Puri, known as Shree Jagannath Dhaam, a Tirtha to the Hindu world, is also a Seaside Resort, resounding with ancient Vedic traditions symbolizing and inter woven with the splendid Temple of Lord Jagannath - the epicenter of Odissan culture. Puri is one of the oldest living cities in Indiaas old as Kashi, Kurukshetra, Ujjain, Mathura and Madurai.

In a society ruled by a rigid caste system, Puri remains a historical enigma. The chief deities of Puri, Lord Jagannath, His brother and sister, are officially related to the local tribal people! Normally, tribals are considered to be outside the caste system and no high caste Hindu would eat any thing cooked by them.

Puri is the site of the Govardhana matha, one of the four cardinal institutions established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya, the others being those at Sringeri, Dwaraka and Jyotirmath.

Puri is also famous for its annual Ratha Yatra, or "Festival of Chariots", when the deities Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra, are brought out of the temple, and placed in a chariot procession. This festival occurs on various dates of the Gregorian calendar, typically in the month of July.

The town if famous for its many Mathas (monasteries of the various Hindu sects). It also houses the relics of many Hindu saints as traditionally it is seen as a holy place to die in or to get cremated in. As a result, it has had a disproportionate number of widows. Like other old Hindu religious towns it has a lot of character that is difficult to be glimpsed by a casual visitor.