The North Eastern state of Orissa, has many areas of interest for visitor. Marine Parks, Tribal areas, sun temples, holy towns.
Starting in the capital Bhubaneswar there are varied places of interest. The Lingaraj Temple of old Bhubaneswar, built in the 11th century, is noted for its ancient history.
Covered with carvings. Sculpture and architecture fuse elegantly, to create a perfect harmony. The Udayagiri and Khandagiris caves, 8 kilometers outside these twin peaks of the city, carry monuments of the Jain monks since the times of the great king Kharavela. The complex also contains Bhuddist and Hindu monuments, as well as caves belonging to many historical dynastys.
Udayagiri meaning Sunrise Hill, has 18 caves while Khandagiri has 15 caves. The sites also offer fine views over the city
Another such monument is the Shantistupa, which was built with Japanese aid, as a symbol of peace at the site where the Kalinga War took place between Emperor Ashoka and Kalinga (the old empire of Orissa).
The quiet beauty of the Vishwa Shanti Stupa glitters white in the Oryian sun and should not be missed on a visit to the city.
The State Museum of Bhubaneswar offers an extensive selection of archeaological artifacts, weapons, local arts and crafts as well as insights into Orissa's natural and tribal history.
The Tribal Research Institute Museum with its authentic tribal dwellings, created by the tribal craftsmen offers a bird's eye view of the State's tribal heritage.
Nandankanan Zoo is about 15 km outside of Bhubaneswar and has some rare species of animals. Particularly well known for white tigers. A large number of buses ply from Acharya Vihar Square. Hiring an auto rickshaw is also possible. There is a nice lake inside for boating, a ropeway, also the Botanical Garden is adjacent to the zoo.
Heading north west of the Orissa, near the state border at a distance of about 380km you'll find the 244 meter high Khandadhar Falls, in one of the prettiest parts of Sundargarh region. Located amidst its lush forests its Orissa's most famous waterfall, the Khandadhar fall . The beauty of this place makes it a site not to be missed.Though it's a long trek via Rourkela to get there.
Again from Bhubaneswar, heading east towards the coast we find one of the real landmarks of both India and Orissa in Konark.
The fabulous Sun Temple at Konark offers up some of the best examples of Orissan temple architecture, and one of the most stunning monuments of religious architecture in the world. The poet Rabindranath Tagore said of Konark that 'here the language of stone surpasses the language of man'
The gigantic chariot shaped temple is well worth some of your time and the sea breezes of an evening make this a quite enchanting place to visit. Bring your camera!
South along the coast we come across the holy town of Puri, it's long beaches and traveller's ghetto along CT Road make it one of those enjoyable stop offs, where a planned few days can often turn into a few weeks. Great seafood and laid back locals are a feature of this town.
For Indians though it is the Jaganath Temple. That attracts them especially during the Ratha Yatra, or "Festival of Chariots", when the deities Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, are brought out of the temple, and placed in a chariot procession. This festival occurs on various dates of the Gregorian calendar, typically in the month of July.
Some 20 kilometers away, Pipli is a typical Indian town, but it's become well known as the capital of applique. The bright colours and gaudy patterns are quite appealing and a nice lampshade or Garden Umbrella makes a nice gift.
Again heading south through the state we come to Orissa' finest National Park at Chilka Lake.
Chilka Lake is a brackish water lagoon, near Puri. One of the largest lagoons in the world. It is the largest wintering ground for migratory birds on the Indian sub-continent. At Nalbana island and surrounds one can see lesser flamingos, goliath herons, grey herons, purple herons, egrets, spoonbills, storks and black-headed ibis. To name but a few.
Rare birds reported in the lake include asiatic dowitchers.
Irrawaddy Dolphins and Bottlenose Dolphins both have colonies on the lake. And there are green turtles, limbless lizards and the shy fishing cat.
You can find OTDC Guest houses at Barkul, Rambha, Satapada & several hotels at Balugaon.
Before entering into the Nalbana Bird Sanctuary one has to obtain an entry permit.
The entry permit has to be produced at entry/exit points, at check gates as and whenever requested by officials. These can be obtained at the following address:
Contact: Divisional Forest Officer, Rairakhol (T) Division, Po. Rairakhol, Dist. Sambalpur, Orissa 06644 India. phone/fax: 253030
The park is well served by trains and buses. Via the train it's best to alight at Balugaon.
In the park itself you can hire guides, cycle rickshaws and boats to see the park.
Other parks in Orissa include Bhitar Kanika, Chandaka, Simlipal, Tikarpada, Gahirmatha, Nandan Kanan.
Heading south still we hog the coast down to Gopalpur-on-Sea, a faded beach town, both north and south of the town offer better options for a quiet stroll along the beach though.
Taptapani,as the name suggests, is a hot water sulphur spring situated around 67-km from Gopalpur.
Orissa has a large variety of tribal communities, which are at various stages of socio-economic development.
At one end of the spectrum are the group which lead a relatively secluded and archaic mode of life, keeping their core culture intact, while at the other extreme there are communities which are living a largely ubiquitous India rural lifestyle.
The tribal people express their cultural identity and distinctiveness in their social organization, language, rituals and festivals and also in their dress, ornaments, arts and craft.
The tribal people turn out excellent handicrafts for their own use. The wood carving of the Kondhs, metal works by lost wax process among the Bathudis, cane and bamboo basketry works among the Juangs and Bhuyans, are all symbolic of artistic creation.
Here's a list of the 22 tribal groups to be found in Orissa :
Juang Tribe, Kolha Tribe, Bhumia Tribe, Bhunjia Tribe, Bonda Poraja Tribe, Bagata Tribe, Chenchu Tribe, Dal Tribe, Dharua Tribe, Holva Tribe, Jatapu Tribe, Koli Tribe, Parenga Tribe, Paroja Tribe, Saora Tribe, Sabar Tribe, Sitha Khanda Tribe, Sounti Tribe, Tadvi Tribe
The state also has a scattering of bhuddist monuments such as Lalitgiri. The earliest Buddhist Complex dating back to the 1st century AD.
The ruins of the huge brick monastery, the remains of the chaitya hall, a number of votive stupas and a renovated stone stupa at the apex of a small rugged sandstone hill dominate the rural greenery around.
The site also houses a museum of stone sculptures, of Buddha figures, huge Boddhisattva statues, statues of Tara, Jambhala and others.
Other Bhuddist sites in Orissa are Ratnagiri and Udaygiri, the largest Buddhist Complex in Orissa. There are also Bhuddist ruin of lesser importance such as Banpur, Kuruma.
Orissa has many surprises for the tourist and is relatively untouristed compared to the more famous states in India.
Take a peek and have a look at the state festivals here to see what else you fit into your trip to Orissa.
View Orissa Tourist Attractions in a larger map
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Tourist Attractions Wildlife Parks Special Interest
Places of Interest
Wiki Links
States of India
Union Territories
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Chandigarh
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Daman and Diu
Lakshadweep
National Capital Territory of Delhi
Pondicherry
ORISSA
This site is best viewed at a resolution of 800 x 600
District(s) 30
30Capital Bhubaneswar
BhubaneswarLargest city Bhubaneswar
BhubaneswarPopulation 36,706,920
Density 236 /km2
236 /km2 Language(s) Oriya
Oriya Travel links
Bus
Train
Flights
Boat
Interstate trains
Bhubaneswar - Bangalore Bhubaneswar - Bhopal Bhubaneshwar - Chennai Bhubaneswar - Delhi Bhubaneswar - Ernakulem Bhubaneswar - Guwahati Bhubaneswar - Howrah Bhubaneswar - Jaipur Bhubaneswar - Kanpur Bhubaneswar - Lucknow Bhubaneswar - Mumbai Bhubaneswar - Nagpur Bhubaneswar - Patna Bhubaneswar - Pune Bhubaneswar - Secunderbad Bhubaneswar - Varanasi Bhubaneswar - Vishakapatnem
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The India
Travel Site
Chilika lake
Chilika Lake (also called Chilka lake) is a brackish water coastal lake in India`s Orissa state, south of the mouth of the Mantei River
Puri Beach
Located on the shores of Bay of Bengal at a mere distance of 35 km from the Sun Temple and 65 km from Bhubaneshwar. Pilgrims from all over India visit Puri to take a dip in the holy water of the rolling waves, which is considered religious.......
Lingaraja Bhubaneshwar Temple
Located in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. The Lingaraja temple is located in a spacious courtyard covering over 2,50,000 sq feet and is bounded by fortified walls. Its tower rises up to 180 feet and is elaborately carved. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.....
Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves
The caves are located atop the twin hills known as Udayagiri (meaning the hill of the sunrise) and Khandagiri (meaning the broken hill), which rise abruptly from the coastal plain, about six km west of Bhubaneswa.....
Sun Temple, Konark
Situated at a distance from the famous religious and tourist centre of Puri (35 km) and the capital city of Bhubaneshwar (65 km). The entire temple was designed in the shape of a colossal chariot.......
Music and Videos
Some videos and music from India.
These guides are a quick look at what states have to offer, they are not in depth and are simply a tool to let you explore the regions of India from your own PC,.
Google maps will help you orientate yourself around the various sights and destinations, plus there are wiki links to places of interest, train information, both in State and Intersate, photo links and Youtube videos to help you get aquanted with your chosen destinations.
Click on the place marks to see the photos and also links to the destinatios information
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