Orissa
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Particulars
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Description
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Area
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1,55,707 sq. km
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Population
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36,804,660
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Capital
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Bhubaneshwar
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Principal Languages
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Oriya
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Orissa: At a Glance
The name Orissa is derived from Sanskrit word "Odra Vishaya" or "Odra Desa". The ancient province of "Odra desa" or "Or-desa" was limited to the valley of the Mahanadi and to the lower course of the SubarnarekhaRiver. It comprised the whole of the present districts of Cuttack and Sambalpur and a portion of Midnapore. It was bounded on the West by Gondwana, on the North by the wild hill states of Jashpur and Singhbhum, on the East by the sea and on the South by Ganjam.
The Orissa state, which was once a land of Kings and Kingdoms, now boasts of being rich source of natural resources. Its people, temple architecture, classical dance, religions, fairs and festivals, unique handlooms and handicrafts, green woodlands, rock caves, charming blue hills have always attracted historians, tourists and travellers from all over the world. Its rich history, revolutionary freedom movement, fascinatingly sculptured temples and monuments, tribal life characterized by dance, music, rituals, hunting, gaiety and wild ways have become important topics of research for great historians and scholars
Tourist Places of Orissa
On the eastern coast of India, perpetually washed by the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, lies the many splendour of State of Orissa. Endowed with a rich cultural heritage of old world charms and bestowed liberally with the bounties of nature, sometimes tender, sometimes awe-inspiring, it is a kaleidoscope of past splendours and present glamour, a fascinating state with unspoiled beaches, sprawling lakes, luxuriant forests, teeming wildlife, superb monuments, exotic handicrafts, traditional tribes, colorful fairs and festivals, scintillating music and dances. It is a land of unforgettable memories and hidden treasures. Many parts of this fascinating land remain relatively unexplored.
Orissa Tourism at a Glance
Traditionally known as the land of Lord Jagannath, Orissa is a potential State for tourists of various interests. The legend of Nilamadhab associated with Kantilo is thought provoking. The lush green forests of Ushakothi and Similipal filled with the chirping of birds and rich wild life are much-needed oasis. The biosphere reserve of Nandankanan, only 20 kms. from Bhubaneswar can be interesting for any visitor regardless of age and sex. The lion safari and white tiger safari have added news features.
The majestic Mahanadi gorge at Tikarapara with the added attraction of the Crocodile Sanctuary is a must for the wild life lovers. Millions of Olive Ridley turtles come to Gahirmatha twice a year to lay eggs.
Orissa has a paradise for the birds as well as in the ChilikaLake which is the largest brackish WaterLake in Asia. The Lake is dotted with a host of Islands with their romantic names like HoneymoonIsland, BreakfastIslandetc. Dancing Dolphins are an added attraction of the place.
The perennial and precipitous water falls at a number of places like Bagra, Duduma, Harishankar, Nrusimhanath, Pradhanpat, Khandadhar, Berehipani, Joranda, etc. formed against enthralling hills of scenic beauty provide the tired travellers with a cool breeze and ice cold water to relieve them off the clutches of the scorching sun in the summer.
More refreshing in the winter are the hot sulphur springs at Atri, Taptapani, Deulajhari and Tarabalo. The lovely beaches of Orissa stretching over 400 kms. from Chandaneswar to Gopalpur are still virgin and rated among the best in the world. The beach at Chandipur in the district of Balasore has a unique individuality of its own.
To break the monotony of travelling, Orissa offers to the tourists numerous traditional fairs and festivals which are observed with colorful pomp and ceremony. The grandest among which is the Ratha Yatra at Puri. Other festivals include Dhanu Yatra at Bargarh, Sitala Sasthi at Sambalpur, Nila Parva at Chandaneshwar, Chhou dance at Baripada etc.
Tourism in Bhubaneswar
City of Temples is situated on the main railway line that connects Howrah in the north with Chennai in the south. To the visitor, Bhubaneswar is a city of contrasts, co-existence and continuity. There is a happy encounter of past and present in this temple town which has a history of about 2500 years. All religions and sects flourished here.
Lingaraj Temple, has been a centre of Shiva-worship.
Ananta - VasudevaTemple 1278 A.D (4 km.) often considered being a watered down version of the magnificent Lingaraj temple as far as the architecture is concerned, this 18.29 meter high lone Vaishnav shrine is the most finished temple situated on the east bank of the Bindu Sarovara.
BhaskareshwarTemple (6 km.), this small temple is remarkable for its stepped design and the unusually high Linga in its sanctum.,which rises to a height of nearly three meters from the floor level. Some scholars believe that the Linga was originally a free standing pillar.
Bindu Sarovara (4km.), situated to the north of the Lingaraj temple this large pool measures approximately 400m x 230m. The devotees believe this Sarovara to contain water from every holy stream, pool and river of India and can purify them of all sins.
Brahmeshwar Temple 1061 AD.(6.5 km.), this temple was built by Kolavati, the mother of the Somavansi King Udyotakesari, in the eighteenth regal year of his reign, This shrine, though dedicated to Lord Shiva.
B K College of Art and Crafts (10 km.), the College offers higher studies in certain modes of art and craft including wood carving, palm leaf etching, stone sculpture, clay modelling, commercial art, graphic art, line drawing and painting. The college is located in Khandagiri area.
Dhauli (9 km.) is a small hillock rising conspicuously on the southern bank of the river Daya, in the midst of green fields that seem to reach out to the horizon. This is the site where Ashoka waged the final battle against Kalinga in 261 BC.
Tourism in Puri
A heaven on earth is the common description of Puri. Both the devout and the pleasure seeker bestow such praise on the place. Besides Lord Jagannath temple there are other small temples within Puri. Puri is having one of the world’s finest sea beach.
Ai Tota (1.5 km.), is the place towards the left side of the GundichaTemple where Chaitanya used to stay during Car Festivals.
Angira Bata (3.5 km.), on the east of the temple of Lord Jagannath can be seen a shady banyan tree known as Angira Bata surrounded by an old boundary wall. The place is associated with the legendary sages Angira.
Annapurna Theatre (3 km.), Murari Mishra records the first staging of his play at Puri sometime in the 9th century AD. Though the ancient stage is no longer existent, this seventy year old theatre house can still be seen at Puri.
Ardhasani (3 km.), about 3 km. from the LordJagannathTemple, on the Grand Road, is a small white-washed temple for goddess Ardhasani or Mausi Ma. A Subhadra image is worshipped here.
Asta Shambhu (4.5 km.), a small temple in Tiadi Sahi houses a cluster of eight Shiva Lingas made of semi-precious stones which appear different in color when looked at from different directions.
Atharanala (3 km.), a marvel of medieval Orissan architecture the Atharanala or the bridge with eighteen arches was built by Bhanu Deba of the Ganga dynasty in the thirteenth century. It is a stone structure and is still used as the gateway to the holy city Puri.
Aurobindo Dham (4 km.), a newly established institution which popularises the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, a twentieth century philosopher of India. It has a small library. Its impressive complex of buildings can be reached by going to the west from Swarga Dwar.
Bata Lokanath (5 km.), the impressive temple on the Swarga Dwar Road is dedicated to Lord Shiva. A beautiful Kali image is also worshipped in the near by place.
Batamangala (5 km.), at a distance of about three kilometer from Atharanala on the Puri-Bhubaneswar road is a small temple dedicated to goddess Batamangala. Pilgrims usually pray this goddess for safe journey to Puri.
Bauli Math (3.5 km.), the well dug by Guru Nanak popularly known as Dedhasur Bhai Bohu Kua is still to be seen here and this place, the Bauli Math is visited by the devotee round the year.
Bedi Mahavir (2.5 km.), a small sea-side temple which in which the image of the monkey-god Hanuman, a devotee of Rama is worshiped.
Bharat Sevashram (4km.) an institution situated near Swarga Dwar. It is a philanthropic organization which does commendable work during the Car Festivals.
Bhrugu Ashram (3km.), or Bhrugus hermitage is near Atharanala. It is associated with the sage Bhrugu.
Chakhi Khuntias House (4 km.), Chakhi Khuntia, a priest of Jagannath, fought the British during India’s First War of Independence in 1857. Khuntia was the family priest of Queen Laxmi Bai of Jhansi who led the heroic revolt against the British.
Chakra Tirtha (2 km.), place on the seashore is believed to be the house of the father of Laxmi, the consort of Jagannath. A small but beautiful temple houses the images of Laxmi and Nrushimah.
Chaturdham Veda Bhawan (4.5 km.), a school of teaching the Vedas to the young. The students of this school recite the Vedas to the measured movement of hands, fingers and palms. The Yajna Vedi or the traditional Vedic altar for burning sacrificial fire may also be seen by a visitor here.
SunTemple, the magnificent SunTemple at Konark is the culmination of Orissan temple architecture, and one of the most stunning monuments of religious architecture in the world. Built by the King Narasimha Deva in the thirteenth century; the entire temple was designed in the shape of a colossal chariot with seven horses and twelve wheels, carrying the Sun God, Surya, across the heavens. Surya has been a popular deity in India since the Vedic period.
The Melakkadambur Shiva Temple, built in the form of a chariot during the age of Kulottunga Chola I (1075-1120), is the earliest of this kind, and is still in a well preserved state.
The Navagruha Temple, a huge stone containing nine planetary gods. The architectural use of Navagraha is according to the medieval convention a kind of prophylactic measure for the safety of the temple and can be seen almost in every temple in Orissa. The SunTemple also has a huge Navagraha slab which is richly ornamented.
Tourism in Western Orissa
The Government of Orissa with the help of Orissa Tourism Development Corporation has decided to promote tourism in not only in coastal Orissa but also in Western Orissa. Places of natural beauty are in abundance in Western Orissa.
Sonepur
From very ancient times, Sonepur is considered as a holy city. The Kosalananda Kavya of Kavi Gangadhara Meher, written in 1664 A.D, describes the temple city of Sonepur as the second Varanasi of India. On the basis of the cult images, the temples of Sonepur can be divided into three thematic divisions i.e., the Saiva, Vaisnava and Sakta temples.
Some of the most important Sakta temples are Sureswari, Stamvesvari or Khamvesvari, Bhagavati, Samalesvari, Budhi Samalei, Manikesvari, Narayani, Sitalei and Lankesvari. The temple of Suresvari is situated on the left bank of the river Tel towards the north of Suvarnameru temple and south-east of Ramesvara temple.
Tourism in Cuttack
City of the Fort situated at the apex of a delta formed by the river Mahanadi on the north and its distributaries, the Kathajodi on the south. Cuttack (or Kataka) was founded by King Nrupa Keshari in 989 A.D. Cuttack has witnessed the rule of several dynasties: the Kesharis, the Gangas, the Gajapatis and the Bhois.
Barabati Fort, the ruins of the old Barabati Fort lie on the right bank of the Mahanadi, in the western part of the city. All that remains of the Fort is an arched gateway and the earthen mound of the nine storey palace.
Barabati Stadium (4 km.), adjacent to the ruins of Barabati Fort is the Barabati Stadium with its impressive structure covering an area of about 25 acres. The structure of the stadium closely resembles that of the Brabourne Stadium of Bombay. There is a clock tower within Barabati Stadium which is a distinct feature of the stadium.
Jawaharlal Nehru Air-conditioned Indoor Stadium, situated towards the southern part of the Barabati Fort. It has seating capacity for six thousand spectators.
Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) (5 km.), established in 1946. Its basic aim is to conduct research on crop development in order to increase overall productivity of rice. It is the best Rice Research Institute in the Asia continent.
ChandiTemple (5 km.), the temple of Goddess Chandi, the presiding deity of the city, to the south of the Barabati area is visited by hundreds of devotee’s everyday. The image of the deity is older than the temple.
Church, Baptist (5 km.), the present BaptistChurch or JubileeChurch at Mission Road was constructed in 1872 to commemorate the golden jubilee of the work of the Baptist Missionary Society at Cuttack.
Church of England (4 km.), later known as the Anglican Church, is presumed to have been established during the days of the East India Company.
Church of God (4 km.), the building of the present at Cantonment Road was constructed in 1928.
Church, Roman Catholic (5 km.), situated at Cuttack Chandi, to the north of the MountHouse, the Catholic Church is one of the oldest in Orissa. It is believed that the first Catholic Church at Cuttack was built on the bank of the Kathajodi by the Portuguese merchants, but there is no trace of it now.
GadagadeswarTemple (4.5 km.), the temple of Lord Shiva on the banks of the Mahanadi towards the northern part of the Barabati area is not very old. The modern temple probably stands in the place of a certain Visvesvara temple of the fifteenth century mentioned in the Oriya by Sarala Das.
Gurudwara of Guru Nanak Datan Sahib (2 km.), situated on the bank of the Mahanadi to the west of the NH-5. Gurudwara Guru Nanak Datan Sahib is one of the oldest Gurudwaras of Orissa.
Hanuman Temple (2.5 km.), situated on the bank of the river, Kathajodi. The temple of Panchamukhi Mahavira, a form of Hanuman is visited by the hundreds of Hanuman devotees. There are the shrines of Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Lord Siva in the temple premises.
Jama Masjid (7 km.), built by Nawab Ikram Khan in 1689 A.D. The mosque stretches from east to west to enable the devotees to turn towards Mecca while praying. There are two tall and elegant towers on both sides of the mosque. One can get a view of the city from the top of the towers.
Oriya Bazar (5 km.), house at Oriya Bazar where Subhas Chandra Bose, the ninth child of Prabhabati and Janaki Nath Bose was born is visited by many people particularly on 23 January, the birthday of Netaji.
Publishing Houses (6 km.), almost all the major Oriya publishing houses are located at Balu Bazar - Binod Behari - Banka Bazar area of Cuttack.
The Samaja (Buxi Bazar: 4 km.), is a prominent Oriya daily founded by Utkala Mani Gopabandhu Das.
The Prajatantra (Chandinichowk : 7 km.), is also a prominent Oriya daily was founded byUtkala Keshari Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab, the oldest of the existing Oriya dailies also come out from the city.
Qadam-I-Rasool (5.5 km.), located almost at the centre of the city, Qadam-i-Rasool is enclosed on all sides by high stone walls. The mosque is a good example of Indo-Islamic architecture and a shrine dear to both Hindus and Muslims.
Raghunath Jew temple (3.5 km.), a monument of Maratha period, the temple of Sri Raghunath Jew, also known as Sitaram Thakurbari is situated at Telenga Bazar in the southern part of the city.
RavenshawCollege, the College is famous for its prominent library named as “Kanika Library”. The college is also famous or the oldest sun clock made by famous astrologer Pathani Samanta which is on the courtyard of the college.
S.C.BMedicalCollege, is a medical college and hospital which was started before independence. The chief architect behind this mega project was Maharaja Sri Ram Chandra Bhanjadeo.
Tourism in Dhenkanal
Kapilash Temple, situated at an altitude of 2,150 ft, Kapilash is called the Kailash of Orissa.The gateway to Kapilash is Dhenkanal town, 26 km. away. Surrounded on all sides by the Eastern Ghats, Kapilash is quite picturesque. The people of the region believe that Kapilash is the abode of Lord Chandrasekhar or Shiva.
Narayana and Viswanath temples, on the hilltop are also popular places of pilgrimage.
Saptasajya, is another charming spot, 11 km. from Dhenkanal.
Joranda, is famous for excursion. Followers of the Mahima cult visit Joranda as pilgrimage. It is also famous palace.
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