Toshali Sands ::  Puri City Information

Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath, is situated in the eastern part of Orissa and is one of the four holy dhams of Hinduism. Puri is also called "Sri Purusottama Dham" or "Martya Vaikuntha", the abode of Lord Vishnu on earth. It is located at a distance of 60 kms from the state capital Bhubaneshwar.

Puri Other Information

Origin of the name of the city Puri

According to Cunningham the ancient name of this town was Charitra mentioned by the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang as Che-li-ta-lo. But the restoration of the word Che-li-ta-lo as Charitra and its identification with the town of Puri is open to doubt. The importance of the town as a seat of Vaisnavism increased when Chodaganga Deva constructed the temple of Purusottama Jagannath and installed the image of the deities. Thereafter, it become famous as the abode of Purusottama and was popularity called Purusottama Kshetra.

In the drama Anargharaghava Natakam attributed to cir. 9th century A.D. we find the name Purusottama applied to this town. in the Nagari Plate of Anangabhima iii of the Saka year 1151-52 i.e., 1229-30 A.D., the place is called Purusottama Kshetra. This name in the form of Purusottama Chhatar or only in the form Chhatar was used by the Mughal, the Maratha as well as the early British rulers in their official records. Even in yoginitantra1 and Kalikapurana the city referred to as Purusottam. Puri2 region was also known as Utkal.

The name Purusottama Kshetra was also for sometime Known as Purusottama Puri and as the word Purusottama Kshetra was contracted into Kshetra or Chhatra so also Purusottama Puri was expressed in the contracted from Puri. in fact, in many early British record this town is known by the name Pooree. in the modern times Puri has become the most popular of all the other names of this town.