Orissa Travel Guide
Orissa is located on the east coast, Orissa is also known as the Soul of India, is a mystical land where the hoary past and the modern today form a harmonious blend. A land filled with awe inspiring monuments, thousands of master craftsmen and artists, numerous wildlife sanctuaries, stunning natural landscapes. Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, famous as a temple town and a handicraft centre, has, over the last decade, become an upcoming business centre. Most of the state's attractions are close to each other, and convenient access is provided out of the state capital, Bhubaneshwar. The Bay of Bengal washes the shores of this colourful eastern state,bestowingit liberally with quiet and sunny beaches. Green fields, groves and forests abound, and set amongst them are the majestic reminders of a glorious past ancient, beautiful temples and monuments built a thousand years ago and more. The capital itself is an intriguing amalgam of the old and the new, an emerging modern Indian city, that is steeped in the roots of the traditions of its glorious past, without being overwhelmed by it. Orissa, is the land of the Oriyas, was known as "Kalinga" in ancient times. Its capital today is Bhubaneshwar. In the 3rd century BC (268 BC), Ashoka was the great Mauryan ruler of the same dynasty, sent a powerful army to annex Kalinga into his empire. The battle of Kalinga was fierce and bloody. It led to much destruction and carnage. Kalinga was subdued by Ashoka at Dhaulagiri near Bhubaneshwar, but so was his heart, because after seeing the aftermath of the war, he felt great remorse. Seeing the ephemeral nature of everything earthly and the uselessness of running after it, he converted to Buddhism and spent the rest of his life spreading the light of Buddhist teachings far and wide. (The battleground is marked by a rock edict and a pillar at Dhuli, 5 km from Bhubaneshwar). His philosophy of life now was peace and therefore in addition to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism also co-existed during the Mauryan Dynasty.
The waves come and go dashing on the shore like madcap but here they are like a musical fountain, soothing to the eyes and ears. Elsewhere, the waters wait for the visitors but here the visitors have to wait for the waters. Elsewhere, the waves go wild and the visitors calm but here the ecstasy of visitors will go wild while the waves remain calm. Puri with its luxurious beach and the famous Jagannath temple, the World Heritage site of the Sun Temple at Konark, the largest brackish water lake of Asia, Chilka, the world famous Nandan Kanan zoo, Dhauli, the site of the historic Kalinga war that changed the course of Indian history where Asoka the Great renounced the path of war and embraced Buddhism are all within a radius of a couple of hours drive. In Bhubaneswar, visitors can visit the Khandagiri & Udaygiri caves, marvel at the ancient temples (more than 200 temples stand of the 2000 odd that were originally present) including the imposing Lingaraja temple that towers over its surroundings and Mukteswara, often called the gem of Orissan temple architecture. In small towns and villages, shops often close for one afternoon a week (commonly Wednesday) and some shut for an hour at lunchtime. In many cities and towns, selected large supermarkets are open 24 hours a day, Monday to Saturday.
Places of intereste: Gopalpur on sea, Taptapani Ananta Vasudeva Temple Niagara Temple, Mukteswar Temple, Rajarani Temple, the Jain and Buddhist rock-cut caves of Khandagiri, Udayagiri Dhauli together with Ashoka’s . Bindusagar, Vaital temple, Mukteshwar temple, Kedareswar temple, Parasurameswara temple, Lingaraja temple, Raja-Rani temple and Brahmeswar temple.
Access: Bhubaneswar is the only civil airport in the state. It is well connected by regular flights to different parts of the country. Bhubaneswar and Puri are the major railway junctions for Orissa. There is an extensive railway network connecting Orissa to the other parts of the country. The National Highways 5, 6, 23, 42, and 43 pass through Orissa. The good road network connects well with the other parts of the country as well as different places within the state.
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