Historical Geography of Ancient India c7.491

c7.491

*Puri (Puruṣottamakṣetra)*.—It is in the Puri district of Orissa. According to the *Brahmapurāṇa* (42. 13-14) this holy city stands on the sea. The *Yoginītantra* mentions it as Puruṣottama (2. 9. 214ff.). The *Kālikāpurāṇa* (Ch. 58. 35) also calls it by the same name (Puruṣottama). It is sandy and ten yojanas in extent containing the famous deity, Puruṣottama. It includes two distinct portions, the Bālukhaṇḍa lies between two sacred *tīrthas*: *Svargadvāra* and *Cakratīrtha*. It is famous for the Hindu temple of Jagarnātha and it lies exactly on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is otherwise called Śrīkṣetra which is one of the most sacred places of the Hindus. It is also known as Puruṣottamakṣetra. It extends from the Lokanātha temple on the west to the Baleśvara temple on the east and from Svargadvāra or the Gate of Heaven on the south to the Matia stream on the north-east. It is said to resemble in shape a conchshell in the centre of which lies the Jagarnatha temple. From the architectural standpoint the temple is not as important as that of Bhuvanesvara. Besides the main temple there are many other minor temples, such as Mārkaṇḍeśvara, Lokanātha, Nīlakaṇṭheśvara and some tanks. About two miles from the great temple lies the Guṇḍicābārī. (For details vide *B. and O. Dist. Gazetteers*, Puri by O’Malley, 1929, pp. 326ff.; Jarrett’s tr. of the *Ain-i-Akbari*, II, 127; Stirling, *Orissa*, 1824.)