A Short Trip To Places Near Puri


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Went last week to Puri for a short few days tour. Did not bother about train reservation. Decided to travel with my eight year old only car (Tata Indigo-GLX/MPFI, 90000+KM), being accompanied by my wife and daughter.
On one day of my stay at Puri, went for a tour to the outskirts. Planned to visit Chilka lake, Udaygiri/Khandagiri caves at Bhuvaneswar and Konark temple on a single day. And I had heard from Mr. H. V. Kumar that there was a ferry service available at Chilka, at which one might cross the lake (well, at least a portion of it) with his car and reach the other side, from where NH-5 (which connects Calcutta with Madras) was only 45 KMs away.
I must thank the government of Orissa for maintaining the roads really well. Nowhere in my journey of over three hundred KMs on that day did I encounter a single pothole. But the road from Puri to Satpada, on my way to Chilka, was infested by innumerable speed breakers, making the driving tiresome. The situation was much better on the other side of the lake, where there was almost no speed-breaker present at all.
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I had no idea of the ferry timings. But this board gave me an idea of it. Although winter had passed, they were still sticking to this timetable, I could see. The rates were also displayed there. I was told to wait for about twenty minutes, till the vessel arrived from the other side.
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I was just wandering nearby, when I saw this vessel being bithed in an adjacent jetty, to load a tractor with a trailor attached to it.
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A view of the lake, along with the boats.
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Mine was the only car waiting to be taken to the other side, although at the last moment a Toyota Innova arrived. It belonged to some government official going to Vijayawada.
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On the contrary, the ferry coming from the opposite direction (from a place called Krishnaprasad) was quite full. Hidden beside this large bus were three cars, one Tata ace vehicle, possibly two auto-rickshaws, and about 30-40 motorbikes.
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The roads on the other side was beautiful. I must mention here that the roads seemed to be almost devoid of any human population. For the next 45 KMs or so, I had come across only four or five motor vehicles, although a few villagers were travelling with their motor cycles. And possibly due to already intense mid-day heat, the number of pedestrians on the roads were almost nil.
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I remember that it was somewhere near these places that I came across a small unmarked T-junction. As I do not have any GPS deice in my car, I could not identify and choose the correct road. It was almost after ten minutes of waiting that two villagers came on a motorbike and helped me with directions.
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NH-5 to Bhubaneswar was in excellent shape. Although I had no hurry and did not wish to stress the engine, the road was so good and traffic so sparse that at times achieved up to 130 KMPH. There was also a good dhaba available near Khurda town, where I could find good mutton curry with rice, besides clean toilets.
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Reached Bhubaneswar earlier than expected. Fortunately could locate Khandagiri Chawk easily, from where the caves were only a hundred meters only. I was told that it was a major tourist attraction in Bhubaneswar.
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Although several new flyovers are being constructed in Bhubaneswar over NH-5, I could locate Rasulgarh Chawk, where the Puri bound road deviates from it. And to go to Konark from Bhubaneswar, you do not have to go all the way up to Pipli anymore, I found out.
The roads were good. I reached Konark when the lights of the day had just started to fall.
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And the road from Konark to Puri is very scenic. Please allow me to show one picture of me standing with my daughter.
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Another picture of my daughter standing on that road.
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Returned safely back to my hotel at Puri at around half past seven.
Thanks for reading,
Regards,
Rahul,
Calcutta
 
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Joined
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kolkata
Went last week to Puri for a short few days tour. Did not bother about train reservation. Decided to travel with my eight year old only car (Tata Indigo-GLX/MPFI, 90000+KM), being accompanied by my wife and daughter.
On one day of my stay at Puri, went for a tour to the outskirts. Planned to visit Chilka lake, Udaygiri/Khandagiri caves at Bhuvaneswar and Konark temple on a single day. And I had heard from Mr. H. V. Kumar that there was a ferry service available at Chilka, at which one might cross the lake (well, at least a portion of it) with his car and reach the other side, from where NH-5 (which connects Calcutta with Madras) was only 45 KMs away.
I must thank the government of Orissa for maintaining the roads really well. Nowhere in my journey of over three hundred KMs on that day did I encounter a single pothole. But the road from Puri to Satpada, on my way to Chilka, was infested by innumerable speed breakers, making the driving tiresome. The situation was much better on the other side of the lake, where there was almost no speed-breaker present at all.
View attachment 86565
View attachment 86566
View attachment 86567
I had no idea of the ferry timings. But this board gave me an idea of it. Although winter had passed, they were still sticking to this timetable, I could see. The rates were also displayed there. I was told to wait for about twenty minutes, till the vessel arrived from the other side.
View attachment 86572
I was just wandering nearby, when I saw this vessel being bithed in an adjacent jetty, to load a tractor with a trailor attached to it.
View attachment 86568
View attachment 86569
A view of the lake, along with the boats.
View attachment 86571
Mine was the only car waiting to be taken to the other side, although at the last moment a Toyota Innova arrived. It belonged to some government official going to Vijayawada.
View attachment 86570
On the contrary, the ferry coming from the opposite direction (from a place called Krishnaprasad) was quite full. Hidden beside this large bus were three cars, one Tata ace vehicle, possibly two auto-rickshaws, and about 30-40 motorbikes.
View attachment 86573
The roads on the other side was beautiful. I must mention here that the roads seemed to be almost devoid of any human population. For the next 45 KMs or so, I had come across only four or five motor vehicles, although a few villagers were travelling with their motor cycles. And possibly due to already intense mid-day heat, the number of pedestrians on the roads were almost nil.
View attachment 86574
View attachment 86575
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View attachment 86579
View attachment 86580
I remember that it was somewhere near these places that I came across a small unmarked T-junction. As I do not have any GPS deice in my car, I could not identify and choose the correct road. It was almost after ten minutes of waiting that two villagers came on a motorbike and helped me with directions.
View attachment 86577
View attachment 86578
NH-5 to Bhubaneswar was in excellent shape. Although I had no hurry and did not wish to stress the engine, the road was so good and traffic so sparse that at times achieved up to 130 KMPH. There was also a good dhaba available near Khurda town, where I could find good mutton curry with rice, besides clean toilets.
View attachment 86582
View attachment 86583
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Reached Bhubaneswar earlier than expected. Fortunately could locate Khandagiri Chawk easily, from where the caves were only a hundred meters only. I was told that it was a major tourist attraction in Bhubaneswar.
View attachment 86586
View attachment 86587
View attachment 86588
Although several new flyovers are being constructed in Bhubaneswar over NH-5, I could locate Rasulgarh Chawk, where the Puri bound road deviates from it. And to go to Konark from Bhubaneswar, you do not have to go all the way up to Pipli anymore, I found out.
The roads were good. I reached Konark when the lights of the day had just started to fall.
View attachment 86589
And the road from Konark to Puri is very scenic. Please allow me to show one picture of me standing with my daughter.
View attachment 86590
Another picture of my daughter standing on that road.
View attachment 86591
Returned safely back to my hotel at Puri at around half past seven.
Thanks for reading,
Regards,
Rahul,
Calcutta
Rahul Da,Good to see your another travelogue.How is the road condition between Kolkata to puri and can you name few good dhabas after share-e-punjab.Where do u stay in puri and tariff.I am also planing to visit puri with my 9 month old daughter next week.
 
Thread Starter #4
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How is the road condition between Kolkata to puri and can you name few good dhabas after share-e-punjab.
Are you going by car? The highway is in otherwise nice shape but there are certain stretches on the highway where one section of the road is closed for ongoing works. And in some areas after Kharagpur the culverts have asphalt scattered over the concrete surfaces, making the road surfaces uneven.

I am sorry I drove at night and did not stop anywhere after Kolaghat. Only stopped once for refueling and toilets at Baleswar, petrol being cheaper by Rs 8/- at Orissa. Was possibly the first to arrive at Nandankanan Zoological garden, even before their scheduled opening time of eight O' clock.
Edit:- Forgot to mention that there was a very nice hotel at Kharagpur called Hotel Greenland Tower. Nice amenities and was not expensive either. Stopped there for lunch while returning. It is at the exact spot where NH-5 and NH-6 joins, coming up on your left.
Where do u stay in puri and tariff. I am also planing to visit puri with my 9 month old daughter next week.
Please rest assured that there are hotels of wide varieties and tariffs, most hotels having provisions for car parking.
 
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Are you going by car? The highway is in otherwise nice shape but there are certain stretches on the highway where one section of the road is closed for ongoing works. And in some areas after Kharagpur the culverts have asphalt scattered over the concrete surfaces, making the road surfaces uneven.

I am sorry I drove at night and did not stop anywhere after Kolaghat. Only stopped once for refueling and toilets at Baleswar, petrol being cheaper by Rs 8/- at Orissa. Was possibly the first to arrive at Nandankanan Zoological garden, even before their scheduled opening time of eight O' clock.
Edit:- Forgot to mention that there was a very nice hotel at Kharagpur called Hotel Greenland Tower. Nice amenities and was not expensive either. Stopped there for lunch while returning. It is at the exact spot where NH-5 and NH-6 joins, coming up on your left.

Please rest assured that there are hotels of wide varieties and tariffs, most hotels having provisions for car parking.
Yes Rahul Da i am going by car.Thanks for all the information and i am from kharagpur only so i need to have information after kharagpur bcoz i may need to stop for my baby.
 
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Yes Rahul Da i am going by car. i am from kharagpur only so i need to have information after kharagpur bcoz i may need to stop for my baby.
I am sorry I do not have any more information. But I guess you will certainly have adequate amenities, if you exit from the elevated highway by taking the service roads, at places like Baleswar, Bhadrak and Cuttack, just by asking the locals.
 
Thread Starter #8
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How many hours did you take to reach Puri from Kolkata
Calcutta-Puri is definitely doable in ten or eleven hours, that even when you are travelling with family and are having adequate breaks. As I drove at night, it took me even less. That was because the traffic jam was minimal at Jaleswar. Also I had only three stops, the first stop was for dinner at Kolaghat, the second stop was for refueling and toilet breaks at Baleswar and the third break was at a tea shop near Cuttack. But I did not go to Puri straightaway. I decided to visit Nandankanan zoo in the morning early, as soon as it opened at eight O'clock, as I guessed otherwise it would be too hot later at the day.
 
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Calcutta-Puri is definitely doable in ten or eleven hours, that even when you are travelling with family and are having adequate breaks. As I drove at night, it took me even less. That was because the traffic jam was minimal at Jaleswar. Also I had only three stops, the first stop was for dinner at Kolaghat, the second stop was for refueling and toilet breaks at Baleswar and the third break was at a tea shop near Cuttack. But I did not go to Puri straightaway. I decided to visit Nandankanan zoo in the morning early, as soon as it opened at eight O'clock, as I guessed otherwise it would be too hot later at the day.
Rahul Da i dont hv gps in my car,do u have any any road map and if you have kindly PM me.Thanks in advance.
 
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Rahul Da i dont hv gps in my car,do u have any any road map and if you have kindly PM me.
GPS for going to Puri? [confused]
You do not need it, really. There is absolutely no need for it. I do not employ a GPS device in my car either. The highway goes straight to Bhuwaneswar and you just have to stick to the main road. Very simple. Once you are in Bhuwaneswar town, just ask anyone for Rasulgarh Chaka (Chowk). This is the place where you take a turn to your left for Puri. Previously it used to be a large circular traffic island on the middle of the road, with a prominently visible direction board. But this had been taken down, as there is a large flyover being erected at this place and work has not been completed yet.

In case you are in any doubt, feel free to ask. Actually most of the cars in the Bhuwaneswar town have their windows rolled up, at least at the daytime, due to intense summer heat, with their ACs running, so it is difficult to seek direction from their drivers. But I have personally found the auto-rickshaw drivers there to be very helpful. And a simply idea of the places around from Google map was sufficient for me.

One more suggestion. When coming across the dreaded traffic jam of trucks at Jaleswar, hit the other (right) side of the divider. You may be ashamed to break the rules, yet that is the custom for small vehicles there. Once you clear the check-post and pay your road toll, revert back to left.

Send me a PM in case you are having any other doubt and I shall be happy to help.
 
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Rahul Da i dont hv gps in my car,do u have any any road map and if you have kindly PM me.Thanks in advance.
Hey Swiftkolkata, Puri is the easiest route you can have. You wont need a gps. Please get in touch in case you need any help. You will get decent dhabas all along. Between Kharagpur to Baleswar it will be slightly on the lesser side on NH 60. But between Baleshwar to Cuttack they are all lined up on either side of the road.

@ Rahul, Sorry was out of touch with TAI for some time. Good trip and good write up. If possible put in some pic of Nandankanan and your Indigo on the ferry
 
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Sorry to revive an old thread. Have decided to visit Puri for the upcoming Rathayatra festival. This year is specially more significant because the "Nabakalebar" festival, which is taking place after a gap of nineteen years. A huge crowd is expected. Three very large chariots will be pulled by innumerable devotees. [:)]
In case anyone else in this forum is visiting the same, please send me a PM. I am going to witness this event and by the blessing of Lord Jagannath, may even be travelling together.
Warm regards,
Rahul Biswas,
Calcutta.
 
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Sorry to revive an old thread. Have decided to visit Puri for the upcoming Rathayatra festival. This year is specially more significant because the "Nabakalebar" festival, which is taking place after a gap of nineteen years. A huge crowd is expected. Three very large chariots will be pulled by innumerable devotees. [:)]
In case anyone else in this forum is visiting the same, please send me a PM. I am going to witness this event and by the blessing of Lord Jagannath, may even be travelling together.
Warm regards,

Rahul Biswas,
Calcutta.
Stay blessed Rahul. And take enough pictures of the holiest of the Holy festivals in India and upload them here. Hope you have found a parking space in Bhubaneshwar for your Indigo as cars won't be allowed in Puri as you had told me.

JAI JAGANNATH..
 
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Thanks a lot for your good wishes.
And take enough pictures of the holiest of the Holy festivals in India and upload them here.
I shall try. I am told by a friend of mine that he will try to accommodate me in the balcony of a building with a good view, just adjacent to the temple. Let me hope it materializes.
Hope you have found a parking space in Bhubaneshwar for your Indigo as cars won't be allowed in Puri as you had told me.
Yes. I have two good friends in Bhubaneswar, hence I guess getting a secured parking place will not be difficult for me. But I shall try to park my car in the hotel I am staying.
JAI JAGANNATH...
 

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