When you leave home to travel, or if you live alone but have loved ones somewhere in the world, souvenir shopping automatically takes up a few days of your itinerary. Puri, in Odisha, has plenty of rich traditional crafts history that leaves travellers to this city with plenty of gift options. If you are planning your trip, or in the middle of it, with no clue what to shop and where to shop, you have come to the right article. Indeed, you can impress your friends and make them happy with the souvenirs bought from this beautiful temple city of Puri. Whether it is the impressive handicrafts or traditional handloom or general souvenirs to remember this city by, you can find it all and more. To make your trip and gift shopping easier, do take the help of the Puri Hotels you are staying in for they will definitely be able to help you with this task.
So read on to get ideas on just what you can take for your loved ones from this beautiful heritage city of Puri in Odisha.
- Stone Sculpture:
Puri is one of the few places where fine stone sculptures are still made. They come in a variety of sizes and are still made like in the olden days by skilled craftsmen. You can get one of these anywhere while driving around the city. They are custom-made as well and a popular gift to give as the sculptures of Gods can be used in shrines.
- Pattachitra:
Pattachitra is a very famous art form which is unique to Odisha. These splendid paintings depict the Jagannath Temple and its deities along with their stories. These beautiful paintings are done on palm leaves by piercing the leaves and then filling them with colour, which requires great skill from the painter. These are also done on cloth as well and make interesting souvenirs to gift someone. Raghurajpur Village near Puri is a popular destination for buying these paintings as the entire village has skilled craftsmen.
- Pipili Work:
Pipili work is another art form where beautiful patterns and motifs are created by sewing different patches of cloth onto a base cloth. These unique artworks are found in lampshades or beautiful pouches that you can take home for your friends. It can be used as a unique decor at home.
- Painted Coconuts:
One can also find Coconut shells painted vibrantly over with images of the Jagannath deities that you can put over your doors to ward off evil eyes. There are smaller versions where areca nuts are painted with similar colourful motifs. These make a good gift for friends as well.
- Wooden Masks:
Flamboyantly painted wooden masks depicting various deities are a popular gift to take home as well. They are mostly used as a decorative wall hanging or to ward off evil eyes and make for an interesting gift.
- Nirmalya:
Nirmalya is a popular pilgrim souvenir that devotees take back after their visit to the Jagannath Temple. It is rice tied in pink cloth which devotees take home and mix with rice. This is said to convert their rice into prasad from the temple and is eaten with reverence. These are found in Jagannath Temple itself. A wonderful gifts to friends who are ardent devotees.
- Cane Sticks:
Cane sticks are simple sticks with a curved handle and are sold around the Temple premises and they are bought as a marker for having made a pilgrimage to the Jagannath Temple. A very interesting souvenir to carry for yourself and your friends.
- Miniature Jagannath:
The most famous souvenir from Puri is the lovely miniature wood carvings of the three deities of Jagannath Temple. They are made with vibrant colours and sold everywhere. These wooden replicas of the deities are the ideal gift for your friends when visiting Puri.
- Odia Saris:
Since art forms are aplenty, especially paintings featuring traditional motifs, it is obvious you would find similar art forms on saris as well. There are many types of saris to take for your friends who love having a collection. They are Pasapalli Saris which have little black-and-white checks with a hint of red. There are Bomkai Saris as well with beautiful borders and fish motifs. The Kotpad saris are handwoven by the tribals of Koraput and are beautiful but heavy and coarse. Sambalpur Ikkat saris are another variety found. They are woven after being dyed and come with beautiful designs. You can get these saris at handloom stores around Jagannath in Puri. Chandan Bazaar and Priyadarshini Handloom in Puri is a popular shopping area for saris apart from other varieties of clothing.
- Sholapeeth:
Sholapeeth is a popular decorative item used by people to decorate their homes or offer them to the deities. They also use it to deck their shrines at home and therefore this is a wonderful souvenir gift for your friends.
Most of the handicraft items are found in Utkalika-Grand Centre and Biraharekrushnapur Market in Puri. It’s bustling with shoppers and open from 10 am to 8 pm. While the Sahoo Super Bazaar hosts a variety of clothing, they also have shops selling Lord Jagannath Temple artefacts.
Beautiful things take time, but shopping for them should not be when you are travelling to a different city. This article intends to make your work easier and aid you in a hassle-free shopping spree. It is a list you cannot go wrong with. There may be plenty of guides and sites on Hotels in Puri for your lodging needs but few for your shopping needs, therefore, this article aims to help you with the latter. To guide you on the right things to look for and where to for the perfect gift to take back home to your friends.
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