Topography
The whole of the district may be divided into two dissimilar natural divisions
1) The littoral tract
ii) The level alluvial tract
The littoral Tract
The strip of the country lies between the alluvial and the Bay of Bengal. It assumes the form of a bear but sandy ridger which stretches along the sea- shore for the full length of the District , Varying from 6.5 Km. to a few hundred metres in with . Accumulations of wind blown sand give rise to ridges parellel to the coast. It forms the dividing line between the Chilika lake and the ocean
The Level Alluvial tract
This level of alluvial region is full of villages and rice fields, , watered by a network of channels, through which the water of distributaries of the most southerly branch of Mahanadi , find their way to the sea. There is no hill in Puri District except a small cultivate land are under plough. Generally biali or autumn rice , sarada or winter rice and dalua or spring rice these three types of rice are cultivated.
Sea-coast Bays
The length of the sea-coast of the district of Puri is nearly 150.4 km. Sandy ridges are found along the sea-coast which stretch into the diostrict Jagatsingpur and Ganjam . One such sandy spit divides the lake Chilika from Bay of Bengal . These sandy ridges and dunes are formed by the strong monsoon currents which blow over the country for nearly 8 months of the year . The ridges vary from about 7 km to a few metres in width and have prevented most of the rivers of the district from finding their way into the ocean.
Island
No Island is found in the coastal waters of Puri , but the Chilika lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a group of Islands.
Port
Puri is endowed with no natural harbour nor its coast is suitable for any artifitial one.
River system
All the rivers of Puri distict have a common characteristics . In the hot weather they are beds of sand with tiny streams or none at all , while in the rains they recieve more water than they can carry .Generally all rivers are distrributaries of Mahanadi rivers.
Kushabhadra
A branch of Kuakhai river starts from Balianta meets Bay of Bengal at the shrine Ramachandi , 15 miles east of Puri dhanua ande its tributary mugei joins with Kushabhadra.
Daya
A branch of Kuakhai river falls in Chilika lake . Two small rivers enter the Daya, the Gangua and the Managuni below Kanas. An important problem in connection with dayais that the Chilika lake at its outfall is silting up.
Bhargabi
A branch of Kuakhai meets the Bay of Bengal after breaking up into numerous branches in the last two and half miles of its course.
There are four main branches all taking off from the left bank.viz. Kanchi , the east Kania , the Naya nadi and the South kanchi falls in Sarlake; and by various channel the first three are interconnected and finally join the Suna munhi river which falls into Bali Harchandi and ultimately to the Bay of Bengal via the mouth of Chilika. The South kania gets lost in the marshes on the western shore of Chilika.
There are two small rivers Ratnachira and Nuna falls in Bhargabi and Daya respectively.
Kadua
It is a Monsoon stream which falls into Prachi.
Prachi
It is the branch commencing from Puri and Jagatsinghpur district . It has the origin near Kantapara on Cuttack-Gop road and passing through the village of Kakatpur fall in Bay of Bengal.
Devi
It is branch of Kathajori .It runs into Puri district near the extreme east forming numerous branches.
