Editing Bay of Bengal (section)

=== Religious importance ===
The Bay of Bengal in the stretch of [[Pancha Tirtha, Puri|Swargadwar]], the gateway to heaven in [[Sanskrit]], in the Indian town of [[Puri]] is considered holy by [[Hindus]].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}[[File:Samudra arati.jpg|thumb|Samudra arati or worship of the sea by disciples of the Govardhan Matha at Puri]]
The Samudra [[arati]] is a daily tradition started by the present [[Shankaracharya]] of Puri 9 years ago to honour the [[sacred sea]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Sahu |first=Monideepa |date=6 March 2016 |title=The great fire |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/532849/fire.html |newspaper=Deccan Herald |access-date=6 March 2016 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306214139/http://www.deccanherald.com/content/532849/fire.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The daily practise includes prayer and fire offering to the sea at Swargadwar in Puri by disciples of the [[Govardhana matha]] of the Shankaracharya. On Paush Purnima of every year the Shankaracharya himself comes out to offer prayers to the sea.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}