Last Friday, on 24th December 2021, I decided to visit Puri, Orissa. I am going to share my experience of Kolkata to Puri to back to Kolkata road trip in this post.
24th December we reached Puri from Kolkata.
25th December We visited Konark Temple. Konark Temple is around 50kms from Puri. To enter the Sun Temple as Indian Citizen you need to pay 40 rs. If you are a foreign citizen you will have to pay 600 rs. Although no one checks your passport. We came back and visited markandeshwar temple. Entering this place was free. It is not huge. A small place, quiet, calm, and pretty nice.
26th December, we visited Chilika Lake. The place is totally full of scammers. We went for a boat ride in Chilika, which was full of disappointments. We came back from Chilika to Puri in the afternoon and did some shopping.
27th December morning we left Puri around 7.50 am and went to Udaigiri and Khandagiri. Then came back directly to Kolkata.
Is there any permit needed if I ride Kolkata to Puri?
Not really. Keep your vaccination certificates handy. Keep masks on as you will see many Naka checks, especially when entering west Bengal.
But the police did not stop our car anywhere, and we were not asked for any permit at all. Please remember we did not travel during the night curfew.
If you are taking a rental car, make sure the driver owns the vehicle or has permission from the car owner to drive the vehicle.
How Long Does it Take to Reach Puri From Kolkata by Car?
It took us around 10 hrs to reach Puri. Our car started at approximately 5.45 am. On the way to Puri, we took several short breaks for breakfast, lunch, and toilet breaks. And we reached Puri by 4.30 pm.
If you are wondering whether the Kolkata to Puri car trip was tiring or not, it was not that tiring at all. We were six people, and no one complained of physical or mental issues. We took a MUV, Renault Triber. We rented the car. And I strongly suggest that not using such an uncomfortable car. If possible, take cars like Innova or Scorpio; as long as you get larger leg space, you will feel better. And with a larger boot space or trunk, you will be able to haul more stuff when you are coming back from a trip.
Is There Any Restriction For Travelling by Road in a private car from Kolkata to Puri during night curfew?
Now that the night curfews are back, especially in West Bengal, if you are traveling between 11 pm to 5 am, you might get stopped by police. We started in Kolkata around 5.45 am and did not drive during the night curfew. My strong suggestion will be not to travel during night curfew.
So, get your two vaccine doses, keep your vaccine on, and not travel during the night curfew.
By the way, to enter the Jagannath Puri temple, you will need your vaccination certificate and your Adhaar card.
What are the dining places between Kolkata and Puri?
I will suggest you eat after you enter Orissa. We stopped for breakfast on the West Bengal border, lunch in Jujpur, and Dinner in Puri. We found the thalis were pretty decent. You do not have to go to any fancy places. Just choose the proper spot, and the Thali would cost between 130 rs – 160rs.
You are unlikely to find any fancy place or fine dining place. There are lots of dhabas and roadside eateries. And after the pandemic, everyone is taking care of hygiene. So mostly you will see places are kept clean.
Is There Any Restriction to Jagannath Puri Temple?
You will need to carry your vaccination certificate ( both or final) and Adhaar Card as identity proof. Adhaar card photocopy is also fine. That is the only restriction to enter the Puri temple during Covid.
Where To Find Best Khaja in Puri?
Kakatua is the sweet shop you want to visit to buy Khaja/ goja in Puri. You will find those shops behind Swargadwar or the marketplace in Puri. There are two Kakatua. When you cross a restaurant, “Bidesh Ghar,” you will see one Kakatua on your left, it says “it does not have any branches.” Cross it and walk ahead; you will find another shop called kakatua. Their symbol is two kakatuas. And they have three branches over Puri. They have a pretty good product.
You will see one more shop on your right after crossing “Bidesh Ghar” on your left; the shop name is “Ganguram,” the khaja factory. Their product is a bit expensive but pretty good.
There is a lot of khaja store all around Puri sea beach. In every gully, you will see khaja shop. Mostly like we see pakora shops in other places. In Kakatua and Ganguram, you will find Khaja fried with ghee. I do not think they deep fry in ghee. But those khajas are soft. And if you don’t want to gift expensive stuff, you can check other khaja shops. By the way, if you are buying in bulk as we did, 6-7 kilos, you can ask for broken pieces also.
Do I need to pay interstate tax to enter Orissa from Kolkata?
I won’t be able to say if your travel purpose is commercial. But we were on a leisure trip with no business incident. We purchased a lot of nuts, khaja, poppy seeds, etc., as we got those for cheap. We did not need to pay any interstate tax. We were buying those for personal consumption.
How Much Petrol Do you need to travel from Kolkata to Puri?
Kolkata to Puri is a little over 500 km. We rented out Renault Triber. When we started in the morning, we had a full tank of petrol. And we did not have to refuel on our way. We went out sightseeing also. From Kolkata to Puri to back to Kolkata we purchased 4000 rs of petrol, and we had little left in the tank after an approximate 1300 km road trip.
As highways between Kolkata to puri become better, I am sure the fuel consumption will be even less in Kolkata To Puri And Back Road Trip.