Best Photo Spots in Puri

The temple, from the street

No phones or cameras are allowed inside the Jagannath temple, so the shots are all from outside. Grand Road gives the classic view of the spire rising behind the Lion Gate, with the flag and the Nilachakra, the metal wheel, on top. The paved heritage corridor around the outer wall offers cleaner angles with fewer wires in the way. Early morning is best, before traffic and stalls fill the road.

Sunrise on the beach

Puri's shore faces east-south-east, so the sun comes up out of the sea. At first light fishermen launch boats near the northern end, pilgrims take a dip near Swargadwar, and any sand sculptures on the beach are still untouched. Expose for the sky and let the figures in the foreground go dark; silhouettes suit this beach.

Konark and Chilika

Both are day trips. At Konark, arrive at opening, when low sun rakes across the carved wheels and brings out depth. At Chilika's Satapada, the boats leave from morning, and the water is calmest early, which helps if you are hoping to catch a dolphin's back breaking the surface. A zoom lens matters more at Chilika than anywhere else here.

Gundicha and Grand Road

The Gundicha temple sits at the far end of Grand Road in a walled garden. During Rath Yatra, the chariots parked outside it are the most photographed thing in Odisha. For the rest of the year the approach and the whitewashed walls are the frame.

Practical notes

• Do not photograph cremations at Swargadwar.
• Ask before photographing pilgrims or priests.
• Drones need permission; the temple area is a no-fly zone.
• Sea spray and sand get into everything; carry a cloth for the lens.