Blogs from Puri, Orissa, India, Asia

Traditionally, people have been flocking to places of worship to pray individually,as a family or in a group to seek salvation from a higher order. And no where this is more evident than in India with its multitude where millions upon millions go on temple visits everyday.The enormous patience and self control that has been derived through the process of pilgrimage and the "Pray to God” that we have inculcated have stood us in good stead,over centuries One such popular destination for pilgrimage in India has been the abode of Lord Jagannath in Puri, Orissa which we visited recently. As they say, bigger the legend greater is the following; so it is here. Legend has it that Vishnu appeared in the dreams of pious King Indradyumna, millennia ago, and directed him to a special wooden Log ... read more

Non male Calcutta, soprattutto se ci si arriva all'alba, quando ancora la citta' dorme e tutto e' tranquillo e silenzioso; di giorno, come sempre, regna il caos tipico di tutte le grandi metropoli, al quale si puo' pero' sfuggire in due modi: utilizzando per gli spostamenti i frequenti ferry che attraversano il fiume Hooghly, oppure la comoda linea metropolitana sotterranea, la prima costruita in India e tuttore miracolosamente funzionante, e poi rifugiandosi nel fresco giardino del Victoria Memorial, maestoso palazzo costruito in memoria dell'ultima imperatrice, oppure nella vasta area verde del Maidan, una sorta di Central Park utilizzato dai giovani comecampo da cricket, dai piu' anziani come pascolo per le capre e da chiunque voglia camminare all'aria aperta lontano dai fumi e dal rumore del traffico che li circonda. Basta poi allontanarsi dal centr... read more

It was Padraic's first full day in Puri. He slept in late, ate some Masala Dosa for brunch, and then wandered up the main drag by the beach. Padraic noticed two middle-aged men smoking a chillum near a bicycle rickshaw. The previous night, he’d spoken to the hotel manager after checking in. Hotel manager: Do you smoke anything? Padraic: Beedis, sometimes…. And occasionally charras. Hotel manager: There are people who will want to smoke with you. They will seem very friendly. They will put things in their chillums…. If you smoke with them, they will take everything from you. One of the men motioned for Padraic to sit with them. Padraic obliged. He thought to himself I’ll just take a few pulls, and if it is drugged (with anything beside weed), I can probably handle it. ... read more

There's alot going on in Puri. Day One My train from Gaya was supposed to arrive at 5AM. We pulled into Puri at about 2 in the afternoon. Immediately, I was set upon by a auto rickshaw-vallah, who reacted with surprise, amusement, and respect when I replied to his queries in Bengali. He took me to one hotel on AK road. I said my price was 150rs, and they had no rooms in this range. The second one we went to, Sri Banajee Lodge, said 200 was the lowest, and then when I did the "walk-away" agreed to 150 a night. I paid in advance for 5 days. When I gave my passport to check in, the proprieter started talking to me about the problems in his life. I distinctly remember thinking, "I have a good ... read more

Hey there, finally found an internet cafe that looks like it will have power. Can you imagine living in a country where the government just shuts off the power whenever it wants to? Well that is what happens in India. It can happen at any time of day or night and can last from half an hour to several hours. Crazy. Anyways, I left off leaving the tribal region of Orissa and we went into a own called Puri. It is on the coast or the Bay of Bangal. Crazy town. No real large stores just hundreds of little stalls selling everything including the kitchen sink. Had a few days off to explore so put on several km's. Tempature was down to mid 30's so was not too hot. Got a few good photos and learned ... read more

Christmas Sari! I did figure out how to wear it with some help!... read more

The 5.00am bus to Puri was jam packed - the conductor adopting the usual ploy of allowing all comers and cramming as many people as possible into the available space, and more. With that number of bodies in that cramped a space it was insufferably hot, even with the sun barely risen. We arrived two hours later drenched in sweat, covered in dust, and looking forward to a shower. Puri is both a popular beach resort and a place of pilgrimage for Indians, having had its heyday with Westerners in the 70s when 'freaks' were hitting the overland trail to India. This was where we had arranged to meet up with Jess and Bert. We found a guest house near the beach, greeted the resident cockroaches and breakfasted in its pleasant garden which hosted a small ... read more