Puri is situated on the Bay of Bengal, 60 km south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is also known as Sri Jagannath Dham after the 12th-century Jagannath Temple located in the city, it is one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Puri is known by several names since the ancient times, and was locally known as "Shrikhetra" and Lord Jagannath temple is known as "Badadeula". Puri, the holy land of Lord Jagannatha, has many ancient names in the Hindu scriptures such as the Rigveda, Matsya purana, Brahma Purana, Narada Purana, Padma Purana, Skanda Purana, Kapila Purana and Niladrimahodaya. In the Rigveda, in particular, it is mentioned as a place called Purushamandama-grama meaning the place where the Creator deity of the world – Supreme Divinity deified on an altar or mandapa was venerated near the coast and prayers offered with Vedic hymns. Over time the name got changed to Purushottama Puri and further shortened to Puri, and the Purusha came to be known as Jagannatha. The 24 festivals, including 13 major ones, held every year in the temple complex, Ratha Yatra and its related festivals are the most important which are attended by millions of people every year around the world. The Jagannatha Temple at Puri is one of the major Hindu temples built in the Kalinga style of architecture. The temple tower, with a spire, rises to a height of 58 metres (190 ft), and a flag is unfurled above it, fixed over a wheel (chakra).
