Known as the city of Festivals, it attracts lakhs of devotees from all over the world. Revered as the abode of Lord Jagannath (the Lord of the world), it is one of the four holiest places in India. It’s very popular Rath Yatra (annual festival of chariots) is a huge hit with devotees from all over the world.

It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage spots in India and one of the four abodes ('Dhamas') of the divine that lie on the four directions of the compass.

Built in the 12th century by the 'Ganga' King 'Choda Ganga Deva', it replaces an earlier structure, whose origin dates back probably to the 10th century.

:: Gundicha Mandir (Temple)

Located at the end of Grand road (the main road), about 3-km northeast of the Lord Jagannatha temple.

Popular religious belief says that at the time of the 'Ratha-Yatra' festival, Lord Jagannatha goes to the Gundicha temple and stays there for one week. After one week He returns to His original temple. The wife of 'Indradyumna', the king who originally established the temple of Jagannatha, was known as "Gundicha". The cleansing of the Gundicha temple takes place the day before the Ratha-Yatra festival as mentioned in "Chaitanya-Caritamrita".

A WORLD FAMOUS beach that has for centuries seen countless pilgrims take traditional purification dip, due to its significance as the abode of Lord Jagannath. Apart from this, both Indians and foreigners have been using it for general purposes.

Its fine white sands and roar have fascinated visitors throughout the ages. As it is with all the beaches of Orissa, overcrowding is never a problem and the sight of holidaymakers having entire stretches of the beach to them is not uncommon. Another

memorable highlight is the presence of numerous local fishermen, who with their catamarans and wide brimmed cane hats are not only famous for their terrific boat steering skills, but also for their excellent lifeguard saving and delectable masseur skills.