In the local dialect, "Apani Dhani" means "Our Hamlet", an affectionate name given to the place by Ramesh C. Jangid, founder of the ecolodge and a pioneer of a form of militant tourism in India, especially in Rajasthan and his own native region of Nawalgarh.  

Get off the beaten track in India with a stay at Apani Dhani Ecolodge

For a lot of travelers in India, New Delhi is the capital of everything that they need to get away from as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, the town has some wonderful secrets that I would like to share with you.

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Puri is an Odisha State town, in eastern India.  It's also one of the country's holiest sites.

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The clearest memory that I have of Puri is the Jagannath Temple - a gigantic structure, only accessible to Hindus, hidden behind a 210m.sq perimeter wall that is over 6 meters high. So I can't tell you exactly what it's like inside. Even so, from the outside the immensity of this temple is astounding, especially the sikhara, a 63 meter high tower that overlooks the complex. As with the Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneswar, you can climb onto a nearby platform and take a peek. To do so, you need to go onto a platform on the roof of the Raghunanden Library. It's worth knowing that the temple houses the largest kitchens in the world, where, depending on what day it is, between 25,000 and 100,000 meals - the 'Mahaprasadas' - are offered to worshippers. After a day of touring the town, I suggest you head down to the beach at Puri , which is a great spot to stretch out your legs! A town not to miss during <a href="/india/">your trip to India</a>.

Puri is an Odisha State town, in eastern India. It's also one of the country's holiest sites.

Puri is a pearl of the Odisha State, and not without reason! Its beach stretches for several kilometers and offers a colorful mix of people bathing in the sea, fishermen taking a nap and street vendors working its shores. Enjoy some candyfloss or jhaal muri (puffed rice) before taking a horseback or camel ride along the beach! Puri is also the birthplace of the Rath Yatra Festival, which is held annually in June or July. Often called the 'Chariot Festival', it's a large, religious gathering when millions of pilgrims come to worship Lord Jagannath. Huge chariots cross the town - it's an incredible sight! No <a href="/india/">trip to India</a> is complete without a visit to at least one of the country's numerous temples and Puri is one worth your while. Even though Jagannath Temple is restricted to Hindhus only, I still had a great time visiting the nearby Konark Temple. An architectural marvel, it's filled with stories and anecdotes that the offical guides will happily recite.

Beautiful temples and a beach worth lazing on... Puri is certainly a seductive place!

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