Night Train to Puri and Sunrise at Konark Sun Temple

There is a particular pleasure in going to sleep in one city and waking up somewhere entirely different. Long-distance trains have offered Indian travellers that pleasure for well over a century, and few journeys show it better than an overnight train to the Odisha coast. You board in the evening among the noise of a big station, eat dinner from a steel tiffin or a pantry tray, climb into your berth and fall asleep to the rhythm of the rails. When you wake, the light outside is different, the air is softer and saltier, and the coconut palms have started.

This is our case for taking the night train to Puri, and then travelling on to Konark to watch the sun come up over the Sun Temple’s home coast.

Why the train

Odisha is well connected by rail. Puri is a terminus with direct trains from several major cities, and Bhubaneswar, about sixty kilometres away, is one of the main junctions on the east coast line. Konark itself has no railway station, so most rail travellers reach it by road from Puri or Bhubaneswar. Routes, timings and train names change, so check the current timetable on the official Indian Railways booking site before you plan.

Why bother with an overnight train when flights to Bhubaneswar are often available? Because the train is part of the trip, not just a way of getting there. You save a night’s hotel, you arrive rested if you sleep well, and you see the country change outside your window. You also share the journey with pilgrims, students, families and traders, and a long train ride is one of the best places in India to talk to strangers.

Choosing your berth

Indian trains offer several classes, from unreserved general coaches to air-conditioned first class. For an overnight journey, most travellers choose a sleeper berth in one of the air-conditioned classes or the non-AC sleeper class. Each has its own character. The non-AC sleeper is cheaper, livelier and more open to the passing landscape. Air-conditioned classes are quieter, with bedding usually provided.

Book in advance where you can, particularly around holidays and festivals, when trains to Puri can fill up quickly. Side berths are shorter and less private; lower berths are easier for older travellers; upper berths are quieter and less disturbed by people sitting during the day.

The evening on board

Part of the charm of a night train is the evening. Vendors walk the corridors selling tea, coffee and snacks, and on many trains you can order dinner in advance. Families unpack elaborate home-cooked meals and, more often than you might expect, offer to share. As the train leaves the city, the lights thin out, and you may see small stations flash past, each with its own tea stall and sleeping dogs.

Keep valuables close, use a small lock or chain for your luggage if you have one, and carry a light shawl, as air-conditioned coaches can get cold at night.

Waking near the coast

If your train arrives in the early morning, you will wake to a changed landscape: flat green fields, ponds, coconut and banana trees, and villages with thatched or tiled roofs. Many passengers on the Puri route are pilgrims, and you may hear devotional songs or prayers as the train nears the town.

From Puri station, you have two choices. Some travellers go straight to their hotel to rest. Others, if they have the energy, head directly to Konark to try to catch an early morning there.

Sunrise at Konark

Konark lies along the coast north-east of Puri, a drive of roughly an hour depending on the road and traffic. The Marine Drive between the two runs past casuarina groves, quiet beaches and fishing villages, and in the early morning it is beautiful.

The Sun Temple at Konark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the thirteenth century under the Eastern Ganga dynasty, was designed as a vast stone chariot for the Sun god Surya, with twenty-four carved wheels and a team of stone horses. Much of the main tower has long since collapsed, but what remains is extraordinary. The wheels are covered with intricate carvings and are often described as sundials. The walls are alive with dancers, musicians, animals and scenes from daily life.

Opening hours for the monument are set by the Archaeological Survey of India and may not allow entry at the very moment of sunrise, so check the current timings locally. Even if the gates are not yet open, the nearby Chandrabhaga beach is a lovely place to watch the sun rise over the sea, and many visitors do just that before going to the temple when it opens. Hire a licensed guide at the entrance if you want to understand the carvings in depth.

Breakfast after the dawn

Once the sun is up, look for a roadside stall near the temple car park or along the beach road for a simple breakfast. Hot tea, freshly fried snacks and local sweets are usually easy to find. Then spend an hour or two at the small museum run by the Archaeological Survey nearby, if it is open, where some of the sculptures that fell from the temple are displayed at eye level.

Making a loop

The classic triangle of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark works beautifully with a night train at either end. You could arrive in Puri by overnight train, spend a day or two in Puri and Konark, travel to Bhubaneswar for its temples, and then take an overnight train home from there. Along the way, consider stops at Raghurajpur, the heritage crafts village, and Pipili, famous for its appliqué work.

A few practical notes

Check train timings and availability on the official Indian Railways website or app before travelling.
Carry some cash, a water bottle, a torch and a light shawl.
Keep your ticket and ID handy for inspection.
Check Konark monument timings in advance, and plan sunrise at Chandrabhaga beach if the temple is not yet open.
Use registered taxis or reliable local transport between Puri and Konark.

There will always be faster ways to travel. But to arrive on the Odisha coast at dawn, after a night on the rails, with the sea and the Sun Temple ahead of you, is to arrive in exactly the right frame of mind.