Odisha is the 9th largest state in India bordering with West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Bay of Bengal. It will be fair to call the state the ‘cultural capital of India’ because of its varied cultural abundance, which can be witnessed in the forms of festivals, celebrated all through the year. From beaches to hills to wildlife and cosmopolitan feel – Odisha has it all. With a plethora of initiatives in the pipeline to uplift its infrastructure and tourist attractions, Odisha, which hosted over 1.28 core tourists from all over the country last year, is expecting around 5 per cent increase in domestic tourist arrivals this year. Here’s a look at the attractions that the state offers –
Priyanka Saxena Ray
Located on the Eastern side of the India on the shore of Bay of Bengal, Odisha is known for pristine beaches, rich flora and fauna, dense forest ranges, divine shrines and ancient cultures. Talking more about Odisha, the beautiful state is also known for various festivals and fairs that are organized all-round the year. Needless to say, it is one of the most beautiful states in India to explore.
Odisha is the land of tradition and ancient culture, situated at south east coastal India, by the Bay of Bengal. Over the years it has changed its name from Utkal, Kalinga, Odradesha, Orissa, to now Odisha. Today’s modern state of India, Odisha was established on April 1, 1936, which is later celebrated as Utkal Divas. Like its names, from ages it has changes its capital cities from Jajpur to Cuttack and now Bhubaneswar is the new capital of Odisha on April 13, 1948. With the area of 155, 707 sq km, Odisha is the 9th largest state is bordering with West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Bay of Bengal. Odia is the official language of the state.
The Odisha government is targeting a 30 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals at around one lakh travellers in the state this calendar year. In 2016, the state hosted 76,361 foreign tourists, most of them from Sri Lanka, Japan, some European and South Asian nations. Odisha has always been attracting overseas holidaymakers who want to explore its rich heritage and culture, and is the place where King Ashoka embraced Buddhism. The tourism veterans wish to promote the state as a leisure destination, which offers history, culture, mangrove forests, eco tourism, beautiful coastline and food, among others. They are working on activities, which will encourage these tourists to spend more time in the state. After direct air connectivity with Malaysia, the South Asian countries have become an important source market for them. Further, Odisha is adding 500 rooms in next three years in the star category. Currently, the state has 39,497 rooms under middle to high standard category and 75,152 in the low category. The government is looking at public-private partnership is setting up 28 smaller properties with 5-25 rooms capacity in ecologically sensitive and interior areas of the eastern state. In 2016, Odisha hosted over 1.28 core tourists from all over the country. This year, they are expecting around 5 per cent increase in domestic tourist arrivals alone.
Orissa can also be named as the state of religiosity due to its having several religious places located at its different corners. There are numerous places to visit in Odisha since its being the land of amazing beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and enthralling natural landscape. The state owns numerous terrific temples and amazing monuments bearing everything that make it attractable to national and international tourists, resulting in accelerating Odisha tourism.
Among other tourist places in Odisha, one of the most famous tourists and religious spot not only in the state but also in India is Puri. The place, known as one of the holiest cities of the world, is one of the four major Hindu shrines. Puri, also known as Jagannath Puri, is said to be the abode of Lord Jagannath, so it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Odisha. Here’s a detailed look at its prominent places of interest –
Bhubaneswar
Being the seat of Tribhubaneswar or ‘Lord Lingaraj’, Bhubaneswar is an important Hindu pilgrimage centre. Hundreds of temples dot the landscape of the Old Town, which once boasted of more than 2000 temples. Bhubaneswar is the place where temple building activities of Orissan style flowered from its very inception to its fullest culmination extending over a period of over 1000 years.
The new Bhubaneswar with its modern buildings and extensive infrastructure perfectly complements its historic surroundings. This capital city of Odisha is one of India’s most famous destinations and while it is dubbed as ‘Temple City’, the place boasts of everything from architectural marvels to natural beauties. A must-see attraction in Bhubaneswar is the Nandankanan Zoo, which is a Biological Park where animals are kept in their natural habitat. A centrally located lake divides the Zoo from the Botanical Gardens. Tigers, lions, clouded leopards, black panthers, European brown bear, Himalayan black bear, gharials, rosy pelican, grey pelican, Indian python, king cobra, etc. are among the attractions of the zoo, which is famous for its white tigers.
In addition to this, the twin hills of Kumargiri and Kumarigiri known as Khandagiri and Udaygiri are a must-see attraction in Bhubaneswar. The Cactus garden situated close to the ‘Ekamara Kanan’ in the city is also a popular tourist joint. The Dhauli hill brings back memories of the historic ‘Kalinga war’ which was fought around here. It is here that King Ashoka, the terrible, was transformed into Ashoka, the compassionate and championed the cause of Buddhism.
Puri
One of the prominent factors making Puri favourite among tourists, is its being one of the Char Dham pilgrimages. As per the Hindu mythology, a pilgrimage of Indian temples completes only after visiting Puri. One of the four most celebrated religious centres of India Puri is also named as Jagannath Puri because of the 12th century Jagannath Puri Temple situated here. The Temple of Lord Jagannath built by Chodaganga Deva dominates the landscape for a kilometre around and though the place is buzzing all year around, it comes alive every year at the time if the famous Rath Yatra, where the ‘Gods’ leave the temple to visit their relative at a close-by temple. The Rath Yatra festival, which takes place in July/August each year, is considered to be the most auspicious time for the year for its worshippers and a mere glimpse of Lord Jagannath on the chariot, or even to touch the chariot, is considered to be very fortunate. Being the tallest temple (65 metres) in Orissa, it is one of the most magnificent pieces of monuments of India.
The sunny beach at Puri is one of the finest in the world. Watching the sunrise or sunset in a symphony of colours is a wonderful experience. It is one of the most popular sea-side resorts where visitors from any part of the globe can comfortably relax. And if you are lucky, you may even catch some breathtaking sand art being put together by the popular artists from around the region.
Konark Sun Temple
The magnificent Sun Temple at Konark is the culmination 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’, and it is true that the experience of Konark is impossible to translate into words.
The massive structure, now in ruins, sits in solitary splendour surrounded by drifting sand. Today it is located two km from the sea, but originally the ocean came almost up to its base. Until fairly recent times, in fact, the temple was close enough to the shore to be used as a navigational point by European sailors, who referred to it as the ‘Black Pagoda’.
Built by King Narasimhadeva in the thirteenth century, the entire temple was designed in the shape of a colossal chariot, carrying the sun god, Surya, across the heavens.
The idea of building an entire temple in the shape of a chariot, however, is not an ancient one, and, indeed, was a breathtakingly creative concept. Equally breathtaking was the scale of the temple which even today, in its ruined state, makes one gasp at first sight. Construction of the huge edifice is said to have taken 12 years revenues of the kingdom.
The temple, which Narasimhadeva left us, is a chronicle in stone of the religious, military, social, and domestic aspects of his 13th century royal world. Every inch of the remaining portions of the temple is covered with sculpture of an unsurpassed beauty and grace, in tableaux and freestanding pieces ranging from the monumental to the miniature. The subject matter is fascinating. Thousands of images include deities, celestial and human musicians, dancers, lovers, and myriad scenes of courtly life, ranging from hunts and military battles to the pleasures of courtly relaxation. These are interspersed with birds, animals (close to two thousand charming and lively elephants march around the base of the main temple alone), mythological creatures, and a wealth of intricate botanical and geometrical decorative designs.
The famous jewel-like quality of Orissan art is evident throughout, as is a very human perspective which makes the sculpture extremely accessible. Close by is one of the most attractive beaches of the world – the Chandrabhaga beach.
Chillika Lake
If you want to spend time among nature, head to remarkable Chilika Lake. Asia’s largest brackish water lagoon (a combination of sea and fresh water) is an ecological wonder that’s full of wildlife, particularly fish and migratory birds from far-off lands. There are even dolphins! The lake also has a number of islands. Queen of natural beauty, Chilika Lake, the largest brackish water lake in Asia covering an area of over 1,100 sq. km is a great attraction for the tourists for fishing, bird watching and boating. In winter Chilika aflutter with thousands of indigenous and migratory birds of many varieties from far and near – even from the distant Siberia. The fabulous beauty of Chilika which has inspired poets to sing its glory and which can be best enjoyed from Balugaon, Barkul, Rambha and Satapada must be seen to be believed. One can also have a glimpse of the lake from the moving trains and vehicles on the road near these places. The atmosphere is just serene and undisturbed amidst the blue expanse of water on one side and an evergreen range of hills on the other. Dotted with a host of islands with romantic names, a cruise in Chilika will be a life-long memory.
