Puri is one of the Char Dham pilgrimages in India and is also one of the 7 holy Indian cities. The holy city is also one among the most revered cities for Hindus across the globe. The beach here is wonderful for swimming and perfect for watching the sunrise and sunset. Puri’s top attraction is the highly revered Lord Jagannath Temple, famed for its Chariot Festival.
The city is also named after Lord Jagannath as “JAGANNATH DHAM”. Apart from Lord Jagannath temple, there is a lot more for the visitors or the tourists to visit. Some of those are the Narendra Pokahari / Narendra Pond, Bhakta Salabega Samadhi Pitha, Bada danda (The holy road), Gundicha temple, Lord Lokanath Temple, Mata Matha, Sun temple at Konark, etc
Facts About Narendra Pond/Pokhari :
>The serene and sacred holy pond can be visited on your way to Puri Jagannath Temple.
>Narendra pokhari is a prominent landmark of Puri. The sacred pond is famous for the local activities during the famous Chandan Yatra Festival held between the month of June and July.
>In this 42-day festival, the three main deities of the temple are taken on a procession to the pond where they are cleansed with sandalwood.
>This is followed by a boat ride in this pond which is known as “Chapa Khela”. The pond is a sight to witness as locals celebrate the festival with pomp and show.
>The visitors can also witness the laser light show in the evening time.
At a distance of 1 km from Jagannath Temple and 2.5 km from Puri Junction, Narendra Tank or Narendra Pokhari is a holy tank situated at Mauza Dandimala Sahi in Puri. This is one of the largest tanks in Orissa and also one of the must visit places in Puri.
The tank was built in 15th century AD by Narendra Dev, who shouldered the responsibility of the kingdom with Purushottama. The tank is spread over a vast area, which features an island in the middle, housing a small temple called Chandana Mandapa which is connected to the southern bank with a bridge. This tank is considered holy and has a lot of small and big temples surrounding it. The water level of the tank is 10 feet below the present road level. The tank covers 16 ghats which provide an opportunity for the pilgrims to have a holy bath. The main ghat has a flight of steps made up of Khondalite.
Also known as Chandana Pushkarini, this is the holy tank in which the famed Chandana Yatra of Lord Jagannath celebrated annually. During this festival all the big and small deities are taken out of their temples and floated in the pious water of this lake. The deities are applied with chandana paste and then washed with the sacred water of this tank. This ritual is organized in the Baishaki month of Hindu calendar.
