presence or not, but I definitely felt Darwin's. Survival of the fittest indeed!
If you visit Jagannath temple in Puri, don't just focus on the squeezing game. Take a pause, let it go and marvel at the astounding architecture that stands before you since the 10th century. Mythological stories and significance aside, you got to give in to the humongous creativity, design, aesthetics, technique, strength and determination of the people who made this possible.
My cousin was telling me how he avoids visiting this temple as a mark of a protest against extremist Hinduism. This temple doesn't allow visitors of other religions! It's shocking and shameful really - how extremism in any form destroys the essence of an otherwise beautiful spirit. Whilst Hinduism in most of its ways preaches liberal, thought provoking harmony, this extremists’ approach just ruins it for all.
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| The Serene Side of the Beach... |
The rest of the afternoon and the evening saw a pleasant beach walk right from the Lighthouse (at the serene far end of the beach) to the Swargadwar crematorium (Gateway to Heaven; You could actually see the burning in process.) and all along stretching to the end of the Golden beach - from the quiet to the happening part of the town! This is definitely recommended. My top tip would be to walk in bare feet, breaking the waves, along the waterline. :)
You worship the God in the temple, I surf the waves.
