The city of Puri is amazing, vibrant and enticing: home to grand temples and hosts many annual festivals. It is also paradise for foodies. It is just about 500 kms from Kolkata. The easy connectivity and the sprawling golden sands and lapping waves of Bay of Bengal have drawn visitors from the eastern parts of India for centuries.
The city’s presiding deity Lord Jagannath is housed in a magnificent temple that draws thousands every day. But the city is also immensely popular for some of the most mesmerising beach experiences and some truly incredible ocean views. Unlike Goa where beaches have developed distinct characters, beaches here are all a part of a very long stretch of sand that makes the shore line of Puri.
The Chakra Tirtha Road that breaks away from the very long Marine Drive of Puri is less frequented. Visitors wanting to avoid the crowd of the main Puri beach and downtown will often opt for some good budget hotels and small resorts who do not need to advertise to disturb the solitude of the place. A local made it clear, “We love to be discovered.” I would love to imagine that I discovered it !
Chakra Tirtha Road, Badasirei, Puri, Odisha, India is the address of Ramakrishna Mission, a perfect hideout for the spiritually inclined. It is a nice place for bed and boarding at an extremely nominal price. The beach is also very near, less than a minute to reach through a narrow road which ends abruptly on the white sands from where the blue sea looks enticing.
This beach is minimalist in true sense. There is a warning board but I see no life guards. There are no shops selling souvenirs but you may find a hawker with a kettle of hot tea or another selling green coconut or a smiling candy floss man. A few stray dogs roam this stretch and occasionally small motorized boats may turn up, men will alight and scurry to wherever they are staying, leaving their boat behind for the dogs to investigate.
The sea is choppy in Puri and I am not a swimmer. I just wet my feet and spread a little yoga mat and lie down on the sand waiting for the sun to set. A crow literally flies out in the sunset and I try to capture its flight in the backdrop of a setting sun.
In the evening twilight I notice a few people like me getting up from the sand just like me to trudge back to wherever we are staying, completely refreshed by the pleasant sea bridge, the delightful sight of a sunset and the sweet sound of waves breaking nearby.