Season guide
Puri weather: what the sky actually does, month by month
Which months are calm, when the monsoon closes the beach, and how the sea, the heat and the crowds move together.
Long reads
The Journal
Notes from the desk at Hotel Sonar Bangla — the seasons on this coast, the festivals that fill it, the crafts around it, and the practical things guests ask about most.
Start here
The two we would send you first
Puri Beach
Season guide · Long read
Puri weather: what the sky actually does, month by month
A coastline is not the same as the countryside behind it. How temperature, rain, sea and crowds behave across the year — and why the sea, not the sky, is the thing to plan around.
The beach
Itineraries · Long read
A weekend in Puri: the two-night version, done properly
Forty-eight hours is enough for Puri if you plan it, and enough to waste completely if you do not. The version that works: temple at dawn, one big day, sunset over the water.
Everything published
All ten entries
Season guide
Puri in the monsoon: what changes, and what does not
Rough seas, empty beaches, green dunes and lower rates. The most misunderstood season in Puri, explained honestly.
Comparison
Puri or Konark: which should you base yourself at?
Two World Heritage Sites 35 km apart. What each town is actually for, and which suits how many nights you have.
Festivals
Rath Yatra in Puri: how to plan around it
What the chariot festival does to roads, hotels and temple timings, and why accommodation is the binding constraint.
Shopping
What to bring home from Puri, and what to skip
Pattachitra, palm-leaf etching, applique and filigree — and the one question that tells you whether you are buying well.
Photography
Photographing Puri: light, tide and an honest horizon
The coast faces west, so the sunset is over the sea. Working with the haze, the tide and the best hours of light.
Events
Weddings in Puri: the season and the practicalities
November to February, not June. Why, how guests fit in around the temple, and what a hall for 90 changes.
Itineraries
A weekend in Puri: the two-night version, done properly
From Kolkata or Bhubaneswar. Temple at dawn, one big day trip, and a clear decision about what to leave out.
Long read
Where to watch the sunset in Puri
There is no sunset over the Puri sea, and the honest explanation is more useful than the photograph.
Crafts
The crafts of Puri, and where they are made
Five traditions still practised within an hour, and how to visit a workshop without treating it like a shop.
Practical guides