Raghurajpur

This little artists' village, 8.6 miles (14 kilometers) north of Puri, is basically comprised of a few streets sporting thatched brick homes that are beautifully decorated with mural paintings. Raghurajpur can be easily visited on a day trip from Puri, which is also your best bet for accommodation and restaurants.

How to Get There
From Puri, catch one of the daily buses heading for Bhubaneshwar and disembark when you get to the "Orissa Tourism Craft Village" signpost (when boarding the bus request the driver to stop here; it's about seven miles [11 kilometers] from Puri). From this signpost, it's 0.6 miles (one kilometer) to Raghurajpur. There are autorickshaws available if you're not up to the walk.

Attractions
The village's main attractions are its mural-painted houses, which are decorated with a miscellany of geometric designs as well as mythological figures. Sadly, this type of traditional painting is a dying art form in Orissa. Raghurajpur is also renowned for the craft known as chitra pothi, consisting of fine etchings done on dried palm leaves. Pattachitra, paintings executed on specially treated cotton, is also done in the village.

For More Information
Orissa Tourism Chakra Tirtha Road, Puri; tel. +91 (0)675 222 3536.
Puri District Administration
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