September 19, 2017 TnH Global 0

Odisha – a land of myriad marvels

Rightly called as the land of myriad marvels, Odisha is a charming state of India. Its dynamic topographical and vegetational strength have combined to extract some of the most striking destinations which offer a visual feast to its visitors. This state also provides highly educative and culturally pleasing insight into one of the oldest civilizations of the world. Read on to know more about this astonishing state…

The historical state of Odisha is located amidst beautiful lush green mountains of the Eastern Ghats. Odisha is blessed with palm-fringed beaches, sparkling lakes, winding rivers, mighty waterfalls and blue hills of Eastern Ghats, which are home to rich flora and fauna that impress and lure tourists from all over the world. Odisha is popular for its fairs festivals, stone carving, appliqué work, silver filigree, exotic handicrafts, and exquisite textiles. This state is dotted with many architecturally celebrated temples, sacred shrines, and heritage monuments, which makes it one of the most hidden splendid cultural landscapes in India.

Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism have flourished in this land with equal ease that pays reverence to its ancient deities with extravagant style from the religious architectural wonders in the famous “Golden Triangle of Bhubaneswar-Puri-Konark”, where tourists can get an encapsulated experience of Odisha in all its infinite charm.

Best time to visit

The ideal time to visit Odisha is from October to March owing to its salubrious weather conditions.

What to See?

Bhubaneswar

It is the capital as well as ancient city of Odisha. It has many temples that are built from sandstone and dotted around Bindu Sagar Lake in the old city, including the 11th-century Hindu Lingaraja Temple. Outside, Rajarani Temple are sculpted figures of the guardians of the 8 cardinal and ordinal directions. Another must visit place is Odisha State Museum which features weaponry, Jain antiques and indigenous pattachitra paintings.

Puri

Puri is a city in the state of Odisha. Located 60 kilometres south of the state capital of Bhubaneswar, it is also known as ‘Sri Jagannath Dham’ after the 12th-century Jagannath Temple located in the city. It is one of the original Char Dham pilgrimage sites for Hindus. Although princely states do not exist in India today but the heirs of the Gajapati Dynasty of Khurda still perform the ritual duties of the temple. Apart from the historic temple Puri is known for its fine sands for Puri Beach.

Konark

Konark is another historic town in the state of Odisha, India. It is located on the coast by the Bay of Bengal about 65 km from Bhubaneshwar. This place has the site of the 13th-century Sun Temple, also called the Black Pagoda, built in black granite during the reign of Narasimhadeva-I. The temple is a World Heritage Site. The temple is mostly in ruins now, and a collection of its sculptures is housed in the Sun Temple Museum, which is run by the Archaeological Survey of India. Konark is also home to an annual dance festival called Konark Dance Festival, held every December, devoted to classical Indian dance forms, including Odissi – the traditional classical dance of Odisha.

Dhauligiri

Dhauligiri is a hillside with another name as Dhauli located on the River Daya banks. It is just 8 km far from the south of Bhubaneshwar. You can find splendid Edicts of Ashoka embossed on a mass of rock in Dhauli, beside the way to the hill summit. It is believed that Dhauli hill was the battlefield of the Kalinga War. The spectacular Shanti Stupa or Peace Pagoda is also located here. Apart from these places, there is many to explore in this soulful state of India like the Nandankanan Zoological Park, Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves, Ratnagiri, Taratarini Temple and Chilika Lake etc.

How to get here?

By Air: Regular flights landing at the only major airport of the city namely ÂBiju Patnaik AirportÊ connect it to all the major cities of the country such as Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Vishakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Raipur.

By Rail: Bhubaneshwar is the most convenient and important railway station in Odisha. An excellent train network connects Bhubaneshwar to Calcutta, Puri, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Tirupati and Trivandrum. Apart from Bhubaneshwar Railway Station, there are numerous railheads in Odisha, which link all major cities and towns to Bhubaneshwar and other important places within and outside the state.

By Road: Odisha has a wide network of roads that connects well to the rest of the country by National highways and State highways. Bhubaneshwar the capital city is well linked to all major cities within Odisha and its neighboring states.

Trivia – Festivals in Odisha: Some of the popular festivals you must witness in Odisha are Kalinga Mahotsava, Konark Dance Festival, Chandan Yatra and majorly, Rath Yatra. Specialties of this state: Ikat silk, Pata paintings, Silver filigree and beautiful Stone carving.