The city of Puri, also called as Jagannatha Puri , Niladree , Nilacala and Sri Ksetra, is considered to be equal to Vrindavana and Navadvipa, a sacred Vaisnava holy place. For thousands of years, great sages and other exalted persons have travelled to Puri on pilgrimage. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu chose to reside here for the last eighteen years of His life.

The city is shaped like the shadow of a conch-shell. In the center of the conch-shell shadow, there is a portion of raised ground called Nilgiri or “the blue hill.” On the crest of Nilgiri stands an imposing temple complex dedicated to Vishnu as Jagannath, “the Maintainer of the Universe.” In Sanskrit “jagat” means the universe, and “natha” means the maintainer.