Raghurajpur (ରଘୁରାଜପୁର) is a heritage crafts village in Odisha's Puri district, where almost every household practises a traditional art, most famously pattachitra cloth painting. Travellers visit Raghurajpur to watch artists at work in their homes, buy paintings and palm-leaf engravings directly from the makers, and see the village that nurtured gotipua dance and the Odissi master Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra.

What makes Raghurajpur special?

Odisha Tourism describes Raghurajpur as a village of about 120 homes arranged in two rows facing each other, with artists living and working in each. In 2000, after a research project, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) declared Raghurajpur a heritage village, the first in Odisha according to several accounts. The village lies on the southern bank of the Bhargavi river.

The painters' work is closely tied to the worship of Lord Jagannath at Puri. Pattachitra artists traditionally painted images of the deities for pilgrims, and Outlook Traveller notes that such paintings were bought by pilgrims around the Rath Yatra season, when the deities are withdrawn from public view in the temple. Read more about the art form on our pattachitra page and its connection to the Jagannath Temple.

What can you see and do in Raghurajpur?

  • Watch pattachitra painting. Artists prepare their own cloth canvases and colours from natural materials and paint mythological scenes, especially from the Jagannath tradition, the Ramayana and the Krishna legends. Many will show you the stages of preparation.
  • Palm-leaf engraving. Artists incise fine images on dried palm leaves with a stylus, a technique linked to Odisha's palm-leaf manuscript tradition. See the planned page on palm-leaf engraving.
  • Other crafts. Odisha Tourism and other sources list tussar (silk) painting, papier-mache masks and toys, painted coconuts and betel nuts, stone and wood carving, and cow-dung toys.
  • Gotipua dance. Raghurajpur is known for its gotipua troupes, in which young boys dressed as girls perform an acrobatic dance regarded as a precursor of Odissi. Performances are not daily; ask locally or arrange one in advance. See gotipua dance.
  • Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra's birthplace. The great Odissi dancer and teacher was born in Raghurajpur. Read his biography on Kelucharan Mohapatra.
  • Basant Utsav. A spring festival called "Basant Utsav – Parampara Raghurajpur" has been reported as held in the village since 1993, usually in February or March. Dates are not fixed, so confirm before planning a trip around it.

When is the best time to visit Raghurajpur?

  • October to March is the most comfortable time for walking through the village, and it fits with the main travel season for Puri and Konark.
  • April to June is hot and humid; visit in the morning or late afternoon.
  • Monsoon (roughly July to September) can make lanes muddy, but artists continue to work indoors.
  • In the weeks around Rath Yatra (June or July), Puri is extremely crowded and road traffic around Puri is heavy; allow extra travel time.

How do I reach Raghurajpur?

Raghurajpur is reached by a short side road from Chandanpur, on the Puri–Bhubaneswar highway (NH-316).

  • By air: Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar, about 60 km away.
  • By rail: Puri railway station is the nearest. Sources give the distance from Puri as roughly 10 to 14 km.
  • By road: Take a taxi or auto-rickshaw from Puri, or ask a bus on the Puri–Bhubaneswar road to stop at Chandanpur and continue by auto-rickshaw for the last stretch (about 1.5 km).

What food can I try near Raghurajpur?

Raghurajpur itself has few eating places; some homestays offer home-cooked Odia meals. Most visitors eat in Puri, where you can try Mahaprasad, khaja and chhena poda, or in Pipili on the Bhubaneswar side.

Etiquette and tips for buying art

  • Raghurajpur is a residential village. Ask permission before entering a home or workshop, and before photographing people or their work.
  • Prices are set by the artists and reflect the time and skill involved. It is fine to ask questions about technique and materials; buying directly supports the makers.
  • Ask the artist whether colours are natural and how to store and care for the painting.
  • Dress modestly and keep voices low, especially near household shrines.

Nearby places

Plan your visit

Raghurajpur fits easily into a half day: combine it with Puri in the morning or with Pipili and Konark on a Golden Triangle drive. Leave space in your bag for rolled paintings, and ask artists about payment options before you choose. For a tailored crafts-and-temples itinerary, request a custom plan at /travel/plan.