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Orissa |
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Orissa has a chequered history which has successfully
assimilated and synthesized the best of Buddhist, Jain
and Hindu cultures. Orissa or Kalinga as it was then called
was a settlement of non-Aryan and Aryan settlers. It was
here that the famous Battle of Kalinga was fought which
made King Ashoka forsake war. He became a follower of
Buddhism and spread the spirit of ahimsa and peace. It
is to the Kharavela period that Orissa owes its Jain art
and architectural tradition. The sophisticated architectural
style of the Jain Monastic caves at Udaygiri and Khandagiri
are a story unto themselves. To understand all that a
Hindu temple stands for one must realize that temples
in India are not merely abodes of deities but a shradhanjali
(offering) to the most sacred. Here a ’darshan’ is a communion
between man and his creator. Hence, Orissan temples are
characterized by |
| profuse decorations,
exquisite carving and ornamentation covering the entire
visible area with Gods & Goddesses, kings and queens,
animals and flower motifs ranged against each other. They
radiate the artist’s inner love and dedication. Orissa
is probably the only state where one can study temple
architecture in all its successive stages of development. |
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| Enchanting
Odissi |
Odissi, is the traditional dance form of Orissa and probably
owes its origin to the temple dances of the devadasis
(temple dancers). Possibly the oldest classical dance
form, one must sit through a performance to experience
its sheer lyrical grace. Mentioned in inscriptions, it
is depicted on sculptures, in temples like the Brahmeswara
and the dancing hall of the Sun temple at Konark. In fact
in the 1950’s the entire Odissi dance form was revitalized
with the help of the Abhinaya Chandrika and sculpted dance
poses found in temples. Orissa enjoys a rich tradition
of tribal and folk dances as well. Chhau from Mayurbhanj
District is a martial dance form reminiscent of Orissa’s
earlier maritime tradition. Other folk and tribal dances
include Danda Nata, a daylong performance ending in acrobatic
sequences, Ranapa or dances in which dancers perform balancing
acts on bamboo stilts. |
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| Rare
Artistry |
Land of dexterous artists and craftsmen, Orissa possesses
a rich artistic tradition which enjoyed liberal patronage
from the temples as well as the nobility. Diverse and
varied, the craftsmen artists of Orissa still retain their
indigenousness, trying to refine it to suit a changing
sensibility. Be it the appliqué artists of Pipli or the
stone carvers of Orissa, proud descendants of sculptors
whose hands chiseled the unsurpassable designs on Orissa’s
famous temples, the essential conflict between the traditional
and the modern is gradually being resolved. The progressive
attitudes of the Orissan artists coupled with hereditary
skills zealously perpetuated, has given traditional Orissan
arts and crafts like weaving of Ikat, Bomkai and Sambalpuri
Saris, stone carving, appliqué and embroidery, silver
filigree work, patta painting and palm leaf engraving,
brass and bell metal work, lacquered boxes and toys and
basket weaving, a unique place in the connoisseur’s dictionary
the world over. A visit to the Raghurajpur artists village
and Pipli, near Puri, to see the artists at work is quite
a rewarding experience. |
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| Gourmet
Delights |
The green coconut with its pure water and the abundant
sea food from Chilika lake and the sea are as Orissan
as pizzas are Italian. Delicious prawns, crabs, sweet
water fish, lamb, chicken and eggs cooked by Orissan cooks
are widely available gourmet fares, while specialty restaurants
serve almost everything. Milk preparations like Rasgulla,
Rasmalai, Khirmohan, Rasabali, Kalakand are delicious.
Pithas, sweet and savoury are served as local snacks.
This is a traditional preparation requiring skill and
care. Pithas like Mandas, Kakara, Chhunchipatra are usually
domestic preparations much loved by the Orissans. |
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| The
Ethnic World of Orissa |
Orissa is a modern state with an ethnic past that is still
vibrant. Most of her tribes are to be found in the districts
of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar Phulbani, Sambalpur, Kalahandi
and Koraput. As many as 62 tribes exist in Orissa - Kondhs,
Koyas, Bondas, Gadabas, Santals, Juangs, Oraon, to name
only a few are some important tribes who have retained
their individuality and their close bond with nature.
From the last week of January to early February, the Tribal
Fair at Bhubaneshwar brings together the ethnic world;
their art, craft and culture is on display. For those
desirous of a closer look trips are arranged by many tour
operators from Bhubaneshwar and other cities but it is
a hardier trail and more time consuming. |
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| Bhubaneshwar |
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Bhubaneshwar is the temple city of the east. The ancient
city of Bhubaneshwar (Bhuban being world and Iswar God)
is a walk down centuries of temple architecture. It is
probably the only city in the world that enables an authentic
over-view of the stages of development of Hindu religious
architecture. In the fast moving world of today these
temples are a gentle reminder of the splendor, the heritage
that was once India. Regular dances by the ’Devadasis’
or divine servant girls, rituals and rites, recital of
hymns were all an integral part of temple |
| culture. Temples in Bhubaneshwar
are built on a common plan as prescribed by Hindu norms.
All visible parts of a temple are sculpted with motifs
of priests, kings, courtiers, pilgrims, celestial dancers,
couples in embrace, birds, animals or scenes from religious
epics and legends. |
Area:
65.03 sq km. Altitude: 45 meters (146
ft.) Temperature (deg C): Summer - Max.38,
Min.27.1. Winter - Max.28.2, Min.15.2. Rainfall:
Mid June-September 60 inches (152 cms). Languages
Spoken: Oriya, Bengali, Hindi, English. Best
season: October to March. |
Excursions:
Dhauligiri- 8 kms, Udaygiri Khandagiri- 8 kms, Nandan
Kanan Zoo- 25 kms, Chandipur- 16 kms, Pipli- 29 kms, Atri
Springs- 42 kms, Sun Temple, Konark- 65 kms. |
Reach -
By Air: Connected with Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi,
Hyderabad, Nagpur, Varanasi, Raipur and Vishakhapatnam.
By Rail: Directly connected with Calcutta, Puri,
Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Bangalore, Guwahati, Hyderabad,
Tirupati, Trivandrum.
By Road: Calcutta- 480
kms, Chilka Lake (Barkul)- 130 kms, Cuttack- 32 kms, Gopalpur-
184 kms, Konark- 64 kms, Madras- 1225 kms, Puri- 62 kms. |
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| Udaygiri
Khandagiri |
| 7 kms from
Bhubaneshwar are the twin hills of Udaygiri and Khandagiri.
Built by Kharavela around 1st - 2nd Century BC for Jain
monks, they are excellent examples of Jain Cave art. The
famous caves of Hathigumpha (elephant cave) in Udaygiri,
RaniGumpha (Queen’s cave) also in Udaygiri, with upper
and lower stories, spacious courtyards and extremely delicately
designed friezes bear witness to the sophistication the
architectural styles had attained as early as the first
Century BC. |
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| Dhauli |
Driving down the Puri-Konark Highway from Bhubaneshwar
one comes across Dhauli hill on the banks of the River
Daya. Surrounded by the soothing greenery of paddy fields,
lies the 3rd Century BC Ashokan Rock Edict, a memory of
the gruesome war that transformed Ashoka, the great Warrior
into a Buddhist missionary. The Peace Pagoda built in
collaboration with the Kalinga – Japanese Buddhist Sangha,
on the opposite hill, is completely modern and is an excellent
foil. |
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| Puri |
The seat of Lord Jagannath, Site of Renowned Rathyatra
Festival and one of the most popular sea side resorts
on the Bay of Bengal, Puri is an ideal travel destination
all the year round. |
Places Of Interest:
Shri Jagannath Temple, Daria Hanuman and Sonar Gouranga
Temple, Gundicha Char, Indradyumma Tank, Narendra/Chandan
Tank, Loknath Temple, Swarga Dwar, Sea Beach at Puri. |
Excursions:
Sakshigopal- 19 kms, Konark- 31 kms, Bhubaneshwar- 63
kms. |
Reach -
By Air: The Nearest Airport is Bhubaneswar- 65
kms.
By Rail: Well connected to Berhampore
(Orissa), Bhubaneswar, Calcutta, Cochin, Delhi, Guwahati,
Hyderabad, Madras, Tirupati, Trivandrum, Varanasi.
By Road: Bhubaneshwar- 62 kms, Calcutta- 541 kms,
Chilika- 167 kms, Konark- 31 kms, Madras- 1285 kms, Sambalpur-
362 kms, Vishakhapatnam- 486 kms. |
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| Konark |
Renowned for its magnificent sun temple, Konark is also
a lovely beach resort. In Konark, the "Natya Mandir",
the dance hall of the Sun Temple probably remains as the
last remnant of the glorious temples of Orissa an extant
example of the architectural excellence of the times.
Built in the 13th Century, here a colossal image of the
chariot of the Sun, drawn by seven horses and 24 wheels
symbolizes the divisions of time. The Konark Sun Temple
also houses a Natamandira or dancing hall. Only two subsidiary
temples out of the 22 exist today. The Vaishnadevi Mayadevi
Temple stand to the West it. The Sun temple of Narasimhadeva
is a depiction in stone of the life of those times – royal,
social, religious and military. The intricate carvings
on the walls and wheels of the chariot are unprecedented
in history. |
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| The fine sculptures depicting
Court life, hunting, scenes, celestial deities are epitomes
of precision and grace. Graceful sculptures from the world
of the Kamasutra, epic of eroticism also adorn the structures.
The Sun Temple standing in solitary splendor is the relic
of a great past. y. |
Area:
2.5 sq km. Altitude: Sea level. Temperature
(deg C): Summer- Max. 43, Min. 32.2. Winter- 26.7, Min.
10.6. Rainfall: 152.4 cms (July to September).
Clothing: Summer- Light tropical &
cottons, Winter- light woolens. Languages spoken:
Oriya, Bengali, Hindi, English. Best season:
Throughout the year, but preferably October to March. |
Reach -
By Air: Nearest airport Bhubaneshwar- 64 kms is
connected with Calcutta, Delhi, Hyderabad, Madras and
Nagpur.
By Rail: Nearest railheads Puri- 31
kms and Bhubaneshwar- 64 kms are connected with the major
places.
By Road: Konark is well-connected with
Bhubaneshwar as well as the major places. |
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| Chilka
Lake |
Chilika Lake, spreading over an area of 1100 sq. kms is
the largest brackish water lake in the country and attracts
large number of migratory birds besides resident ones.
Barkul and Rambha are two places on the lake which serve
as the base. Though the lake can be visited throughout
the year, October to March is the best season.
Flora:
The lake harbours the "aquatic vegetation" of its own
and is typically represents by Algal forms, a number of
Diatoms/Phytoplanktons and a few species of brackish water
submerged phanerogams like Potamogeton pectinatus, Halophila
ovalis etc. The present scanty littoral and scrub jungles
on lake margin, islands and rocky faces are represented
by the species like Salvadora presica and a number of
climbers and herbaceous ground flora. |
The dunes & sandy areas
of the beaches near lake have the floral composition of
their own, favoured in the conditions they offer. The
land lying between Sea and Lagoon exhibits rich growth
of casuarinas equisetifolia.
Fauna:
There is a wide variety of animal life forms representing
various groups of Animal Kingdom ranging from Protozoa
to Mammals. Around 158 species of fishes and prawns have
so far been recorded.
Some mammals reported from small pockets in the surrounding
hills/forests/scattered islands & amidst the vegetation
of sandy ridge facing Chilika and Sea include Black bucks
(Antelope cervicara), Spotted deer, Fox, Jackal, Hyena,
Jungle Cat, Hare, Rat, Pachyura (an insectivora) etc. |
Area:
1100 sq. kms. ( Wildlife Sanctuary area- 15.53 sq. kms.)
Temperature (deg C): Summer- Max. 37,
Min. 30. Winter- Max. 24, Min. 17. Rainfall:
1160 mms. (Mainly July to September). Clothing:
Tropical. Languages Spoken: Oriya, Bengali,
Hindi, English. Best Season: Throughout
the year. |
Places of Interest:
The lake with several of its islands, main among them
being, kalijai, Nalabana, Honeymoon, Breakfast islands
etc. Satpada towards the South Eastern stretch of the
lake is closer to puri and is fast developing as a tourist
spot on the shore of Chilika. |
Cruise on the lake:
To visit various islands, particularly, Kalijai &
Nalabana as well as to cruise on the Chilika Lake, motorised
Yatch and speed boat services are available at fixed rates
from the Manager, O.T.D.C., Panthniwas, Barkul. |
Excursions:
Narayani- 22 kms from Rambha, Gopalpur-on-Sea- 45 kms
from Rambha and 75 kms from Barkul, Taptapani Sulphur
Spring- 100 kms from Rambha and 130 kms from Barkul. |
Reach -
By Air: Nearest airport Bhubaneshwar is 105 kms
from Barkul & 135 kms from Rambha.
By Rail:
The nearest railheads are at Balugaon- 7 kms from Barkul
and Rambha which are directly connected to Calcutta, Puri,
Madras, Hyderabad and Bombay.
By Road: Barkul
to Bhubaneshwar- 105 kms, Puri- 167 kms, Cuttack- 133
kms, Berhampur- 78 kms, Gopalpur-on-Sea- 75 kms and Rambha-
30 kms. |
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| Gopalpur |
Gopalpur-on-Sea is a quiet and charming sea resort along
the Bay of Bengal, in the district of Ganjam, Orissa.
It offers secluded environment and magnificent sun, surf
and sand for most of the year. |
Altitude:
Sea level. Temperature (deg C): Summer-
Max. 35, Min. 23. Winter- Max. 27, Min. 16. Rainfall:
118.7 cms (46.7 inches). Languages Spoken:
Oriya, Hindi, English. Best Season: Throughout
the year, preferably October to April. |
Places Of Interest:
Gopalpur is situated right on the Bay of Bengal with a
beautiful sea-beach. |
Excursions:
Chilika Lake- 45 kms from Ramba and 75 kms from Barkul,
Nirmaljhar- 56 kms, Taptapani (sulphur spring)- 67 kms. |
Reach -
By Air: Bhubaneshwar is the nearest airport- 180
kms.
By Rail: Berhampur- 16 kms is the nearest
railhead.
By Road: Barkul- 75 kms, Berhampur-
16 kms, Bhubaneshwar- 180 kms, Puri- 242 kms. |
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| Simplipal |
Nestled in the centre of Mayurbhanj, the northernmost
district of Orissa is the Similipal National Park one
of India's better known wild life sanctuaries, covering
a large forested area of 2750 sq.kms. The variation in
topography, climate and vegetation has supported large
varieties of animals, birds and reptiles. Similipal is
one of the earliest and finest of India's fifteen Tiger
reserves under Project Tiger. |
Area:
2750 sq km. Altitude: 559.31 meters above
sea level. Temperature (Deg C): Summer-
Max.40, Min.20. Winter- Max.20, Min.4.4. Rainfall:
1648 mm ( Mid. June to Mid. September ). Best
Season: 1st November to 15th June. December to
February is extremely cold. (The reserve remains open
from 15th Oct. to 15th June). |
Places of Interest
- Fauna found at the Park include the tiger, leopard,
elephants, bison, sambar, porcupine, pangolin, flying-squirrel,
hill myna, hornbill, python etc. |
Excursions - Kiching-
50 kms from Joshipur. |
Reach -
By Air: Nearest airports are Calcutta- 250 kms
and Bhubaneshwar- 300 kms.
By Rail: Balasore-
76 kms from Lulung. Jamshedpur- 115 kms from Jashipur.
By Road: Baripada- 20 kms, Jashipur- 114 kms, Bhubaneshwar-
320 kms, Calcutta- 250 kms from Lulung. |
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| Chandipur |
Chandipur- 16 kms away from Balasore Railway Station on
Howrah-Madras line of South Eastern ( S.E.) Railways annique
beach where the sea water recedes about 5 kms during low-tide
and advances to the shore line again during high-tides
each day. An ideal beach resort of Orissa. |
Reach -
By Air: The nearest Airport is Bhubaneshwar- 230
kms from Chandipur.
By Rail: The nearest railhead
Balasore- 16 kms.
By Road: Balasore- 16 kms,
Bhubaneshwar- 230 kms, Cuttack- 230 kms, Calcutta- 240
kms. |
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