From Lord Jagannath to oceanside beauty and green initiatives, Braja Sorensen uncovers the many layers of Puri.
We all have places we go to at certain times of the year, or have holidays earmarked for a particular season or festival time. With Puri, Orissa, the first thing that comes to mind is the annual Festival of the Chariots, the Ratha Yatra, when millions from all over India and the world gather to welcome the Lord of the Universe. It’s always a magical time. But after four visits to Puri in the past 10 months, I can soundly report that any time is a good time to visit this coastal city.
The light and oceanside beauty is the first mystical element that strikes you upon arrival. Waking on the ocean and watching the sun rise and splash the ocean in a rainbow of colours is an experience in itself. Nothing can match the perfect haze-meets-light mixture; the mist over the water as the sun rises; the inexplicable way the ocean can look like a Caribbean tropical isle and not the blue-grey ocean of Orissa. For one magic hour of dawn, the light falls in spectacular ray perfection, and Puri is bathed in a golden-orange light as it wakes.
I was stunned and grateful: as an Aussie girl born on the beach, I long for the sound of waves, the smell of the ocean, and the feel of sand beneath my feet. And Puri never fails to satisfy not only those longings of the child within but those of my mind, heart, and soul: because Jagannath is without doubt the wielder of the magic that happens here.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Wrapped In Love
My Dadi Meenakshi Banerji was a short and tubby woman with great gumption who raised 10 citizens of the world.
Sharing Her ‘Mettle'
To me, this bell metal vaarpu, which weighs about 80 kg and is at least 120 years old, is an enduring reminder of my paternal grandmother Aleyamma Abraham.
Medical Overload
Your doctor may walk the talk while writing out your prescriptions but here’s the thing: make sure he hasn’t prescribed one too many.
An Act Of Faith
One act of kindness can save someone’s life.’
Armed For Business
The sheer glory and glamour of the Olive Greens motivated me, a third-generation soldier, to join the Army. Thus I enlisted, brimming with enthusiasm, in 1984.
Capture the fracture
Fracture owing to osteoporosis can have a serious impact on a person’s health and quality of life. Dr Abhijit Y Pawar, consultant orthopaedic spine surgeon at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, speaks about the significance of timely intervention in preventing fractures
Friends With Benefits!
Incontinence need not interfere with life.
Yellow, Yellow, Gritty Fellows!
It was a nippy Sunday morning but nothing that would keep the rugged Delhiite away from the annual Senior Citizens’ Run supported by Harmony at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon. Not even the mood-dampening smog that had descended on the capital a week earlier could do that! So said 74 year-old Sarla Rani and her band of regulars at the run who arrived at Nehru Stadium on the morning of 19 November even before the sun did. Soon they were joined by busloads of silvers from all over Delhi, Noida and Gurugram.
Magic By The Sea
From Lord Jagannath to oceanside beauty and green initiatives, Braja Sorensen uncovers the many layers of Puri.
Indian Rhapsody
In a span of two decades, Roshen Dalal has attained renown for her painstakingly researched books on history and religions in India. The Puffin History of India and The Puffin History of the World, each in two volumes, have not just received critical acclaim but are bestsellers as well. Her other books include The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths; Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide; The Vedas: An Introduction to Hinduism’s Sacred Texts and The Compact Timeline History of the World.
