<h1>Souvenirs of Puri</h1>

        The stupendous view of the Bay of Bengal was slowly getting subdued by the paced approach of the darkness. The glaring Sun lost its intrepid vigour and immersed into the horizon of the west. The endless bellow of the sea waves could only be heard in the dark. On the other side, another exuberant atmosphere was in the making, as the sea shore based business plazas were getting dressed for the evening. The beach side lights, decorated like sparkling garlands, started to glitter attractively, and it was the time to turn our attention towards another direction.

display of dresses

            The devoutly visit to the abode of Lord Jagannath was complete; long hours of sea bathing, and the sightseeing were over.
             On the outset of collecting the souvenirs of Puri, as well as the urge to purchase some of the articles of  the household, I was dragged to the heart of shopping plazas located at the ever chirpy premises of Swarga-dwar.

pile of Kotki cottons

           The available wide choices for mementoes were, from the Odishi printed clothes to different sweets. The outlets of Odishi printed cottons or Katki were selling their products with squashing demand. Varied dresses, ethnically printed bed sheets, saris, have large number of admirer, and the piles of stock could be seen to be sold out like evaporating instantly before the eyes.

view of stalls at the beach

           The stalls at the beach or at the footpath were selling various forms souvenirs with innovative design, even tiny key chains, locks, bangles, and Chinese toys were also seen to have their positions among the other mementoes of Puri.

sea shell items

           Exclusive shops of sea shell items were also doing fairly good business. It was rollicking business in every space with a bit haggle, but under a convivial atmosphere.

aluminium store

            The metallic artifacts were another exemplar of the ethnic memento. Mementoes in the form of aluminium or the other metallic articles could also be purchased from the reasonable number of exclusive shops. The aluminium made items were said to have manufactured at the NALCO factory of Odisha. The aluminium utensils and other metallic products have their distinguishing design.

souvenir

            The Puri-r Goja or Goja of Puri has been indubitable source of appeal for the sweet lover tourists. Goja, the typically shaped slight hard sweet, like crunchy biscuits, are made of wheat flour and sugar as their main ingredient that is dipped into sugar syrup after a deep fry. The Goja also offered before the Lord Jagannath, and the sweet has always been adored by the tourists and pilgrims of Puri. Exclusive stalls of Goja displayed attractively are very common scene especially at the Swarga-dwar. The eye catching sweets have inimitable taste, and I have seen that huge stacks of Goja to get exhausted instantly after they are displayed.

stalls of Goja

             My visit ended with the sweet memoirs, without too much crunch on the budget and obviously with the bags entirely tight packed with the souvenirs of Puri.